Public Health Practices (PHP) Update

 

# 6785

 

 

Every few months I try to highlight the Public Health Practices project (formerly Promising Practices), a freely accessible repository of public health tools and strategies, sponsored by CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

 

Over the past two years Public Health Practices has broadened its original scope to include more than just pandemic response. You’ll find tools and practices that cover a wide range of public health concerns, including chemical, radiological, and natural disasters.

 

 

In addition to the constantly expanding website, there is also a monthly email newsletter you can sign up for.

 

This continually expanding site includes:

• More than 400 public health practices in 9 categories of emergency preparedness and disaster response from state and local health agencies, community-based organizations, and colleges and universities.

• In-depth stories on how state and local projects were created, communications materials in more than 40 languages, and tools like job action sheets and media campaigns.

• Expert reviewers' commentary on a practice's effectiveness, reach, sustainability, feasibility, and transferability. Please note: expert review is only available for a select number of practices.

• A regular e-newsletter featuring our newest practices and other updates from the CIDRAP Public Health Practices staff.

• The ability to search for practices based on geography, available languages, and key topics in preparedness and response.

Recent additions to the practices database include:

 

Recent Practices

2012 Dec 12

Community Reception Center exercise tests Florida’s radiological screening and decontamination process

State and local health departments across the country have been planning to address radiological threats, whether accidental (eg, incidents at nearby nuclear power plants) or manmade (eg,...

2012 Oct 16

Michigan integrates disaster preparedness curriculum into school health program

Disaster preparedness at the family level has been the focus of many public health agencies' communications campaigns. Recent collaborations between health agencies and school districts have...

2012 Oct 16

Social media training program builds responders' comfort with and ability to use Facebook and Twitter for emergency communications

Social media is used increasingly to alert, update, or provide recommendations to the public during emergencies. A 2011 American Red Cross (ARC) survey found that the Internet is the third most...

2012 Sep 17

Toolkit adapts infectious disease emergency response plan for local health departments

In 2006, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) compiled its Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) plan. The IDER plan described how to integrate local emergency management and...

2012 Sep 17

Dispense Assist online screening system helps Kansas county improve POD throughput, serve vulnerable populations

More than 70 US cities participate in the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI), which is funded by CDC to develop programs that ensure medication is available to a city's entire population within 48...

 

Whether you are looking for a specific solution, or simply looking for muse to inspire your organization’s emergency preparedness efforts, visiting Public Health Practices – and returning often – will likely pay tremendous dividends.

 

Highly recommended.

»» Read More

OCHA: Yesterday’s Tsunami Alert Response Timeline

 

 

# 6277

 

 

Yesterday’s 8.6 magnitude earthquake off the northern shore of Sumatra did not end up generating a devastating tsunami, but that bit of good fortune wasn’t apparent until several hours after the event.

 

For a time vulnerable coastal regions across the Indian ocean were under a tsunami watch, and evacuations were ordered in some areas.

 

Below you’ll find a graphic from OCHA (the United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), showing the alert response across the Indian ocean.

 

The timeline, showing the first quake and warnings, followed 2 hours later by a second 8.2 quake, are excerpted below.

 

 

 

After the tremendous earthquake and tsunami that devastated many coastal regions across the Indian ocean in 2005, tsunami warnings and preparedness have been taken far more seriously.

 

Last year’s earthquake/tsunami in Japan only reinforced the need for timely warnings and evacuations. 

 

For the most up-to-date tsunami information for the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean you will want to bookmark the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

 

 

As you can see, yesterday’s Sumatran earthquake have now slipped to positions 3 & 4, with 2 strong quakes in Baja California overnight. 

 

Neither of these most recent quakes produced a tidal wave.

 

For more on tsunami preparedness, you may wish to revisit a blog from last month called Tsunami: The Other Coastal Threat.

There I wrote about the history of tsunamis that have struck along the Atlantic coastline, and provided information and links for National Tsunami Preparedness Week.

 

 

As I wrote last month . . .

 

Tsunamis are relatively rare, but they are just one of many potential threats, which is why most experts recommend an `all threats’ preparedness strategy.

 

Disasters happen.

 

And so you need to have adequate emergency supplies (including a good first aid kit), a NOAA weather radio, and a disaster plan, in order to give you and your family the best protection.

 

Good places to get preparedness information include:

 

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS

http://www.redcross.org/

 

And you can click the following link to search this blog for my PREPAREDNESS ESSAYS.

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Reminder: Don’t Stress, It’s Only A Test

 

 

# 5947

 

Photo Credit – FCC

 

A little over a week ago (see Nationwide Test Of Emergency Alert System (EAS) On Nov 9th) I wrote about the upcoming test of the National Emergency Alert System.

Since that time, the length of the test has been reduced to approximately 30 seconds.

 

FEMA, which will spearhead this nationwide test, wants everyone to know – in advance – that the test messages to be issued on November 9th are just a test.

 

Details are available on the FEMA website at Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System (Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM EST), but the key points they would like to stress are:

 

• It will be conducted Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM EST.
• It will be transmitted via television and radio stations within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
• Similar to local emergency alert system tests, an audio message will interrupt television and radio programming indicating: “This is a test.”
• When the test is over, regular programming will resume.
• For additional questions, visit the FAQ’s page and the FCC EAS Test page.

 

 

For those of you on twitter, I would also suggest you follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, and @ReadydotGov for the latest Emergency information.

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Nationwide Test Of Emergency Alert System (EAS) On Nov 9th

 

FEMA Director Craig Fugate - Photo Credit FEMA

# 5929

 

 

On November 9th of this year, at 2:00pm Eastern Time, FEMA, along with partners NOAA and the FCC, will conduct the first ever nation-wide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

 

The EAS can be activated in the event of a national emergency by the President of The United States, and on a more localized level by the NWS to issue severe storm warnings, and by state governors and local emergency managers for more geographically limited emergencies.

 

Although those of us who grew up during the cold war are well familiar with early CONELRAD and later EBS alerts, we have become a `wired’ nation, and no longer depend primarily on over-the-air radio and TV broadcasts.

 

With newer technologies such as satellite TV,  cable TV, satellite Radio, etc. the task of alerting the nation during a crisis has grown considerably more complex. Telling people to turn to 640 or 1240 on their AM dial in the event of an emergency doesn’t cut it anymore.

 

Hence a need to test the system on a nationwide basis.

 

FEMA, which will spearhead this nationwide test, wants everyone to know – in advance – that the test messages to be issued on November 9th are just a test.

 

To that end, they have released a short video that will help to explain exactly what you may hear or see during this upcoming test.

 

 

For more on all of this, I would invite you to visit the FEMA BLOG.

 

FEMA Blog

October 28, 2011

Help Us Spread the Word – On November 9, “This is Just a Test”

Published by: Public Affairs

Over the past few months, we have written on this blog about the upcoming nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, which is now less than two weeks away. The test will take place on Wednesday, November 9th at 2:00 pm eastern standard time, and will be the first time this system, which is often tested and used by officials at the local level, will be tested across the entire country.

(Continue. . . )

For those of you on twitter, I would also suggest you follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, and @ReadydotGov for the latest Emergency information.

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FEMA: Timeline Of Response To Southern Storms

 

 

# 5537

 

NOAA Tornado Tracks & Imagery

 

It has been seven days since the devastating round of severe weather moved through Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, leaving behind hundreds of fatalities, thousands of injuries, and tens of thousands in need. 

 

FEMA, along with other local, state, and national agencies, have been on the ground providing assistance for a solid week.  

 

They are ably assisted by organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, along with other voluntary and faith-based organizations who are providing meals, shelter and other relief supplies.

 

Late yesterday FEMA released a timeline of the joint response to this disaster, which may be viewed at:

 

Southern Storms: Overview Of Recovery And Support Efforts By FEMA, The Federal Government, And Our Partners

Release Date: May 3, 2011
Release Number: HQ-11-58

» More Information on Alabama Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

» More Information on Georgia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding

 

*Since the deadly tornadoes first struck parts of the country last week, the federal government has been in constant contact with all of the impacted states as they responded to and began recovery efforts from these devastating storms. At the request of the respective governors, FEMA currently has personnel on the ground in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, and commodities strategically pre-positioned in the region to support the states. The following timeline provides an overview of these and other federal activities, to date, to support the impacted states, families and communities.*

(Continue . . . )

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A Round Up of Reports On Fukushima Reactor Response

 

 

# 5403

 

This morning a brief listing of news stories surrounding the ongoing crises at the Fukushima nuclear plant as provided by NKH World News .

 

 

Attempts to douse the overheating reactors with water ferried in by helicopter abandoned due to high levels of radioactivity.

 

 

 

SDF gives up on dousing No.3 reactor

Japan's Self-Defense Forces have postponed a mission to dump water by helicopter on the No.3 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, because radiation above the facility has climbed too high for such work.

 

White plumes started rising from the reactor on Wednesday morning. Tokyo Electric Power Company says the vapor was steam caused by water evaporating from the reactor's storage pool for spent fuel rods, which is heating up.

 

In an effort to avert the fuel rods' exposure, a Self Defense Force CH47 helicopter took off from the Sendai base hauling a large container of water on Wednesday afternoon.

 

But the plan was aborted after radiation levels above the plant were found to have largely exceeded 50 millisieverts -- the maximum permissible for SDF personnel on a mission.

 

 

Meanwhile, the emergency radiation monitoring and forecasting system, put in place as a public safety measure in the areas surrounding Japan’s nuclear power plants, is apparently inoperative due to quake damage.

 

Radioactivity forecast system down

A computer system that forecasts the spread of radioactivity has not been working due to malfunctioning monitoring posts around a troubled nuclear power plant in quake-hit Fukushima Prefecture.

 

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says it does not know when the system will be back in operation.

 

The system, called SPEEDI, predicts how radioactive substances will spread in case of radiation leakage from nuclear power plants, based on measurements taken at various locations, prevailing winds and other weather conditions.
SPEEDI data are intended to be used to draw up evacuation plans for residents around power plants in case of accidents.

 

The system is monitored at government offices, including the industry ministry and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency in Tokyo.

 

 

And lastly, Cabinet Secretary Edano is reassuring people who live at least 20 km away from the Fukushima nuclear plant that radiation levels at this point pose no health risk.

 

Edano:No health risk 20km away from plant

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano says the level of radiation detected about 20 kilometers from the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant does not pose an immediate health risk.

 

Edano was referring to a maximum radiation level of 0.33 millisieverts per hour detected by Japan's science ministry on Tuesday evening.

 

He told reporters on Wednesday that this level of radiation would not have a negative effect on human health even if one worked outdoors in the area for a period of several days.

(Continue. . . )

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Twitter Volunteers Translate Emergency Manual

 

 

# 5402

 

http://nip0.wordpress.com/

 

While there may be some who doubt the value and intentions of social media during a crisis, students from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies have used the power of Twitter to enlist the aid of dozens of volunteers to translate an online earthquake help page/manual into more than two dozen different languages.

 

The ABOUT section of the webpage states:

 

This project started from just one TUFS university student from statement on Twitter. Since the magic of twitter, a large number of people turned into strong supporters who built up number of teams to make all the translation, more than 24 languages.

 

While this manual won’t win any prose awards (it is basically a list of items, resources and advice), it does provide a quick reference for those trapped in the midst of a major disaster.

 

This report from Antara News.

 

Volunteers translate quake manual to 31 languages for non-Japanese

 

Wed, March 16 2011 16:34 | 95 Views

Tokyo (ANTARA News/Kyodo-OANA) - An emergency online earthquake manual has been translated into 31 languages as of Wednesday afternoon by Japanese volunteers to support non-Japanese living in Japan in the wake of Friday`s magnitude 9.0 quake.

 

The manual, called ``Japan earthquake: How to protect yourself`` in English, lists practical advice, such as ``move to higher ground if you are near the ocean,`` and how to use emergency message services, as well as goods that should be kept in stock to prepare for an earthquake.

 

The languages include those spoken by small groups in Japan, such as Burmese and Latvian, as well as German, French, Chinese and Korean.

 

Translation volunteers gathered in a wink in response to a request made via Twitter by students from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, they said.

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