Capability Cliff Notes Series PHEP Capability 14—Responder Safety and Health What Is It And How Will We Measure It?

Learning Objectives Become familiar with Capability Functions Become familiar with Tasks that complete the Functions Understand how these Functions and Tasks are measured or may be measured in the future (Performance Measures)

Responder Safety and Health The responder safety and health capability describes the ability to protect public health agency staff responding to an incident and the ability to support the health and safety needs of hospital and medical facility personnel, if requested. How can public health departments protect their staff and help to protect the health of health-care or first responder personnel?

Responder Safety and Health Functions: What Are Steps for Protecting Responders Safety and Health? Identify responder safety and health risks Identify safety and personal protective needs Coordinate with partners to give risk-specific safety and health training Monitor responder safety and health actions

Capabilities and Measures Resources The presentation will be an overview of the functions and tasks. There are no performance measures linked with this capability. One can refer to the Budget Period 2 performance measures for continued voluntary measurement. The BP3 Performance Measures Specifications and Implementation Guidance and BP2 past measures can be found at the following link: capabilities

Function 1: Identify responder safety and health risks Tasks: What steps should health departments take to ensure responder safety and health? 1.Before an incident, identify the medical or environmental exposure, and mental/behavioral health risks that staff may face who respond to the public health incident, based on the risk assessment and information from partner agencies. 2.Before an incident, identify subject matter experts and other informational resources that can be used by public health staff to make health and safety recommendations to the Incident Safety Officers or lead agency. 3.Before and during an incident, work with subject matter experts to develop information on acute and chronic health conditions that may develop during and after an exposure. Tasks continued on next slide:

Function 1: Identify responder safety and health risks Tasks: What steps should health departments take to ensure responder safety and health? Tasks Cont’d: 4.With the Incident Safety Officer and subject matter experts, participate in creating recommendations for the Incident Commander about responder-specific risks to be addressed in incident action plans. 5.Give safety materials to public health responders through daily meetings at the onset of, and throughout an incident, with the Incident Safety Officer and subject matter experts.

Task Elements There are elements that health departments should keep in mind to address different aspects of the tasks: Documentation of the safety and health risk scenarios likely to be faced by responders Documentation that identifies public health roles related to the jurisdiction’s identified risks Population monitoring and personal protective equipment Incident Safety Officer ICS-300 course Level A awareness and technical response training Access to Level D basic safety equipment

Function 2: Identify safety and personal protective needs Tasks: What are the steps for meeting personal protective and safety needs for responders? 1.Before and during an incident, work with subject matter experts to identify responder safety and health resource requirements, such as equipment. 2.Before and during an incident, with subject matter experts, create recommendations for public health responders about personal protective equipment (PPE) that follow local requirements. 3.Coordinate with partner agencies to provide medical countermeasures and/or personal protective equipment for public health responders, as needed.

Task Elements There are elements that health departments should keep in mind to address different aspects of the tasks: Recommendations for risk-related personal protective equipment for responders Public health responders are fit-tested and medically cleared Backup/cache equipment for incident response Access to personal protective equipment

Function 3: Coordinate with partners to facilitate risk-specific safety and health training Tasks: What steps will ensure that public health departments can provide appropriate training in safety and health? 1.Before an incident, and as applicable during an incident, work with subject matter experts to recommend risk-specific training (both training for protective actions as well as training for response to exposure or injury).

Task Elements There are elements that health departments should keep in mind to address different aspects of the tasks: Training to use N-95 or other respirators Documentation of training for staff that will serve in responder functions Awareness and technician refresher courses

Function 4: Monitor responder safety and health actions Tasks: How should health departments monitor responders’ safety and health during response? 1.Conduct surveillance for exposure, mental/behavioral health, and medical condition of public health incident responders before, during, and after an incident. 2.Coordinate with healthcare partners to facilitate access to medical and mental/behavioral health services for responders. 3.Provide guidance to partner organizations to monitor incident-related health outcomes among responder staff. Tasks continued on next slide:

Function 4: Monitor responder safety and health actions Tasks: How should health departments monitor responders’ safety and health during response? Tasks Cont’d: 4.Use surveillance data and other input from partner agencies to provide recommendations for changes in the use of personal protective equipment, if needed. 5.Support the Public Information Officer and partner agencies to communicate risks to responders after the acute phase of an incident. Include risks known before the incident and those discovered during and after the acute phase.

Task Elements There are elements that health departments should keep in mind to address different aspects of the tasks: Protocols for surveillance activities Protocol for medical-readiness screening Promotion of medical and mental/behavioral health services. Database of responders who were exposed and/or injured

Questions? Please contact: Rachel Coles Program Evaluator--CDPHE