BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES PROFESSIONL ADVISORY GROUP BASPAG ROLES IN HURRICANES RITA AND KATRINA

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BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES PROFESSIONL ADVISORY
GROUP (BASPAG) ROLES IN HURRICANES RITA AND
KATRINA

• Presented by CDR Sheila P. Merriweather, MPH
• Training, Exercises and Lessons Learned (TELL)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness
  and Response
• Office of Public Health Emergency Operations

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BASPAG's Mission

• The BASPAG of the Health Services Professional
  Advisory Committee (HS PAC) provides advice and
  consultation to the Surgeon General through the
  HS PAC and Chief Health Service Officer on issues
  relating to the professional practice and
  personnel activities of Commissioned Health
  Services Officers working in Basic and Applied
  Science Disciplines.

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BASPAG Disciplines

• BIOCHEMISTRY
• BIOLOGICAL IMMUNOLOGY  
• BIOLOGY, GENERAL       
• BIOSTATISTICS  
• BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH 
• CHEMISTRY, GENERAL     

• ENTOMOLOGY 
• ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH   
• ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE/STUDIES  
• EPIDEMIOLOGY   
• EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
• GENETICS, PLANT AND ANIMAL       

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BASPAG Disciplines (cont)

• MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS
• MICROBIOLOGY   
• MOLECULAR BIOLOGY      
• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE    
• PHYSICAL SCIENCES, GENERAL
• PHYSICS, GENERAL
•    

• RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH
• SOCIAL SCIENCES, GENERAL
• TOXICOLOGY
• PHYSICS, GENERAL
• RADIOLOGICAL HEALTH
• SOCIAL SCIENCES, GENERAL
• TOXICOLOGY   

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Emergency Support Function 8(ESF-8) Health
and Medical

• HHS is the primary Federal Agency for ESF-8 under
  a Stafford Act response.
• 15 Supporting Agencies
• 17 Functional Areas of Responsibility

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ESF-8 Support

• Assessment of public health/medical needs
  (including behavioral health)
• Emergency Response Team (ERT-A)
• Public health surveillance
• Coordinate with State health agencies
• Medical care personnel
• U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS)
• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
• Department of Defense (DoD)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• American Red Cross (ARC)
• Others

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ESF-8 Support

• Medical equipment and supplies
• Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
• DHS, DOD, and VA
• Patient Evacuation
• DoD and VA
• Safety and Security of Human Drugs, Biologics,
  Medical Devices, and Veterinary Drugs, etc.
• Blood and Blood Products
• American Association of Blood Banks coordinated
  through the ASH

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ESF-8 Support

• Food Safety and Security
• Agriculture Safety and Security
• Worker Health/Safety
• All-Hazard Public Health and Medical
  Consultation, Technical Assistance, and Support
• Behavioral Health Care
• Public Health and Medical Information
• Vector Control
• Potable Water/Wastewater and Solid Waste Disposal
• Victim Identification/Mortuary Services
• Protection of Animal Health

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HHS Primary Federal Agency Role

• In Addition to being the Lead for ESF-8 under a
  Stafford Act Declaration,
• HHS is the primary Federal Agency responsible for
  public health and
• medical emergency planning, preparations,
  response, and recovery
• in the following scenarios
• The Secretary of HHS, using his authorities,
  declares a public health emergency
• HHS assistance has been requested by the
  appropriate State, local or Tribal authorities
• A Federal Department or agency acting under its
  own authority has requested the assistance of
  HHS.

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BASPAGs Duty Stations During Hurricanes Rita and
Katrina

• HHS Headquarters Secretarys Operation Center
  (SOC)
• Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA)
  Joint Field Office (JFO)
• Field Support Roles

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Secretarys Operation Center (SOC)

• The SOC is the focal point for the synthesis of
  critical public health and medical information on
  behalf of the United Stated Government. During
  emergency situations or exigent circumstances,
  the SOC coordinates incident management system
  responses for the Department of Health and Human
  Services.
• Roles
• Watch Standers
• Staff Augmentees

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Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA)

• The primary mission of FEMA is to reduce the loss
  of life and property and protect the Nation from
  all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of
  terrorism, and other man-made disasters, by
  leading and supporting the Nation in a
  risk-based, comprehensive emergency management
  system of preparedness, protection, response,
  recovery, and mitigation.

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The Joint Field Office (JFO)

• FEMA managed, temporary, multi-agency
  coordination center established locally to the
  incident site
• Primary responsibilities are response and
  incident management
• The JFO does not manage on scene operations, but
  does manage the Federal response
• Scalable organization
• ICS structure

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BASPAGs Roles During Hurricanes Rita and Katrina

• Administrative Officers
• Community Outreach
• EHOs
• Liaisons
• Logisticians

• PIOs
• Planners
• SERT (Present Day IRCT)
• SMEs
• Team Leaders

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• The driving basis for change
• The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina Lessons
  Learned
• http//whitehouse.fed.us/reports/katrina-lessons-l
  earned.pdf

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2008 BASPAG Voting Members

• LCDR Linda Thai, Chair
• CDR Ali Danner, Chair-Elect
• CDR Nancy Bill
• CDR Sheila Merriweather
• CDR Phillip Toy
• LCDR Michelle Bleth-Weber
• LCDR Laurie Hall Brown

• LCDR Cathy D. Melvin
• LCDR Iris E. Valentin-Bon
• LCDR Chau M. Vu
• LT Amy Chanlongbutra
• LT Elizabeth Claverie-Williams
• LT Amy Constantine
• LT Kimberly Harper

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BASPAG Coin