PANDEMIC FLU ANNEX DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

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PANDEMIC FLU ANNEX - DEVELOPMENT UPDATE
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Status

• January 2007 - Developed a Preliminary Draft of
  the Influenza Pandemic Plan
• March 2007 - Completed response to Non-Health
  components of HHS Plan Template, in coordination
  with designated Secretariats/agencies
• May 2007 - Draft plan will be distributed for
  review and comment
• Will incorporate any changes and recommendations
  received from HHS, as well as address any issues
  raised
• Include any new developments in sectors up to
  that time
• June 2007 Plan will be finalized and submitted
  to HHS

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Education

• Priorities
• Policy process for school closure and
  communications plan for decision
• Education social services in face of school
  closures

• Pertinent Parts
• Criteria for closure
• List of Individuals
• Policy Action Steps regarding stakeholder
  notification prior to/during IP
• Expectations/plan for continuing education and
  social services during school closure how state
  will support districts

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CPWG Pan Flu Subcommittee-University Working Group

• Established January 2007
• Engage college-university Emergency Management
  planners in planning process
• Conference Call January 18, 2007
• Discussion items
• Strategies to continue operations at reduced
  levels/implementation issues
• Interface/Coordination/
• Support

• Members
• Higher Ed
• Community College System
• Blue Ridge Community College
• John Tyler Community College
• Radford University
• University of Mary Washington
• Virginia Military Institute
• John Tyler Community College
• George Mason University
• Virginia State University
• Marymount University
• Virginia Tech
• __________________________
• Department of Education
• University of Virginia
• Conference call participants

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Education

• OCP recently established a college/university
  committee
• Will be working through this group to interface
  with colleges and universities on IP issues
• DOE has developed guidance for public school
  systems - placed on web site

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Education

• Authority to close/reopen schools rests with
  school superintendents and the administration of
  institutions of higher education
• Decision to close schools will need to be made in
  coordination with a variety of community partners
  
• Conference calls will provide forum to exchange
  information on status of operations, issues, and
  development of a coordinated regional response
  strategy
• Regional strategies will be tailored to
  intensity/scope of outbreak and associated
  consequences being experienced

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Education

• Define roles/responsibilities of State Council of
  Higher Education in Virginia, Virginia Community
  College System and Department of Education
• Interface with VEOC
• Local school divisions/Higher Education
  Institutions must have a representative in or
  strong continuous link to local EOCs
• Recommending development of WebEOC board to
  facilitate collection and assessment of
  operational status

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Continuity of Critical Functions

• Priorities
• Sustain/support 17 critical infrastructure
  sectors and key resources
• Working w/ private sector to ensure Continuity of
  Operations
• Plans must conform to all NRP/NIMS requirements

• Pertinent Parts
• Measures that deal w/continued operation of 17
  CI/KR
• Continuity of Business
• COG
• Citizen Preparedness
• Public Information
• Allocation of scarce resources
• NRP/NIMS Principles/Guidelines

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Continuity of Critical Functions

• OCP is responsible for overseeing Critical
  Infrastructure Protection Program, in
  coordination with VDOT and other agencies
• Regional Advisory Preparedness Councils
• Infrastructure Subpanel established to better
  define/strengthen Commonwealths Critical
  Infrastructure Protection and Resiliency strategy
  
• Objectives Understanding/sharing information
  building partnerships implementing a long term
  risk management program maximizing efficient use
  of resources
• CIPR requires a networked approach to information
  sharing
• Fusion Center acts as a one stop shop to report
  and share information between levels of
  government and supporting CI/KR
• Includes Outreach Component
• VDOT Buffer Zone Protection Program

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Continuity of Critical Functions

• Regional Initiatives
• NCR Critical Infrastructure Protection Regional
  Programmatic Working Group
• Risk Assessment being conducted
• Exercise scheduled in Fall 2007 Pan Flu
  Scenario
• Hampton Roads Critical Infrastructure Resilience
  Study
• Infrastructure vulnerabilities/interdependencies
  resilience impacts
• A Variety of Agency Programmatic Initiatives
• Continuity of Operations Planning
• VDEM developed COOP Planning Manual and
  associated templates, worksheets
• Virginia Business Emergency Survival Toolkit
  provided on VDEM Website

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Sustainment of Economy, Trade, Business

• Priorities
• Mitigate impact of IP on workers in state

• Pertinent Areas
• State assistance to private sector workers who
  may lose jobs/unable to work
• Review Family/Medical Leave laws/assistance
• Updated list of resources method of
  communication process to work with federal/local
  officials

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Economic Crisis Strike Force(Code Reference
2.2-205.1)

• Sec. of Commerce Trade, Chair
• Agriculture Consumer Services
• Housing Community Development
• Labor and Industry
• Medical Assistance Services
• Minority Business Enterprise
• Social Services
• Virginia Community College System
• Virginia Employment Commission
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership
• Virginia Tourism Authority
• Other agencies/citizens designated by Governor

• Purpose
• Acts as single point of contact to access
  government private sector services/resources
• Assists localities in developing short- long-term
  strategies
• Identifying opportunities for workforce
  retraining, job creation, and new investment
• Economic Disaster is defined as
• Employment loss of at least 5 during immediately
  preceding six-month period
• Closure/downsizing of major regional employer in
  economically distressed area
• Natural disaster or act of terrorism for which
  Governor declared a State of Emergency
• Other economic crisis situations in opinion of
  Governor adversely affect the welfare of citizens

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State Workforce

• Priorities
• Assisting Employers in State

• Pertinent Parts
• Communication policy plans in place to help
  employers in state cope with potential pandemic
• VOSH-Updated guidance for protecting workers from
  IP

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Occupational Safety and Health

• Virginia Department of Labor has adopted and will
  promote OSHA IP planning guidance
• Advisory in nature not a new standard or
  regulation
• Will assist in
• Identifying risk levels in workplace settings
  (Four Risk Zones established)
• Developing appropriate control measures

• Hierarchy of Controls
• Engineering controls (e.g., installing sneeze
  guards)
• Administration Controls (e.g., minimize
  face-to-face contact discontinuation of
  non-essential travel communications plan)
• Work Practices (e.g., promoting good personal
  hygiene flu shot
• Personal Protective Equipment (e.g., gloves,
  goggles, face shields etc.)

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State Workforce

• Priorities
• Employment Polices during IP

• Human capital plans for state employees that ID
  staffing needs, mission critical positions,
  contingency plans
• Communicating with/educating state workforce
  during IP
• Strategies for consulting/bargaining with
  exclusive reps of units
• Procedure for changing policies that need
  modification/enhancement

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State WorkforceHuman Capitol Plans

• Adjunct Workforce Initiative
• Comprised of current state employees who are
  trained to augment frontline and administrative
  VERT staff
• Not currently in positions considered essential
  to own agencies operations or associated with
  core emergency management responsibilities
• Interested state employees will be directed to
  Employee Direct where they will see link to this
  program
• Designed to become single employee portal for all
  types of personal HR transactions

• Draft introductory web page developed and under
  review
• Employee Direct System
• Determine Eligibility
• View volunteer job descriptions
• Select region (s) of state to work
• Drop down menu to identify special skills
• Contact information- employee/supervisor
• Register
• Data can be downloaded to Excel and shared with
  other agencies

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QUESTIONS?

• Contact Information
• George Roarty
• VA Department of Emergency Management
• Telephone [phone], ext 6574
• EMAIL george.roarty_at_vdem.virginia.gov