On March
14, 2019, the Nevada County Public Health Department's Emergency Preparedness
Program, in conjunction with the Office of Emergency Services, facilitated a
morning of training and a tabletop exercise. There were 71 individual
participants representing 35 community agencies and County departments. This
number included local, regional and state staff from hospitals, clinics,
long-term care facilities, other allied healthcare facilities, transportation
agencies, law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services, and
several County departments. The exercise was a combination of a wildland fire
evacuation and a hazardous chemical release. The exercise simulated the
workings of the PH Department Operations Center (DOC), the County Emergency Operations
Center (EOC), the Regional Disaster Medical Health Coordination program, the CA
Department of Public Health, and Cal OES. The goal was to prepare resource
requests and practice filling those requests from the local level all the way
through the statewide system.
This
opportunity to work together to prepare for a coordinated response proved to be
a valuable time for networking and helped to identify and address gaps in our
emergency response plans.
For more
information about the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, please
contact Patti Carter at patti.carter@co.nevada.ca.us
