1. EBOLA IN DALLAS Challenges, Strategies, Logistics
2. BIGGEST ISSUES Ensuring the safety of the public, health
care personnel, employees and those under medical surveillance.
Working under national media attention Communication: providing
correct information to media and public, correcting misinformation
and managing panic Ensuring we follow County/State legal,
purchasing and operational requirements Tracking costs and having
those cost figures available Keeping a good situational awareness
throughout the incident Managing distractions or white noise
3. CHALLENGES Phase I: Thomas Eric Duncan Identifying contacts
Addressing fear and panic (languages) Decontaminating the home
Finding a temporary home for Louise Troh Finding a homeless man
Disposing of biohazards
4. CHALLENGES Phase 2: Nina Pham Identifying additional
contacts Providing on-site community support Transferring Nina to
NIH Putting a dog in isolation Testing the first dog in the U.S.
for Ebola Nina and Bentley reunion
5. CHALLENGES Phase 3: Amber Vinson Identifying contacts
Notifying residents Communicable disease control orders
Transporting her to Emory Addressing healthcare workers who
travel
6. STRATEGIES - OPS EOC (breakout for County, City,
State/Federal, conference rooms for meetings) WebEOC (Used to post
Sit Reps, IAP, Significant Events, Resource Requests) Email List
Distribution Created Face To Face (EOC Briefings-Twice Per Day)
Emergency Managers Conference Call (Daily at 12 noon) Mayor &
Judge Conference Call (Daily at 6pm) State - Regional EM Conference
Call; medical conference call (Periodically) Persons assigned to
keep elected and appointed officials updated 311 staffed; Citizen
Phone Bank established (Staffed by MRC) PIOs, community health
teams & police deployed to distribute flyers &
information
7. STRATEGIES - COMMS Social media allows you to communicate in
real time Twitter is your best friend during a crisis have one
primary handle Use your website to post articles, video updates
Allows you to control the messaging not the media Share, Share,
Share shows that you are being transparent and allows you to be
forgiven Press conferences when updates are needed from different
partners/agencies Town hall meetings for public and internal
employees
8. LOGISTICS OEM PIO DFR DPD Manages logistics Filters all info
from city and partners (DSHS, CDC, county, city, DART, DISD)
Permits Contractors Educational Handouts Reverse 911 Transport of
nurses (Love Field) Permits for waste Home for Louise Troh
Door-to-door communication Media relations Community relations (on
site) 311 script Broadcast segments Raw video for news Social
media/website Press conferences, interviews Public release of info
KnowEbola campaign Door-to-door communication Medical expert can
serve in an advisory role and issue communicable disease control
orders Decon guidelines Decon ambulance Haz-Mat team Decon of
common areas Door-to-door communication Finding homeless man with
DCSO Can deliver control orders Social media Set up command post at
hot zones Set up staging areas for media near hot zones Provided
support to PIO
9. LESSONS LEARNED OPS Have a plan for Ebola - Planning is most
important part of the process Train and exercise the plan; ensure
you are ready Have pre-existing contracts ahead of the event Make
sure all persons involved are treated with respect and compassion
Documentation is very important - Freedom of Information (Pictures)
Know the importance of legal, purchasing and media team Importance
of medical monitoring-have a surveillance plan Have a situation
unit that can plan, react and implement on the fly Keep the EOC in
the operational environmentnot as face of event
10. LESSONS LEARNED - COMMS Transparent, clear, consistent
communication are key Communicate frequently - Have a public face
of the event Dont create your own emergencies Dont allow media to
control your messaging Dont assume someone else is getting your
message out Make sure the entity that has the most resources is the
core of the communications effort Media, internal employees,
community, elected officials
11. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Public release of information (mass
release) Communicable disease control orders Medical authority Plan
for tracking those being monitored, where to house people and pets
Plan for transporting patients Dont forget about your own employees
who are scared or at risk Social media Make @#$! happen