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Disaster ... Hurricane Preparedness ... Emergency Medicine ... Disaster... Hurricane Prep

Florida Department of Health in Broward County

Prepares for Hurricane Season

BY SALLIE JAMES system, we get involved,” explained Terri skills we need,”
Sudden, Director of Public Health Jackson said at the
Evacuating elderly residents from a Preparedness for the DOH in Broward end of the exercise.
flooded nursing home and finding a gen- County. “If there were a train derailment “It gives us the
erator for a sweltering assisted living with multiple injuries, a plane crash or chance to trou-
facility were some of the challenges the bad accident on I-95 with numerous bleshoot things that
Florida Department of Health in Broward fatalities, we would respond.” work and things that
County faced during a recent hurricane According to the Federal Emergency don’t work as well. It
preparedness exercise. Management Agency (FEMA), the also gives us a
Although every scenario associated DOH’s Emergency Support Function is chance to get input
with the mock “Hurricane Smith” was to coordinate health and medical servic- from our partners.”
fictitious, the focus and intensity of the es in response to a disaster, emergency, or The May 9th exer-
May 9th exercise at the county’s incident that may lead to a public health, cise centered around
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) medical, behavioral, or human service the fictitious
was not: More than 200 emergency emergency. “Hurricane Smith,”
responders had to think on their feet Exercises like the Hurricane Smith sce- a made-up storm
during the four-hour drill that included nario provide an opportunity for emer- that made landfall (l-r) Terri Sudden, Director of Public Health Preparedness;
an unplanned computer glitch that gency responders to practice what they as a Category 3 Tasha Titus, Special Needs Shelter Coordinator; Robert Knowles,
affected the ability to transmit electronic know and learn to ask when they don’t hurricane in Public Health and Preparedness Planner; Jim Turchatta, Cities
messages and forced employees from 25 know the answer so they can be prepared Tampa Bay on May Readiness Coordinator
agencies to revert to the use of paper when a real event occurs, Sudden said. 6th, per the exer-
messages and talk face-to-face to arrange “Our job is to exercise those plans and cise outline. Under the narrative, projects were accomplished) and “con-
services and find solutions to help peo- make sure they work and tweak them if Broward’s EOC was activated at 8 a.m. on troller” (they provided “injects” or sce-
ple in need. they don’t work,” Sudden noted. “It’s a May 9th due to heavy rain and high narios for the exercise and made sure it
Hurricane Season 2019 begins June 1st training exercise to test how resourceful winds that caused widespread flooding maintained its pace).
and ends November 30th. someone can be. You basically do what- and damage to the South Florida Participants were instructed to do
Did you know that the DOH is respon- ever you need to do to be responsive to . The storm spawned several tornados, their best to resolve whatever problems
sible for staffing the county’s special whatever the need is. It’s also about rela- caused a breach in the dike surrounding they were given. They made phone-calls,
needs shelters and coordinating the tionships so you get to know the people Lake Okeechobee, and required the consulted with representatives from
delivery of medical care in an emer- at other tables. It gives familiarity as to opening of several shelters. Emergency other cities and agencies and figured out
gency? During an emergency, the DOH where everybody is located at the EOC.” responders had to figure out what to do, solutions for complicated problems.
works side by side with first responders Tracy Jackson, Director of Broward when to do it and how to get it done. DOH employee James Turchetta, Cities
like police, fire and hospitals to coordi- County’s Emergency Management Jackson opened the exercise by Readiness Coordinator, served as a con-
nate resources such as ambulances, hos- Division, said the hurricane exercise emphasizing the importance of team- troller during the exercise and kept his
pital beds and other medical resources allowed participants to practice their work. team busy with an array of jarring inci-
and services. responses and then evaluate them with “We can’t over-emphasize how impor- dents. His team members were resource-
“We are health and medical and so no adverse consequences. tant it is for us to be unified,” Jackson ful and determined. They found answers.
anytime there is an incident in the coun- “We get the opportunity without the said. “More than 1.9 million people out- “I think overall it went great,”
ty that could overburden the healthcare stress of a real incident to practice the side this room are depending on the Turchetta said. Jackson’s assessment was
decisions you are going to make.” similar.
Jackson told participants they would “We are happy with the information
have to make decisions even though they we gained, the observations we made
SUGGESTED BASIC DISASTER SUPPLY KIT ITEMS might not have enough information and and the opportunity to improve,”
warned there would be no guarantee of Jackson said.
success. He urged them to soldier on.
“Our confidence is high in you and in For more information about how you can
Water – You will need water for drink- Radio - Battery operated and NOAA be better prepared for emergencies, visit
ing, cooking and sanitation purposes. weather radio us,” Jackson said. http://broward.floridahealth.gov/programs-
Pack/store a minimum of 1 gallon daily Participants from across the county sat and-services/emergency-preparedness-
per person for 7 days. Toiletries in chairs at long tables equipped with and-response/personal-and-family-pre-
phones and computers. Drill monitors
Food – You will need enough for a Cleaning Supplies – Include garbage walked the room, wearing vests that bore paredness/index.html
minimum of 7 days: bags, moisture wipes and other items names like “evaluator” (they record how
• Non-perishable packaged you may need to sanitize your home or
or canned food and juices surrounding post-disaster.
• Manual can opener
• Foods for individuals with dietary Special Items – Assess all family
restrictions (i.e. infants, elderly, etc.) member needs. Consider other items
• Snack foods needed for infants, elderly and individ-
• Cooking tools and fuel uals with access and functional needs
• Paper plates and plastic utensils (i.e. medical items, baby bottles, etc.)

Flashlight and Extra Batteries Cash - Banks and ATMs may not be

Pillows, Blankets and/ open or available for extended periods
or Sleeping Bags following a disaster.

Clothing – Include a complete change Important Documents – Consider
of clothes. Be sure to include sturdy storing all critical documents in a
shoes to protect you from debris or waterproof container, as well as, saving
other sharp objects you may encounter them electronically. These items can
outdoors post-storm. include but are not limited to insur-
ance, medical records, bank account
First Aid Kit, Prescription numbers, Social Security card, etc.
Medication and Other Medicines
Tools
Medical Cannabis
Pet Care Items

South Florida Hospital News southfloridahospitalnews.com June 2019 29