Division of Emergency Management (DEM) Weekly Report - 31 Jul 09

New Weekly Report Format

Streamlined. Efficient. Simple. My plan is to use this format as the primary vehicle and then I will archive a copy in the usual place online at http://www.dola.colorado.gov/dem/weekly_report/weekly_info.htm should you delete it, just feel comforted by knowing there is an archive somewhere of stuff that is important but not important enough to count against your mailbox buffer limit, or for that one, solo, renegade, info-vacuum of a civil servant out there who is religiously checking the DEM Weekly Report site before heading out for the weekend, blissfully and diligently unaware there has been an email list running for all this time.

Regional All-Hazards Sites
Point me to stuff more in "my world". Ok, just a start. Checked in to see what is going on in your or other Colorado All-Hazards Regional web sites lately? Meeting calendars, region-specific info and, more -
Northeast Region - http://www.readynortheast.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NEEmergency
North Central All-Hazards Region - http://www.ncrcolorado.org
Southeast Colorado All-Hazards Region - http://www.seregion.com/index.htm
Northwest Colorado All-Hazards Emergency Management Region - http://www.seregion.com/index.htm

H1N1 Key Messages from CDPHE
Before (and if) you read my thought piece below on DEM's talks with Mike Booth, Denver Post Reporter, and opportunities we might each take to re-visit media relationships relative to H1N1, I wanted to pass on the latest Key Messages from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) on H1N1 (courtesy Gerrit Bakker, CDPHE):
- There are reasons to be worried/concerned when it comes to the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus and the upcoming season
- This novel virus warrants aggressive public health actions (e.g., investment in vaccines and vaccination)
- Strong actions are taken to protect people from seasonal flu (e.g., production and administration of annual vaccines) – and should be taken in response to this pandemic virus
- When it comes to reducing influenza transmission and protecting people from influenza, vaccines are the most important tool available
- The pandemic H1N1 flu virus is a reminder of the ever-changing and unpredictable nature of influenza.

Vigilant Front Range Exercise - Lessons Learned

From 15-16 May 2009, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Aurora and Colorado Springs Offices of Emergency Management sponsored a full-scale exercise, titled "Colorado Vigilant Front Range Exercise" to improve prevention, preparedness, response and recovery activities to all-hazards incidents in the State of Colorado. In particular, this event focused on response to multiple terrorist-type incidents along the Colorado Front Range. An After Action Report has been generated and uploaded to the FEMA portal site for review (password required) or you can contact Deanne Criswell at dcriswel@auroragov.org for more information.

Training/Workshops

6-7 Aug 09 (Arapahoe County)
Emergency Management Assistance Compact A-Team Training
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/docs/emacateam.pdf
Contact: Robyn Knappe, robyn.knappe@state.co.us - (720) 852-6617

6-7 Aug 09 (Routt County)
ICS-400 Training
Contact: Cheryl Dalton, cdalton@co.routt.co.us - (970) 870-5549

15 Aug 09 (Archuleta County)
ICS Forms Class
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/train.htm
Contact: Robyn Knappe, robyn.knappe@state.co.us - (720) 852-6617

10-11 Sep 09 (Eagle County)
Colorado Emergency Planning Commission Conference
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/images/Cepc09.pdf
Contact: Cindy VonFeldt, cindy.vonfeldt@state.co.us - (720) 852-6628

10-11 Sep 09 (Denver County)
Grant Writing Class - Denver Regional Council of Governments
http://grantwritingusa.com/events/write/drcog0909.html
Contact: Suzi Walker, swalker@drcog.org - (303) 480-6729

23-24 Sep 09 (Arapahoe County)
G-318 - Mitigation Workshop for Local Governments
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/train.htm
Contact: Robyn Knappe, robyn.knappe@state.co.us - (720) 852-6617

9 Oct 09 (La Plata County)
Legal Issues in Emergency Management
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/docs/legalissues.pdf
Contact: Cindy VonFeldt, cindy.vonfeldt@state.co.us - (720) 852-6628

9 Oct 09 (Araphahoe County)
Legal Issues in Emergency Management
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/docs/legalissues.pdf
Contact: Cindy VonFeldt, cindy.vonfeldt@state.co.us - (720) 852-6628

10 Oct 09 (La Plata County)
Finance and Recovery Workshop
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/docs/finandrecwrkshp.pdf
Contact: Kathi Gurule, kgurule@southern-ute.nsn.us - (970) 563-0100

28, 29 & 30 Oct 09 (Routt County)
ICS-300 Training
Contact: Cheryl Dalton, cdalton@co.routt.co.us - (970) 870-5549

Multiple Dates/Multiple Locations
NIMS/ICS All-Hazard, Position-Specific Training
http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/training/docs/NIMSICSPosspectrain.pdf
Contact: Robyn Knappe, DEM, robyn.knappe@state.co.us - (720) 852-6617

H1N1 - Denver Post and Thoughts on Re-Visiting Media Relationships
Ok... this one is going to kill the "streamlined" proclamation above, but thought a bit of elaboration might be useful. Keep an eye out on Sunday, 2 Aug, for a Denver Post piece on Colorado's efforts to gear up for the Fall H1N1 season. This week, Mike Booth, Reporter, visited both the Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) as well as DEM's State Emergency Operations Center to discuss ongoing planning and preparation efforts. DEM's main points were to explain our primary role to support and assist CDPHE as the Lead Agency, other State agencies and local requests for assistance and State resources. Particular attention was made to enforce that the Operations Center, personnel, information flow patterns, etc are the similar between CDPHE, DEM and emergency response, local governments, etc. (e.g., we speak the same language...). Obviously, we discussed the number of meetings going on at the State level looking at H1N1. DEM also noted we supported CDPHE exercises on distribution in the past and provided on-site support at DOC during Spring H1N1 outbreak and are ready to do so again, should that be necessary. DEM identified the need to build partnership with the media - pandemic flu isn't an issue covered from the outside, it is a challenge we, our families and friends are all involved in. I think this is an important point and represents a dynamic to how we should collectively approach this issue that we should consider. We did not focus on specific details of secondary, ripple effects or speculation, but did characterize challenges, efforts to look at planning needs and need to ensure critical and wider economy plan to survive - H1N1 or any disaster. DEM spent a lot of time discussing and hammering on business continuity planning and education needs as the first step in planning for any economic disruption, such as the type that could be caused by panflu. Even noted that we had as a component of our all-hands meeting this week a discussion on DEM business continuity as it relates to telecommuting to support alternative work schedules, work from home or remote stations and alternating day off considerations. Have to walk the walk, eh? DEM discussed traditional media, social media and need to understand no one tool, but wide range - to be effective we have to form a partnership with media for disaster response. Interestingly, Booth sought to help and provided several insights on media coverage of H1N1 and provided suggestions on exploring opportunities for building a partnerships. Some of these may be good ideas for use in your area with local media and will be part of upcoming discussions at the State level with DEM and CDPHE PIOs. Booth suggested media might share internet traffic data with govt officials and comment analysis to assist in message creation and targeting of concerns or issues. He advocated the media's responsibility to help advise the public and expressed a desire to ensure that every reporter knows the basics of safety, advice, etc. Strikes me there might be opportunities for us and maybe for you to engage media in advance of the Fall season to help train them on H1N1 basics and firm up that working relationship and seek info-sharing opportunities. We discussed the dynamic in which we are using the media both for situational awareness as well as dissemination is going to be important in the new world of information flow. He suggested that the large array of tools (including social media and traditional methods) challenge all of us to keep up and suggested specific outreach with media about their preferred methods might be useful - this would be easier the closer to the ground we drill. In short, nothing complicated, maybe just a call to see if how you are currently doing things works or could be a local media roundtable. He did note that http://www.flu.gov is a wealth of a resource and that he really appreciated the efforts of CDPHE in maintaining great info on their site http://www.cdphe.state.co.us and the Google Group list http://groups.google.com/group/cohealth. If you weren't aware, CDPHE also maintains a Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/COHealth and an interesting, informal blog at http://breadybhealthybinformed.blogspot.com

Enfin

See... nothing complicated, eh? Have a GREAT weekend!!!