Saturday, March 14, 2015

Health Department Readies Itself for Disaster Response


On Tuesday, March 10, 2015, the Florida Department of Health in Franklin County (FDOH-Franklin) participated in a Public Health Preparedness Exercise at the Franklin County Emergency Operations Center (FCEOC). There were two priorities of the exercise:
  • To update the special needs shelter registry and
  • Test DOH-Franklin’s continuity of operations in an external location, also known as COOP.
“Public Health preparedness exercises in partnership with Franklin County Emergency Management help to test and improve our response capabilities,” said Marsha Lindeman, Administrator for the Florida Department of Health in Gulf and Franklin Counties. “Our goal is to plan for a seamless transition of operations should a real life emergency occur where DOH-Franklin staff need work from the Franklin County EOC.”

During the exercise, health department staff completed several timed objectives. These included the ability to set up workstations with internet and printing capabilities, use of incident command system documentation forms, and update individuals contact information on the special needs registry.

About Special Needs Shelters: Special needs shelters are designed to meet the needs of persons who require assistance that exceeds services provided at a general population shelter. Special needs shelters are intended to provide, to the extent possible under emergency conditions, an environment that can sustain an individual's level of health.

The Department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. For more information, contact the Florida Department of Health in Franklin County, (850) 653-2111.

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