Emergency Management Plan
ANNEX 1
Uinta County School District No. 1
Evanston, WY
Emergency Management Plan
Biological Incident Annex: Pandemic Influenza Management Plan
The Uinta County School District No. 1 Emergency Management Plan consists of several components including the Base Plan, Appendixes, Emergency Support Functions, Support Annexes, and Incident Annexes. The Pandemic Influenza Management Plan is one of several Incident Annexes and therefore serves to augment the Base Plan and other components. In order to ensure efficient and effective emergency management, the UCSD Emergency Management Plan document must be implemented in its entirety.
Introduction
One of the greatest and most likely threats to the public’s health is a naturally occurring event – an influenza pandemic. Influenza epidemics happen nearly every year (often called seasonal influenza), and cause an average of 36,000 deaths annually in the United States. Influenza epidemics are caused by a few known virus strains that circulate around the world. Over time, people develop immunities to these strains and vaccines are developed to protect people from serious illness.
Influenza viruses experience frequent, slight changes to their genetic structure. Occasionally, however, they undergo a major change in genetic composition. It is this major genetic shift that creates a “novel” virus and the potential for a pandemic – a global epidemic. The creation of a novel virus means that most, if not all, people in the world will have never been exposed to the new strain and have no immunities to the disease. It also means that new vaccines must be developed and therefore are not likely to be available for months, during which time many people could become infected and seriously ill.
During the 20th century, three pandemics occurred that spread worldwide within a year. The influenza pandemic of 1918 was especially virulent, killing a large number of young, otherwise healthy adults. The pandemic caused more than 500,000 deaths in the United States and more than 40 million deaths around the world Subsequent pandemics in 1957–58 and 1968-69 caused far fewer fatalities in the U.S., 70,000 and 34,000 deaths respectively, but caused significant illness and death around the world.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the U.S. alone, an influenza pandemic could infect up to 200 million people and cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths. Scientists and health officials throughout the world believe that it is inevitable that more influenza pandemics will occur in the 21st century. Recent cases of human disease caused by a widespread and growing avian influenza outbreak suggest that a new pandemic could be developing at this time.
Table 1. Estimated number of Episodes of Illness, Healthcare Utilization and Deaths Associated with Pandemic Influenza Scenarios for US population and Wyoming.
Characteristic Moderate (1959/68) Severe (1918)
US Wyoming US Wyoming
Illness 90 Million No 90 Million 172,824
Outpatient Care 45 Million Figures 45 Million 76,648
Hospitalization 865,000 Available 9,900,000 15,926
Deaths 209,000 ------------ 1,903,000 3,603
There are several characteristics of influenza pandemic that differentiate it from other public health emergencies. First, it has the potential to suddenly cause illness in a very large number of people, who could easily overwhelm the health care system throughout the nation. A pandemic outbreak could also jeopardize essential community services by causing high levels of absenteeism in critical positions in every workforce. It is likely that vaccines against the new virus will not be available for six to eight months following the emergence of the virus. Basic services, such as health care, law enforcement, fire, emergency response, communications, transportation, public schools, and utilities, could be disrupted during a pandemic. The increased stress from a potential pandemic or actual pandemic will also increase the mental health service needs throughout the schools and community. Finally, the pandemic, unlike many other emergency events, could last for many weeks, if not months. School closures may last up to 2 months and the entire county must be prepared for such an event.
Schools tend to be affected by outbreaks more than other settings because their occupants—primarily children—easily transmit illnesses to one another as a result of their close proximity and their inefficiency at containing the droplets issued by their coughs and sneezes. High susceptibility of students and staff to exposure to a mutated virus as result of proximity and a longer duration of the outbreak due to lack of immunity and vaccines could result in lengthy and widespread absenteeism. In a worse-case scenario, the pandemic could force schools to close, potentially prompting administration to extend the academic year and expend additional resources for staff sick leave and substitute teachers.
Summary of Emergency Management Principles
Evanston Regional Hospital, Uinta County Public Health, Uinta County Emergency Management Agency, and Uinta County School District No. 1 will utilize their pandemic Influenza plan for their agencies to achieve the following goals:
- Limit the number of illnesses and deaths
- Preserve continuity of essential school functions
- Minimize educational and social disruption
- Minimize economic and academic losses
The plan will be coordinated with the above listed agency Emergency Management plans and activities, and will be coordinated with the plans of our community, state and federal partners
Planning Assumptions
The U.S. Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan contains the following information about pandemics, how they might affect school aged children, and how states and local agencies should plan for them:
- The clinical attack rate (the percentage of people who will become so sick they won't be able to go to work or school) will be 30% in the overall population. Illness rates will be highest among school-aged children (about 40%) and decline with age.
- Children will shed the greatest amount of virus (they are more contagious than adults) and therefore are likely to pose the greatest risk for transmission.
- On average, someone who is ill will transmit the disease to approximately 2 other persons.
- In an average community, a pandemic outbreak will last 6 to 8 weeks. At least two pandemic disease waves are likely.
- It is anticipated that the school district will need to plan to function with a total of 30% work force absentee rate for the entire pandemic outbreak. If staff absenteeism is sufficient to warrant the administrative closure of the school or district, the administrative procedures for temporary school closures are to be followed.
Whether or not schools will be closed or for how long is impossible to say in advance, since all pandemics are different in their scope and severity. However, it is well established that infectious disease outbreaks most often start in schools and so the County Health Officer (CHO) may close schools early in an event. The duration of school closings can only be determined at the time of the event based on the characteristics of the pandemic. It is unlikely that schools will be closed for less than 2 weeks (based on the incubation period of the disease and the length of time people are contagious) and could be as long as 8 weeks. Other planning assumptions that are being used by the community include:
- Working closely with the Uinta County Public Health (UCPH), Evanston Regional Hospital (ERH), and the Uinta County Emergency Management Agency (UCEMA) will maximize the health and safety of the school community. Understanding the roles of each agency and their responsibilities will promote coordination and communications.
- An influenza pandemic will result in the rapid spread of the infection with outbreaks throughout the world. Communities across the state and the country may be impacted simultaneously.
- There will be a need for heightened global and local surveillance of flu symptoms and infection rates.
- Uinta County will not be able to rely on surrounding mutual aid resources, or State or Federal assistance to support local response efforts.
- Antiviral medications will be in extremely short supply. Local supplies of antiviral medications will be prioritized by UCPH according to recommendations and guidelines set forth by the Wyoming Dept. of Health (WDH) and the CDC.
- Due to vaccine production and distribution constraints, a vaccine for the pandemic influenza strain will likely not be available for 6 to 8 months following the emergence of a novel virus.
- As vaccine becomes available, it will be administered to eligible persons and ultimately be available to the entire population according to CDC requirements.
- Insufficient supplies of vaccines and antiviral medicines will place greater emphasis on social distancing strategies to control the spread of the disease in Uinta County.
- Significant disruption of public and privately owned critical infrastructure exists and could include transportation, commerce, utilities, public safety, and communications.
- Social distancing strategies aimed at reducing the spread of infection at public gathering points may be implemented during a pandemic. The closure of schools, community centers and religious facilities may be enacted early by emergency leadership.
- It will be especially important to coordinate disease control strategies throughout western Wyoming counties and the State due to the regional mobility of the population and the high volume of traffic on Interstate 80.
- The general public, healthcare partners, response agencies, elected officials, and schools will need continuous updates on the status of the pandemic outbreak, the steps UCPH and UCSD #1 are taking to address the incident, and steps the public can take to protect themselves.
AUTHORITIES
In Uinta County, various public officials have overlapping authorities with regard to protecting public health and safety. The Governor, the State Health Officer, and the County Health Officer each can implement authorities within the scope of their jurisdiction. During a pandemic, the presence of overlapping authorities will necessitate close communication and coordination between elected public officials and the general public to ensure decisions and response actions are clear and consistent. Local law enforcement officers have the authority to enforce the orders issued by the State Health Officer within their jurisdiction.
A school district has the authority to close schools for emergency reasons.
The Superintendent of UCSD #1 has established the following definitions related to emergency school closures for the school district:
- A “district-wide emergency closure” means “that all school buildings in the school district are unsafe, unhealthy, inaccessible, or inoperable due to one or more unforeseen natural events, mechanical failures, or action or inactions by one or more persons.”
- A “school emergency closure” means “one or more school buildings in the school district is/are unsafe, unhealthy, inaccessible, or inoperable due to one or more unforeseen natural events, mechanical failures, or actions or inactions by one or more persons.”
Phases of a Pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO), the medical arm of the United Nations, has developed a global influenza preparedness plan that includes a classification system for guiding planning and response activities for an influenza pandemic. This classification system is comprised of six phases of increasing public health risk associated with the emergence and spread of a new influenza virus subtype that may lead to a pandemic. The Director General of WHO formally declares the current global pandemic phase and adjusts the phase level to correspond with pandemic conditions around the world. For each phase, the global influenza preparedness plan identifies response measures WHO will take and recommends actions that countries around the world should implement.
Interpandemic Period
Phase 1 – No new influenza virus subtypes detected in humans. An influenza virus subtype that has caused human infection may be present in animals. If present in animals, the risk of human infection or disease is considered low.
Phase 2 – No new influenza virus subtypes detected in humans. However, a circulating animal influenza virus subtype poses substantial risk of human disease.
Pandemic Alert Period
Phase 3 – Human infection(s) are occurring with a new subtype, but no human-to-human spread, or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.
Phase 4 – Small cluster(s) of human infection with limited human-to-human transmission but spread is highly localized suggesting that the virus is not well adapted to humans.
Phase 5 – Larger cluster(s) of human infection but human-to-human spread is localized, suggesting that the virus is becoming increasingly better adapted to humans, but may not yet be fully transmissible (substantial pandemic risk).
Pandemic Period
Phase 6 – Pandemic is declared. Increased and sustained transmission in the general population.
Strengthen influenza pandemic preparedness at all levels. Closely monitor human and animal surveillance data.
Minimize the risk of transmission to humans; detect and report such transmission rapidly if it occurs.
Ensure rapid characterization of the new virus subtype and early detection, notification and response to additional cases.
Contain the new virus within limited foci or delay spread to gain time to implement preparedness measures, including vaccine development.
Maximize efforts to contain or delay spread to possibly avert a pandemic, and to gain time to implement response measures.
Implement response measures including social distancing to minimize pandemic impacts.
Ensure that staff members and students are trained in preventative measures such as respiratory etiquette and universal precautions.
Minimize the risk of transmission to humans; ensure that staff members understand detection and reporting guidelines and report rapidly as required.
Ensure all personnel are knowledgeable about the latest epidemiological information.
Review and update school continuity plans per Base Plan.
Ensure that best practices for infection detection and control measures are followed.
Ensure adequate resources for staff/student protection.
Ensure that UCSD #1 is implementing best practice for social distancing techniques per UCPH and WDH guidelines, including reducing the school activity calendar.
Maximize communications with parents related to health and safety.
Increase surveillance of staff/student health and attendance and implement administrative procedures to ensure adequate staffing for essential school functions.
Follow UCPH and WDH, social distancing, isolation and quarantine measures.
Ensure maximum support and education for ill and affected students.
Wyoming Pandemic Influenza Phases
Corresponding WHO Period WY Phase Description
Inter-pandemic (1&2) 1 No new influenza virus subtypes have been detected in humans.
Pandemic Alert (3) 2 Human infection(s) with a new subtype, but no human-to-human spread, or at most rare instances of spread to a close contact.
Pandemic Alert (4&5)
And Pandemic (6) 3 Human to human transmission occurring.
Limited transmission in other countries or US states (but not in WY) or widespread transmission in other countries.
Pandemic
(6)
4 Widespread transmission in US (but not in WY) and/or limited transmission in WY.
5 Increased and sustained transmission in WY population.
Concept of Operations
Overview
- UCPH will be the lead agency in coordinating the local health and medical response to a pandemic in cooperation with State, Federal, and local agencies and officials.
- UCPH will respond under the auspices of the Wyoming Department of Health and UCPH Pandemic Influenza plan.
- UCPH response actions will emphasize disease surveillance and investigation, social distancing measures to reduce the spread of infection. Additional response actions include continually informing and educating the public about the pandemic, the public health response, and steps the public can take to reduce the risks of infection.
- UCSD #1 will maintain increased communications with the County Emergency Management Agency and UCPH. UCSD #1 will implement those procedures recommended which may increase the health and safety of the school community.
- UCSD #1 assumes the following responsibilities:
- Develop capabilities to implement non-medical measures to decrease the spread of disease throughout the school community as guided by the epidemiology of the pandemic and communicated through UCPH.
- Develop and implement pandemic preparedness activities and a school business continuity plan aimed at maintaining the provision of educational services while limiting the spread of disease throughout the duration of a pandemic.
- Communicate with and educate the school community about approved public health practices and what each person can do to prepare or respond to minimize health risks.
- Develop and implement educational support plans for students who are isolated or quarantined and coordinate these plans with the social support plans developed by the UCPH and the UCEMA.
- Develop a response plan that will:
- Identify chain of command in case of illness with a minimum of 2 back ups for the Command and General Staffs.
- Review and identify best practices for respiratory hygiene and universal precautions. Train all school staff, volunteers and students. Identify and procure needed resources.
- Review procedures for sending ill individuals home and make adjustments if necessary.
- Report the number of staff and students absent daily with pandemic flu to the UCPH and School Incident Commander.
- Document actions taken.
- Update staff and provide information on extent of infection at each school site, noting potential changes that may take place in the schools.
- Develop a recovery plan which provides for education support and emotional support for staff and students.
Direction and Control
- UCPH and all response partners will operate under the Incident Command System throughout the duration of the pandemic response.
- The County Emergency Management Agency and UCSD #1 may activate their Emergency Operation Centers during a pandemic to coordinate consequence response.
- During WHO Pandemic Phases 1, 2 and 3 where Uinta County is not directly affected, UCPH will lead countywide preparedness and education efforts for pandemic response.
- During WHO Pandemic Phases 4, 5 and 6 UCPH will communicate with health system partners through the County and State to coordinate and manage health care system resources and information.
- UCPH has assessed the viability of community containment options and has established criteria for recommending their implementation to the County Health Officer.
- Upon reaching WHO Pandemic Phase 4 (if local area is not affected; WHO Phase 3 if local area is affected)
- UCPH under the direction of the CHO and/or WDH will provide regular briefings. Briefings will address pertinent information in relation to the disease outbreak and all recommendations.
- A UCSD #1 representative will attend UCPH briefings and provide information to staff and students. UCSD #1 will implement recommended measures including social distancing and increased respiratory hygiene in order to reduce transmission.
Communications
- Communications with public and healthcare providers will be one of the most critical strategies for containing the spread of the influenza and for managing the utilization of healthcare services. The local cooperating agencies’ communications goals are to:
- Provide accurate, consistent, and comprehensive information about pandemic influenza including case definitions, treatment options, infection control measures, and reporting requirements.
- Instill and maintain public confidence in the school’s and the county’s public healthcare systems.
- Ensure an efficient mechanism for managing information between UCPH, health system partners, schools, businesses and other government entities.
- Contribute to maintaining order, minimizing public panic, and facilitating public compliance by providing accurate, rapid, and complete information.
- Assist in the addressing of rumors, inaccuracies, and misperceptions as quickly as possible, and prevent the stigmatization of affected groups.
- Communications During WHO Pandemic Phases 1, 2, 3.
- The UCPH will be responsible to educate providers, public officials, school personnel, and emergency responders about influenza pandemics and steps they may take to prepare for pandemic outbreaks.
- Under the direction of the Superintendent, the Central Administration will assess the needs of the schools as follows:
- Assess the information needs of the school community.
- Intensify public education efforts about influenza pandemics and steps that can be taken to reduce exposure to infection. Information may be disseminated via the Code RED automatic call out system, web site postings, parent letters, school newsletters, and/or television and radio broadcasts.
- UCSD #1 will identify hard to reach families and ensure communications in the home language.
- Coordinate with UCPH to develop common health messages and education materials in multiple languages. Coordinate with UCPH to ensure bilingual staff can serve as information conduits to vulnerable school families and build sustainable preparedness capabilities.
- Develop template pandemic informational letters, including translations, for parents/guardians in coordination with UCPH.
- Communications During WHO Phases 4, 5, 6.
- UCPH Public Information Officer (PIO) will evaluate the need to establish a Joint Information Center (JIC) in conjunction with appropriate response partners. A JIC will be activated when the Uinta County Public Health Public Information Officer deems it necessary based on specific characteristics of the pandemic. If school closures are considered, the UCSD #1 PIO will work with the Joint Information Center.
- The UCPH and UCEMA have developed a communications strategy to identify appropriate community partners for reaching and educating those with special needs. UCSD #1 will assist in translations for the school community.
- As the pandemic expands, the UCPH PIO will provide daily updates on the pandemic and will organize regular media briefings in cooperation with UCEMA.
- The UCSD #1 Superintendent will evaluate the need to establish a school information call center to respond to public inquiries. The UCPH PIO will disseminate web alerts per JIC guidelines and as necessary. Pandemic information letters will be sent out to parent/guardians by the UCSD #1 PIO with approval from the JIC.
Mitigation
Mitigation activities are taken in advance of an influenza pandemic to prevent or temper its impact. Mitigation efforts will occur primarily during the early pandemic phases (WHO Phases 1-4).
The UCSD #1 pre-event mitigation activities include:
- Planning, exercising, evaluating, and revising the Pandemic Influenza Management Plan.
- Training and equipping UCSD #1 staff to assure competencies and capacities needed to respond to a pandemic outbreak
- Developing strategic partnerships with local community healthcare institutions and providers, local, state, and federal response agencies and their staff.
- Educating schools and parents about an influenza pandemic and recommend preparedness measures.
- Informing and updating schools about the potential impacts of an influenza pandemic on essential services and city, county, and school infrastructures. Reviewing and updating district-wide business continuity plans and assuring essential business functions are adequately staffed per Base Emergency Management Plan.
- Stockpiling necessary equipment and supplies that will be needed to respond to an influenza pandemic.
- Establish ventilation (HVAC) standards to be used during each phase of the pandemic.
Surveillance
- The Influenza Surveillance Program by UCPH provides information on influenza activity in Uinta County for healthcare providers and the public. Because influenza is not a mandated notifiable disease, UCPH uses several methods to understand when influenza has arrived, is most active, and subsides in our community. One method is the sentinel reporting system. Uinta County Public Health has identified schools as local sentinel reporters and monitors for school absenteeism. All schools within Uinta County will be asked on a voluntary basis to report absenteeism of 10% or more of the school population each week from approximately November through April. School absenteeism in the winter months generally correlates with the level of influenza in the community.
- During a pandemic flu response, the County Health Officer (CHO) may declare the circulating strain of influenza causing the pandemic a Disease of Public Health Significance, requiring healthcare providers, hospitals, schools, and labs to report patients meeting a case definition.
- Surveillance During WHO Pandemic Phases 1, 2, 3.
- The UCPH will maintain daily influenza tracking activities [reports regarding school absenteeism, pneumonia, and influenza deaths submitted by sentinel providers].
- As a sentinel reporter, each school will report attendance data when student absentee rates rise above 10% for one week during the months of November-April. The report should be sent to UCPH per current standards and a secondary report sent to the UCSD #1 Incident Commander.
- Surveillance During WHO Pandemic Phases 4, 5, 6.
- As a sentinel reporter, each school will closely monitor and report attendance and data trends when student absentee rates rise above 10%. During these phases, daily reports will be sent to the Superintendent of Schools.
- The UCSD #1 Human Resources Department will activate tracking of absenteeism for school and central staff and report trends to the UCSD #1 Incident Commander. This data will be used to identify staffing needs and prompt school closure discussions.
- The UCPH will collaborate with UCSD #1 to identify essential personnel to be included in priority groups for vaccinations.
Vaccine Management
- In consultation with Wyoming Department of Health, UCPH will finalize recommendations regarding priority groups to receive vaccination based on CDC guidelines.
- The UCPH will finalize mass vaccination plans with regional partners, including schools.
Social Distancing Strategies
Social distancing strategies are non-medical measures intended to reduce the spread of disease from person-to-person by discouraging or preventing people from coming in close contact with each other. These strategies could include closing schools; closing non-essential agency functions; implementing emergency staffing plans; increased telecommuting, flex scheduling and other options; and closing all public assemblies or after school activities.
- UCPH Nurse Manager with the CHO will review social distancing strategies and current epidemiological data during each phase and recommend to key partners social distancing actions that should be implemented to limit the spread of the disease.
- Decisions regarding the closing of all public schools, day care centers and Uinta BOCES #1 will be made by the County Health Officer after consultation with local partners and the Wyoming Department of Health.
- Decisions regarding the implementation of social distancing measures, including suspending large public gatherings and closing stadiums, theaters, churches, community centers, and other facilities where large numbers of people gather, will be made by the County Health Officer and coordinated with the local officials and partners per policy.
- Social Distancing Strategies During WHO Phases 1, 2, 3.
- UCPH will:
- educate elected officials, government leaders, school officials, response partners, businesses, the media, and the public about influenza pandemics and their consequences.
- be the lead agency in coordination with area officials and partners implementing social distancing strategies, the associated impacts they cause, and the process for implementing these measures.
- confirm the decision making process and criteria for recommending social distancing strategies with key public officials.
- The State or County Health Officer may order the cancellation of events with large gatherings, such as school sporting events.
- UCSD #1 schools will:
- increase respiratory hygiene education for staff, students, and parents.
- increase symptom monitoring and attendance monitoring to ensure accurate reporting to UCPH.
- UCPH will:
- Social Distancing Strategies During WHO Phases 4, 5, 6.
- UCPH will:
- Be the lead agency in coordination with the CHO who will coordinate with elected officials regarding decision making and implementation of social distancing strategies that are commensurate with the severity of illness and societal impact of the pandemic.
- Implement specific, county-wide social distancing strategies that may include:
- Encourage government agencies and the private sector to implement pandemic emergency staffing plans to maintain critical business functions while maximizing the use of telecommuting, flex schedules, and alternate work site options.
- Encourage the public to use public transit only for essential travel; therefore transportation to schools may be interrupted.
- Advise Uinta County residents to defer non-essential travel to areas of the world affected by pandemic influenza outbreaks.
- Suspend all public events where large numbers of people congregate including sporting events, concerts, and parades.
- Close all public and private schools and Uinta BOCES #1.
- Suspend all government functions not dedicated to addressing the impacts of the pandemic or maintaining critical continuity functions.
- Monitor the effectiveness of social distancing strategies in controlling the spread of disease and will advise appropriate decision-makers when social distancing strategies may be relaxed or ended.
- UCSD #1 schools will
- Follow UCPH guidelines as appropriate including following social distancing guidelines and emergency pandemic staffing plans.
- Cancel extracurricular activities or close schools as directed by the County or State Health Officer or the school Superintendent.
- Follow UCPH guidelines as appropriate including following social distancing guidelines and emergency pandemic staffing plans.
- UCPH will:
Isolation and Quarantine
-
Isolation and Quarantine
- The UCPH will:
- coordinate planning efforts for isolation and quarantine with WDH as prescribed by policy and established by state statute.
- follow CDC guidelines in developing isolation and quarantine procedures for individuals traveling from areas in which a novel influenza virus is present.
- The UCPH will:
Maintenance of Essential Services
- One of the critical needs during a flu pandemic will be to maintain essential community and business services.
- With the possibility that 25-35% of the workforce could be absent due to illness, it may be difficult to maintain adequate staffing for certain critical functions.
- There is the possibility that services could be disrupted if significant numbers of public health, law enforcement, fire and emergency response, medical care, transportation, communications, and public utility personnel are unable to carry out critical functions due to illness. Individual UCSD #1 schools or the entire district may be adversely disrupted.
- UCSD #1 will create and maintain Continuity Of Operations Plans (COOP) and protocols that address the unique consequences of a pandemic.
- UCSD #1 will follow best practice guidelines for return to work after an influenza illness. Current recommendations are based upon seasonal influenza recommendations. Because experts do not know whether the mode of transmission, incubation period, or contagious period of pandemic strains of the influenza virus will be similar to those of seasonal influenza (recurring yearly), UCSD #1 will update and follow specific recommendations from UCPH during a pandemic.
At least 5 days have passed since the symptoms of illness began;
AND
Fever is reduced to under 100 degrees Fahrenheit and has
remained under 100 degrees for at least 24 hours;
AND
Cough is improving (decreasing in frequency and amount of
secretions with no associated chest discomfort or shortness of
breath).
- The UCPH Base Plan has been created and will be reviewed, updated, and maintained on an annual basis. The Base Plan includes a Continuity Of Operations Plan and is referenced in the Uinta County EOP. These plans detail:
- Line of Succession
- Identification of mission essential services and priorities.
- Continuity Of Operations Plans and Recovery Plans, including
- Business Impact Analysis
- Critical “daily” functions that need to be provided even during an event, although at a reduced level
- Standard Operating Procedures for critical functions/processes
- Human Resource policies including
- Staff policies for personal illness or care of family
- Policies for flexible work hours and working from home.
- Procedures for the reassignment of employees to support essential services.
- Maintenance of Essential Services During WHO Phases 1, 2, 3.
- UCSD #1 officials will work with the UCPH and the UCEMA to update plans for maintaining essential departmental services during a pandemic
- In conjunction with the UCPH, the District will educate central administration and the school community that provide essential services about the need for Continuity Of Operations Planning in advance of a pandemic.
- Maintenance of Essential Services During WHO Phases 4, 5, 6.
- UCSD #1 will update its Continuity Of Operations Plans and will require each school to update their individual building plans
- The UCSD #1 Incident Commander, in conjunction with the UCPH, and UCEMA, will determine the appropriate time to implement the Continuity Of Operations Plans and protocols.
Recovery
- School recovery from an influenza pandemic will begin when school officials determine that normal supplies, resources, and response systems can manage ongoing school activities.
- The UCSD #1 will assess the educational impact of the pandemic.
- Recovery plans will depend on the severity and duration of the pandemic but will include business recovery plans to mitigate education and financial losses, as well as emotional recovery plans as outlined in the Base Plan.
- In consultation with the UCPH, UCSD #1 will recommend specific actions to be taken to return schools and district offices to pre-event status, including environmental sanitation.
- UCSD #1 leadership will conduct an after-action evaluation of the pandemic response. The evaluation will include recommendations for amendments to the UCSD #1 Emergency Management Plan including the Pandemic Influenza Management Plan.
Acknowledgements:
- Seattle Public School Systems, Pandemic Flu Plan, 2006.
- State of Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Pandemic Influenza Response Plan, January 2008.
- US Department of Homeland Security, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Response and Recovery Guide for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources. September 2006.
- Uinta County Public Health Pandemic Flu Plan, May 2007.
Date of Implementation: 6 June 2008
Date of Review: 1 May 2009
APPENDIX 1 TO BIOLOGICAL INCIDENT ANNEX
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
BOCES 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services 1 (Evanston/Colleges)
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CHO County Health Officer
COOP Continuity Of Operations Plans
EOC Emergency Operation Center
EOP Emergency Operation Plan
ERH Evanston Regional Hospital
ICS Incident Command System
ILI Influenza Like Illness
JIC Joint Information Center
JOC Joint Operation Center
MAA Mutual Aid Agreement
MOA Memorandum of Agreement
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
PIO Public Information Officer
SHO State Health Officer
SNS Strategic National Stockpile (Anti-viral Vaccines)
USDHHS U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
UCEMA Uinta County Emergency Management Agency
UCPH Uinta County Public Health
UCSD NO. 1 Uinta County School District No. 1, Evanston, Wyoming
WDE Wyoming Department of Education
WHO World Health Organization
WOHS Wyoming Office of Homeland Security
WSDPH/WDH Wyoming State Department of Public Health/Wyoming Department of Health