Introduction to the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)

Wednesday February 18th, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Room: Marina 4

Workshop

Session Number: 38

As the cornerstone of the nation’s mutual aid system, EMAC is a national governors’ interstate mutual aid compact that facilitates the sharing of services, resources, personnel, and equipment across state lines during times of emergency or disaster. This workshop will assist county and city health officials to better understand their roles and responsibilities under the compact and will provide instruction on how local health resources can be requested and utilized for emergencies or disasters. The workshop will touch on EMAC’s history, governance, and organizational structure; its operational structure; how local health resources integrate into the EMAC system; responder mobilization and deployment requirements; and procedures for reimbursement.

Preparing for Emergencies and Every Day: Planning with Computer Models*

Wednesday February 18th, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Room: Harbor Island 1

Workshop

Session Number: 137

Computer models are vital tools for developing and evaluating public health emergency plans. Some are used to simulate the spread of an infectious disease while others assist in the planning of mass vaccination. Public health preparedness performance measures, such as those from the CDC, also require the use of computer models. This session will illustrate how local health departments can use the Point of Dispensing (POD) Computer Planning Model Generator, eMedCheck, and the POD Resupply Planning Model. In addition, presenters will discuss the larger issue of computer models in public health and identify some of the strengths and challenges of using computer models.

*This Workshop is an Advanced Practice Center Training

Linked In or Left Out: How New Social Media will Transform Emergency Preparedness

Wednesday February 18th, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Room: Harbor Island 2

Workshop

Session Number: 327

Blogs, social networks, and e-communities are dramatically changing how public health interacts with local and national partners as well as people in the community before, during, and after a disaster event. This two-hour interactive workshop is designed for public health and emergency preparedness professionals of various social media skill levels. You will learn the ABCs of social media, share your experiences working in this new arena with your peers, discover how social media tools apply to your emergency and disaster work, and explore opportunities to customize these tools to work for your organization. Be linked in, not left out.

To Let Go or Not To Let Go - Ethical and Legal Issues in the use of Travel Restriction Tools

Wednesday February 18th, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Room: Marina 5

Workshop

Session Number: 332

The CDC has the regulatory authority to restrict travel at ports of entry by persons suspected of having an infectious disease that could pose a serious public health threat. This session will 1) describe that regulatory authority; 2) describe the range of legal tools used by public health professionals in collaboration with other partners, including other federal agencies and state and local public health agencies; 3) discuss ethical issues related to the use of these travel restriction tools and steps to balance protecting the public’s health and individual liberty; and 4) examine these issues from the state perspective and discuss the interplay between federal and state public health authorities.

Enhancing Community Preparedness: Orange County's Approach to Point of Dispensing Planning

Wednesday February 18th, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Room: Seabreeze

Workshop

Session Number: 344

This workshop will introduce participants to the methodology the Orange County (CA) Health Care Agency (OCHCA) has developed to identify, plan, and implement Point of Dispensing sites throughout the county. OCHCA presenters will lead participants through an interactive planning session that has been recognized by NACCHO as a promising practice in public health preparedness.