Evaluating Emergency Preparedness Plans and Exercises

Date of Award

12-2009

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Evaluation

First Advisor

Dr. Patricia Reeves

Second Advisor

Dr. Michael Scriven

Third Advisor

Dr. Liliana Rodriguez

Abstract

This product is intended to provide guidance for evaluating emergency preparedness plans using emergency preparedness exercises. The author believes that emergency preparedness exercises are a method of evaluating emergency preparedness plans because these exercises provide information about merit, worth, significance of the implemented plan (Scriven, 1991).

Evaluations of emergency preparedness plans and emergency preparedness exercises provide opportunities for entities to identify vulnerabilities within, and improve upon the existing emergency preparedness, response, and recovery infrastructures. Emergency preparedness evaluations and exercises also can serve as a gateway to initiate and/or continue discussions among individuals/organizations in order to clarify roles and responsibilities and become more prepared to respond and recover from a potential emergency event.

In this product, the author presents template scenarios for exercising different components of human pandemic influenza plans. Each exercise scenario described provides a checklist (evaluation checklist) of items that should be addressed while evaluating/exercising the component. These components can include: (1) Disease Surveillance; (2) Laboratory Capacity; (3) Healthcare Planning and Infection Control; (4) Antiviral/Vaccine Distribution/Dispensing; (5) Community Disease Control and Prevention; (6) Workforce Support; (7) Food Supply; (8) Transportation; (9) Communication; (10) Collaboration; and (11) Status of Exercise Progress. Within each of these components a number of subcomponents have also been identified. This list was compiled after researching emergency preparedness related information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The intended audience for this product can include pandemic influenza emergency preparedness officials at the country, state, city, and local health department levels and, officials who are responsible for evaluating or exercising preparedness plans for other natural and/or man-made emergencies/disaster (e.g., avian influenza, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, flood, and earthquakes).

The author developed the majority of the content of this document while serving as a Consultant on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness to the WHO, Office for the Mediterranean Region (EMRO), Emergency and Humanitarian Action (EHA), in Cairo, Egypt. The products that the author developed were reviewed and approved by multiple entities within the United Nations/WHO and some country officials. As of mid-2009, WHO planned to pilot the draft document in several EMRO countries. EMRO serves 22 countries: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (http://www.emro.who.int/emrinfo/index.asp?Ctry=afg).

Access Setting

Dissertation-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

1-15-2038

This document is currently not available here.

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