This annex provides for protection of the public
health during disasters which can lead to situations
that would cause a need for expansion of the daily
activities provided by the Bertie County Health
Department, the mental health agency serving Bertie
County and the Bertie County Medical Examiner.
II.
SITUATION AND ASSUMPTIONS
A.
Situation:
Most emergency situations can
lead to public health problems.
A well‑planned health support
network is essential during emergency
situations.
Depending on the nature of the
incident, complications may include general
health problems, communicable disease,
contamination of food and water and mental
health ailments.
The release of toxic or hazardous
materials may result in air, water or soil
contamination.
The Bertie County Health Department's main
office is located at 502 Barringer Street,
Windsor. The Health Department operates four
satellite facilities throughout the County.
A large portion of Bertie County's population is
dependent upon private wells, private sewage
treatment systems and private septic systems.
These systems are susceptible to flooding
problems when flooding occurs.
The Health Department in conjunction with Social
Services will maintain a current list of persons
with
special needs.
B.
Assumptions
A large‑scale emergency may
result in increased demands on health-related
personnel.
Many injuries, both minor and
relatively severe, will be self‑treated by the
public.
Resources available through area
and regional medical, health and mortuary
services mutual aid agreements will be provided.
When local resources can no longer meet the
demand of the situation, additional resource
requirements will be requested through the local
Emergency Management Coordinator who will in
turn contact the Division of Emergency
Management Area Office.
Catastrophic disasters may affect
large areas of the County and health resources
may be damaged, destroyed, or unavailable.
Emergency operations for Public Health personnel
will primarily be an extension of normal agency
duties.
Following an emergency/disaster, the Health
Department will take action to prevent the
spread of communicable disease resulting from
contaminated water supplies, malfunctioning
septic systems, increased numbers of vectors,
spoiled or contaminated food supplies and lack
of functional sanitary facilities.
A catastrophic disaster could result in multiple
fatalities necessitating extraordinary measures,
including establishing a temporary morgue.
III.
CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS
A.
General
Emergency operations for public
health services will be an extension of normal
agency and facility duties.
Coordination between
Health/Medical providers is necessary to ensure
emergency operational readiness.
Within the National Response Framework, all
public health and
medical services are considered an emergency
support function (ESF
8).
B.
Health
The primary concern of public
health is disease control. The County Department
of Health will implement effective environmental
health, nursing and health education practices
to minimize the incidence of disease. This
service is unique to the County and includes
services to the municipalities.
Frequent inspections of damaged
housing and emergency shelters will be necessary
to determine the need for emergency repairs,
pest control, sanitation or other protective
procedures.
Private water supplies may need
to be inspected by the health department due to
their proximity to flood areas or a hazardous
materials incident. The health department will
respond to requests by residents as needed in
addition to identification of areas that may
need mandatory inspection.
As incidents dictate the Director
of the Bertie County Health Department will make
recommendations for immunizations or other
preventive measures.
The Health Department will coordinate health
care in approved shelters.
The Health Director or designee will establish
temporary morgues and coordinate with Medical
Examiners in the identification and proper
recovery of human remains.
The Health Director or designee will oversee the
expeditious testing of emergency water supplies
to ensure potability.
The Health Director or designee must coordinate
with the
Public Information Officer concerning
distribution of information to the general
public on disaster related health matters.
The Health Department will coordinate the
movement of special needs populations for
example, the homebound patients normally
attended by the Home Health nurses.
C.
Mental Health
The mental health agency serving
Bertie County will coordinate activities with
the Emergency Management Coordinator to provide
services for the public and emergency workers,
as necessary or requested by the Emergency
Management Coordinator.
Mental Health will be the key
agency for coordination of Critical Incident
Stress Debriefing (CISD) Teams and any needed
follow up.
D.
Mortuary
The Bertie County Medical
Examiner will take charge of the proper recovery
of human remains.
Coordination with the North
Carolina Medical Examiners Office will be
essential in the event of mass fatalities and
the need for identification and determination of
cause of death. This coordination will be a
co-responsibility of the Emergency Management
Coordinator and the County Medical Examiner.
Expansion of morgue capability
will be done utilizing resources from the State
and the County.
IV.
DIRECTION AND CONTROL
A.
Emergency public health operations will be directed
from the EOC by the Health Director.
B.
The
Medical Examiner will direct and control all
activities connected with identification of the dead
and mortuary services.
C.
The
Health Director will maintain communications with
their field forces and will keep the EOC informed of
activities performed along with personnel and
equipment needed to maintain adequate response and
recovery efforts.
D.
The
Mental Health representative will control activities
connected with their agency and will keep the
Emergency Operations Center informed of activities.
V.
CONTINUITY OF GOVERNMENT
A.
Health
The line of succession is:
Director of Public Health
Environmental Health Supervisor
Nursing Supervisor
B.
Mortuary
The line of succession is:
Medical Examiner
North Carolina Medical Examiners
Office
Director of
Public Health
Attachment
1 Public Health Disaster Preparedness/Response
Checklist
Review
mutual aid agreements to ensure such agreements are
formalized.
Implement
mutual aid as necessary, requested or required.
Survey
local hospitals to determine what (if any) resources
may be available to support public health.
Survey
local pharmacies to determine if they have ample
supplies of medications.
Survey
other agencies and organizations to determine actual
or potential public health needs.
Review and
prepare to implement other annexes to the Emergency
Operations Plan relative to Public Health (i.e.
Terrorism, etc.).
Prepare
information and give a situational briefing to
Public Health Supervisors.
Public Health Supervisors
When
notified, report to a designated briefing area (not
the EOC) and receive a situational briefing from the
Director of Public Health or designee.
Receive
mission or specific assignments.
Ask
questions and address public health concerns.
Advise the
Director or designee of the availability of
equipment and supplies, including the number of
personnel and their qualifications, that may be
available.
Advise the
Director or designee of any special equipment,
medications to dispense to the public or personnel
needs that are immediately known.
Prepare
your department, division or section according to
the information received during the situational
briefing.
Prepare
your own situational briefing to give to personnel
in your department, division or section and include
at least the following:
Procedures, policies or
guidelines specific to any assignment
received during the situational
briefing.
Maps of affected areas.
Specific areas of
concern to Public Health.
Forms that may be
necessary.
Safety.
Location of security
checkpoints, roadblocks, etc.
Location of fuel, food,
other supplies.
Telephone numbers of
key public health personnel.
Specific assignments.
Ensure
personnel are advised to accurately record vehicle
mileage of county-owned vehicles used by Public
Health.
Ensure
personnel are advised to accurately record overtime
and file reports with their immediate supervisor.
Ensure
personnel are advised to accurately record expenses
incurred in the performance of their duty and file
reports with their immediate supervisor.
Issue
equipment or supplies (.i.e. gloves, face shields,
etc.).
Mental Health
When
requested, report to the Emergency Operations Center
and serve in the
Support group, until relieved or the incident is
terminated.
Receive a
situational briefing from the Health Director and/or
the EOC. Ask questions and address behavioral
healthcare concerns.
Receive
mission or specific assignments from the Health
Director and/or the EOC.
Advise the
Health Director and/or EOC of the availability of
response resources, including the number of
personnel and equipment that may be available.
When
requested, report to the Emergency Operations Center
and serve in the
Support group, until relieved or the incident is
terminated.
Receive a
situational briefing from the Health Director and/or
the EOC. Ask questions and address concerns.
Receive
mission or specific assignments from the Health
Director and/or the EOC.
Advise the
Health Director and/or EOC of the availability of
response resources, including the number of
personnel and equipment that may be available.
Advise the
Health Director and/or EOC of any special equipment,
supplies, facilities or personnel needs that are
immediately known.
Prepare to
direct and control mobile mortuary.
Request,
through the Health Director and/or EOC additional
resources such as DMORT (Disaster Mortuary
Operations Response Team).
Other
specific duties may be anticipated by reviewing
additional annexes
to the Emergency Operations Plan, such as
Terrorism, etc.
Bertie County Emergency
Management - PO Box 530 - Windsor, NC 27983-0530
