Region 3 HMCC Coordination Plan

Region 3 HMCC

Coordination Plan

Version last edited May 24, 2016

GLOSSARY

AAR / After Action Report
ALS / Advanced Life Support
ARC / American Red Cross
BLS / Basic Life Support
CDC / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CHC / Community Health Center
CMED / Central Medical Emergency Direction
DMAT / Disaster Medical Assistance Team
DMORT / Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams
ECP / Emergency Coordination Plan
EDS / Emergency Dispensing Site(s)
EM / Emergency Management
EMS / Emergency Medical Services
EOC / Emergency Operations Center
EOP / Emergency Operations Plan
FMS / Federal Medical Station
HHS / US Department of Health and Human Services
HMAP / Healthcare Mutual Aid Plan
HHAN / Health and Homeland Alert Network
IC / Incident Commander
ICS / Incident Command System
IMSURT / International Medical Surgical Response Teams
JIC / Joint Information Center
LACP / Large Ambulatory Care Practice
LBOH / Local Board of Health(s)
LTC / Long-term Care facilities
MassMAP / Massachusetts Long Term Care Mutual Aid Plan
MDPH / Massachusetts Department of Public Health
MEMA / Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
MOU / Memorandum of Understanding
MRC / Medical Reserve Corps
NDMS / National Disaster Medical System
NIMS / National Incident Management System
NVRT / National Veterinary Response Teams
OPEM / Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management
PH / Public Health
PHEP / Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
SME / Subject Matter Expert(s)
SNS / Strategic National Stockpile
VA / Veterans Affairs
VNA / Visiting Nurse Association
WebEOC / Web Emergency Operations Center

INTRODUCTION

In order to build better prepared and more resilient communities, it is essential that all elements of the health sector must work together to prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate against the impacts of major incidents or events, including terrorist attacks, natural disasters and other emergencies that exceed the capacity or capabilities of any single entity.

The role of Health and Medical Coordinating Coalitions (HMCCs) is to facilitate preparedness planning and response at the regional level and is critical to providing an effective Emergency Support Function #8(ESF#8) response across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The regional coalitions - through their multi-disciplinary membership - endeavor to develop and promote emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery capabilities throughout the health sector by:

  • Strengthening community health sector resiliency
  • Building relationships within the health sector and across the community
  • Developing collaborative emergency preparedness, response and recovery plans
  • Facilitating communication, information and resource sharing
  • Maximizing the utilization of existing resources

The members of the Region 3 Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition will work collaboratively to enhance regional capacity to plan for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the impact of a wide range of public health threats. The primary health and medical agencies that comprise the Region 3 HMCC include: Local Public Health, Hospitals, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Community Health Centers (CHCs) and Large Ambulatory Care Practices (LACPs), and Long-term Care facilities.

The HMCC’s coordination will not supersede the municipal, regional or state emergency policies, protocols and procedures, nor will it direct local agency efforts.Rather, this regional approach enhances health related response strategies by including knowledge and assets from multiple municipal and institutional resources and facilities in coordinating a regional response.

Massachusetts Health & Medical Coordinating Coalition Regions Map

TABLE OF CONTENTS

GLOSSARY…………………………………………………………………………………………...2

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………..3

PLAN ORGANIZATION……………………………………………………………………………...5

Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………….5

Scope…………………………………………………………………………………………6

Planning Assumptions………………………………………………………………………6

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES…………………………………………………………………7

Region 3 HMCC Sponsoring Organization……………………………………………….7

Region 3 HMCC Governing Body…….…………………………………………………...7

Region 3 HMCC Member Disciplines……………………………………………………..7

Regional Public Health Coordinator……………………………………………………….7

Regional Hospital Coordinator……………………………………………………………..8

DESCRIPTION OF REGION 3……………………………………………………………………..8

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS…………………………………………………………………….12

National Incident Management System/Incident Command System…………………12

Region 3 HMCC Member Discipline Operational Roles and Responsibilities……….12

Local Public Health………………………………………………………………..12

Hospitals…………………………………………………………………………....13

EMS………………………………………………………………………………....13

Community Health Centers and Large Ambulatory Care Practices………….13

Long-term Care Facilities………………………………………………………....14

Other Partners………………………………………………………………………………14

Emergency Management…………………………………………………………14

State and Local Government Partners…………………………………………..14

Federal Government Partners…………………………………………………....14

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)……………………………………………….....15

Other Volunteer Groups…………………………………………………………..15

Bordering State Resources…………………………………………………....15

SYSTEM RESPONSE AND RESOURCE COORDINATION……………………………….....16

System Response – Notification……………………………………………………….....16

Inbound Notification…………………………………………………………….....16

Outbound Notification……………………………………………………………..16

Notification Method………………………………………………………………..16

Response Procedures……………………………………………………………………..16

Activation Levels……………………………………………………………………………17

Resource Coordination…………………………………………………………………….17

COMMUNICATIONS……………………………………………………………………………….18

Internal Region 3 HMCC Communication……………………………………………….18

Partner Communication……………………………………………………………………18

Public Communication……………………………………………………………………..18

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS………………………………………………………………………19
DEMOBILIZATION AND EVALUATION………………………………………………………….19

Demobilization………………………………………………………………………………19

Evaluation……………………………………………………………………………………19

PLAN MAINTENANCE…………………………………………………………………………...... 19

APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………….20

ANNEXES……………………………………………………………………………………………21

PLAN ORGANIZATION

The Region 3 HMCC Emergency Coordination Plan consists of three main sections:

The Base Plan provides an overview of the Region 3 HMCC’s policies and organization during emergency response and describes the structure and processes of a coordinated approach. This plan will be used a tool for Region 3 HMCC partners.

The Appendices contain relevant supplemental material to the Base Plan functions that help facilitate emergency response such as contact information, hazard vulnerability analysis and process documentation.

The Annexes to the Region 3 HMCC’s Emergency Coordination Plan provide specific information and direction concerning a particular emergency function or hazard such as Infectious Disease Surveillance or Medical Countermeasure Dispensing.

PURPOSE

The Region 3 HMCC’s coordination plan enhances health-related response strategies by coordinating assets from multiple municipal and institutional resources and facilities in an organized regional response. This Emergency Coordination Plan is intended to provide a framework for regional coalitions to coordinate response activities across all disciplines in their region.

During an emergency, the HMCC will serve a multi-agency coordination function for health and medical agencies within Region 3, in order to provide for a more efficient coordination of health and medical activities under the necessary Emergency Support Function (ESF#8), Local/Regional Emergency Planning Commission.

The HMCC may accomplish this by:

  • Conducting regional planning and developing regional plans that address all phases of the disaster cycle
  • Participating in cooperative training and exercising of regional plans
  • Developing and maintaining an emergency response structure with required response roles filled by paid personnel and augmented with voluntary response elements
  • Coordinating a cohesive regional response with a single, 24/7 point of contact for communication with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) state and regional staff, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), regional public health/healthcare system stakeholders
  • Aggregating pertinent information to maintain and communicate situational awareness
  • Coordinating requests for assets and resources
  • Assisting with recovery and mitigation efforts.

SCOPE

The Region 3 HMCC Coordination plan is an all-hazards plan that establishes the framework to support local and region activities to:

  • Mitigate or prevent public health emergencies;
  • Prepare staff, volunteers, and members of the public to respond and recover from an emergency;
  • Respond appropriately; and
  • Recover effectively and efficiently.

The HMCC’s coordination will not supersede the municipal, regional or state emergency policies, protocols and procedures, nor will it direct local agency efforts. Rather, this regional approach enhances health related response strategies by including knowledge and assets from multiple municipal and institutional resources and facilities in coordinating a regional response. In addition, this plan is intended to support existing plans within the identified disciplines of the Region 3 HMCC and its partners.

PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS

An incident is an unplanned situation that can occur at any time with little or no warning and threatens the public’s health, such as a natural disaster, mass casualty event, chemical spill or influenza pandemic. Using the National Incident Management System (NIMS), incidents and events are managed at the lowest possible geographic, organizational, and jurisdictional level.

Both an incident and event may:

  • Require significant communications and information sharing across disciplines
  • Involve single or multiple geographic areas.
  • Involve multiple varied hazards or threats on a local, regional, state, or national level.
  • Affect critical infrastructures and services.
  • Overwhelm the capacity and capabilities of local and regional organizations/agencies.
  • Require short-notice resource coordination and response.
  • Require prolonged, sustained incident management operations and support activities.

The degree of the Region 3 HMCC’s involvement and/or coordination in a given incident or event will depend largely upon the impact on the public’s health and the health sector’s operations. Other factors that may also affect the degree of the HMCC’s involvement include:

  • Requests for assistance.
  • The type or location of the incident or event.
  • The severity and magnitude of the incident or event.
  • The need to protect the public’s health.

Response partners will respond as detailed in their emergency response plans.

The Region 3 HMCC and its member agencies will support and work in partnership with each other and with local, regional, tribal, state, and federal response efforts.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

All Region 3 HMCC member organizations belong to one of the five disciplines: (1) Community Health Centers and Large Ambulatory Care Practices, (2) EMS, (3) Hospitals, (4) Long-term Care facilities, and (5) Local Public Health.

All Region 3 HMCC member disciplines have a role in supporting and participating in the readiness efforts of the region. The following groups have critical responsibilities in HMCC readiness and response:

Region 3 HMCC Sponsoring Organization:International Institute of Greater Lawrence

As the coordinating entity for the Region 3 HMCC, the Sponsoring Organization will:

  • Ensure timely communications distributed to Region 3 HMCC membership, coordinated with the messaging of city, regional, state and federal partners to reduce redundancy.
  • Facilitate communication between member disciplines, promoting situational awareness and material or staff support as appropriate.
  • Communicate requests for information from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) or other state partners to appropriate HMCC member disciplines and ensuring consistency of reporting.

Region 3 HMCC Governing Body

A leadership team, representativeof all Region 3 HMCC disciplines, will provide overall leadership and planning for the Region 3 HMCC. In addition, the HMCC Governing Body will:

  • Review existing HMCC plans and develops new HMCC plans on an as-needed basis to address pre-incident response planning.
  • Serve as subject matter experts (SMEs) in their respective disciplines and recruit SMEs as appropriate to provide guidance.
  • Assist with discipline engagement in emergency preparedness-related activities.
  • Recruit participants for ad hoc work groups as needed.

Region 3 HMCC Member Disciplines

As previously stated, the Region 3 HMCC member organizations belong to one of the five disciplines: (1) Community Health Centers and Large Ambulatory Care Practices, (2) EMS, (3) Hospitals, (4) Long-term Care facilities, and (5) Local Public Health.

All HMCC member disciplines have their own internal emergency response and/or recovery responsibilities. In order to facilitate HMCC coordination and regional mutual aid, member disciplines also have the responsibilities listed below:

  • Maintaining lines of communication within the discipline to allow for timely reporting of data as requested and in accordance with local, state and federal guidelines.
  • Reporting material supplies and staffing status to the designated HMCC contact as requested.

Regional Public Health Coordinator

The Regional Public Health Coordinator is hired through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH), and will provide consultation and support regionally to local boards of health to strengthen the capacity to respond to public health needs, including assistance with vulnerability assessment, organizational and coalition development, and strategic all-hazards emergency preparedness efforts. In addition, the Regional Public Health Coordinator will work with local boards of health, hospitals, local public safety, and other local and regional stakeholders to assist in developing all-hazards public health emergency response plans to supplement local comprehensive emergency management plans and to enhance their response capability to disaster situations.

Regional Hospital Coordinator

The Regional Hospital Coordinator is hired through the MDPH, and will provide consultation, coordination and support to hospital emergency preparedness programs to strengthen their capacity to respond to public health needs, particularly in response to mass casualty incidents such as acts of bioterrorism, natural disaster ora pandemic. In addition, the Regional Hospital Coordinator will assist the hospitals in working with local and regional boards of health, local and regional public safety, EMS and other local and regional stakeholders to develop and enhance regional and local emergency response plans.

DESCRIPTION OF REGION 3

The area covered by the Region 3 HMCC includes the following 48 cities and towns:

1 / Amesbury / 13 / Hamilton / 25 / Merrimac / 37 / Salem
2 / Andover / 14 / Haverhill / 26 / Methuen / 38 / Salisbury
3 / Beverly / 15 / Ipswich / 27 / Middleton / 39 / Saugus
4 / Billerica / 16 / Lawrence / 28 / Nahant / 40 / Stoneham
5 / Boxford / 17 / Lowell / 29 / Newbury / 41 / Swampscott
6 / Chelmsford / 18 / Lynn / 30 / Newburyport / 42 / Tewksbury
7 / Danvers / 19 / Lynnfield / 31 / North Andover / 43 / Topsfield
8 / Dracut / 20 / Malden / 32 / North Reading / 44 / Tyngsborough
9 / Essex / 21 / Manchester / 33 / Peabody / 45 / Wakefield
10 / Georgetown / 22 / Marblehead / 34 / Reading / 46 / Wenham
11 / Gloucester / 23 / Medford / 35 / Rockport / 47 / West Newbury
12 / Groveland / 24 / Melrose / 36 / Rowley / 48 / Westford

Included within the Region 3 HMCC member disciplines, there are the following:

REGION 3 HMCC
Member Disciplines / Total Number
Local Public Health Departments / 48
Hospitals / 13
EMS Services / 37
Community Health Centers / 8
Large Ambulatory Care Practices / 1 – with 5 locations in Region 3;
Long-term Care Facilities / 75

In addition, organizations/institutions located in Region 3 include:

Other Region 3 Organizations/Institutions / Total Number
Specialty Hospitals / 0
Transitional Care Hospitals / 2
Home Hospice Agencies / 4
Home Health Care Agencies / 23
Dialysis Centers / 3
Behavioral Health Facilities / 2
VA Facilities / o
Medical Reserve Corps / 7

The Region 3 HMCC also represents a similar area and square miles to EMS Region 3, which is located in Essex County and part of Middlesex County with the exception of Everett, Massachusetts. With respect to local public health emergency preparedness, there are five local public health emergency preparedness sub-coalitions within Region 3: Region 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E.

Region 3 HMCC Coordination PlanPage 1

DRAFT Region 3 HMCC Coordination Plan

Region 3 geographical characteristics include the following:

Transportation:

  • Air
  • Beverly Municipal Airport
  • Lawrence Airport
  • Merrimack Valley Seaplane Base
  • Plum Island Airport (Newburyport)
  • Private: Snow Airport, Ipswich
  • Private: Robbins Airport, Danvers
  • Water
  • Salem Harbor
  • Gloucester Harbor
  • Newburyport Harbor
  • Train
  • MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
  • Commuter Rail lines: Lowell Line, Haverhill Line, Newburyport/Rockport Line
  • Orange Line
  • Bus
  • Logan Express, Peabody
  • MVRTA (Merrimac Valley Regional Transit Authority) Transportation Center in Lawrence
  • MVRTA Haverhill Station in Haverhill
  • MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) bus routes in Salem, Lynn, Peabody, Lynnfield, Lynn
  • MBTA bus routes in Malden, Medford, Melrose
  • CATA (Cape Ann Transit Authority) bus routes in Gloucester, Rockport
  • Coach Company Bus (Park & Ride) from Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Newburyport, Peabody and Topsfield to Boston

Geography*:

  • Belle Isle Marsh Reservation
  • Bradley Palmer State Park
  • Breakheart Reservation
  • Georgetown-Rowley State Forest
  • Halibut Point State Park
  • Harold Parker State Forest
  • Joppa Flats
  • Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield
  • Winikin Park on Kenzoa Lake in Haverhill
  • Lawrence Heritage State Park
  • Lowell Heritage State Park
  • Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest
  • Mary O'Malley State Park
  • Maudslay State Park
  • Middlesex Fells Reservation
  • Plum Island/Parker River National Wildlife Refuge
  • Rumney Marsh Reservation
  • Salisbury Beach State Reservation
  • Sandy Point State Reservation
  • Willowdale State Forest
  • Coastal beaches within Region 3
  • Other lakes and ponds, tidal and non-tidal, bodies of water

*Please note that this is not an all-inclusive list, but is meant to provide an overview of the region’s geography.

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

National Incident Management System/Incident Command System

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together seamlessly and manage incidents involving all threats andhazards—regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity—in order to reduce loss of life, property and harm to the environment.

The Incident Command System (ICS) is a management tool for the command, control, and coordination of emergency response and is widely used within agencies responsible for providing for public safety and public health during emergencies. The Incident Command System will be used to manage events internally and as part of the community/regional response.

Member disciplines as well as their staff are responsible for being familiar with and/or trained in both the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System.

In a large-scale emergency, Unified Commandmay be established in order to leverage the expertise of the key responding agencies. In addition, an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) may be opened to provide strategic overview and coordination of the incident. The EOC may or may not contain a Joint Information Center (JIC) as deemed necessary to support multi-agency/jurisdiction communication to the media and public.

Region 3 HMCC Member Disciplines OperationalRoles and Responsibilities