Learning Opportunities: Resources for Hurricane Readiness & Recovery (The Hub Speaks, June 2021)
- By: National Network of Public Health Institutes
- Date
For the final issue of The Hub Speaks, we have curated resources and online training opportunities for preparing for this year’s hurricane season, as well as, to highlight some of the notable materials that have been created throughout this initiative. Upon the completion of this project, NNPHI’s Hurricane Response Hub webpage will be converted into a lasting Hurricane Response Hub Resource Library to help organizations educate and assist in preparing their communities for natural disasters.
Florida Hurricane Response Hub Training Opportunities
Safety, Function, Action (SFA) for Disaster Responders
The Florida Hurricane Response Hub has developed the Safety, Function, and Action for Disaster Responders (SFA) training, which covers strategies to foster well-being for disaster responders. SFA is an online training that will be available on Florida’s health eLearning management system, TRAIN, and participants will be able to complete the training independently and at their own pace. The goal of SFA is to provide a framework for achieving and maintaining a high-level of disaster health for the entire spectrum of professionals and volunteers who respond during disasters. A major innovation is the SFA pathway, sequencing six building blocks into training components: Safeguard, Sustain, Comfort, Connect, Advise, and Activate. This framework was originally developed by the Center for Disaster & Extreme Event Preparedness (DEEP Center) at the University of Miami and is being adapted and revised by the Florida Hurricane Response Hub
NOAA Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper Tool
Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, are extremely difficult to recover from for communities that face day-to-day stresses like poverty and insufficient healthcare. Numerous data exist to help prioritize recovery efforts, but is the information getting to those who consider poverty and health concerns in recovery efforts? There is a need to deliver these data in a way that helps emergency responders and the public health workforce prioritize locations for response and recovery efforts, as well communicate risk to others. The Florida hub conducted a virtual training for its network in collaboration with NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management to demonstrate how individuals and organizations could use NOAA’s Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper to create user-defined maps showing people, critical facilities, and natural resources exposed to coastal flooding. The hub also demonstrated how the maps could be used to engage community members and stakeholders.
How to Certify Disaster-Related Deaths, Deaths Due to Natural Causes, & Other Guidance for Florida
The CDC guidance aims to improve the accuracy of disaster-related mortality reporting by alleviating some of the inconsistencies observed for disaster-related deaths. This training occurred on 2/24/2021 and was based on Florida procedures and CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics’ guidance. This free, virtual training was geared towards physicians, medical residents, and medical students. During the training, experts will cover topics such as the importance of including disaster-related data on the death certificate, the two types of disaster-related deaths (direct and indirect), how to determine if a death is disaster-related, and how to most accurately complete death certificates in Florida.
Louisiana Hurricane Response Hub Training Opportunities
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor Certification Training
(This virtual training will be held June 1st – 4th, 2021)
This professional development opportunity was offered to Louisiana Department of Health Office of Behavioral Health and LPHI staff who were interested in complementing and advancing Louisiana’s behavioral health, community resilience, and disaster preparedness work. The opportunity was funded by the LA-TAC and equips LDH OBH and LPHI staff with the skills to build in these areas through innovative projects, partnerships, and training expertise.
Lessons From the Storm: Crisis and Collaboration
The lessons learned, and lessons still being taught, from Hurricane Katrina can assist all healthcare and family assistance providers in providing for future disasters. This session was conducted by Harold Suire, a consultant with over 20 years of experience in the state policy arena, who was called upon by the state of Louisiana in the aftermath of Katrina to coordinate the myriad of groups and foundations from throughout the nation and world. He shared his on-the-ground observations of collaboration and challenges in the vortex of one of the greatest natural disasters in the United States. We learned how lives were, and still are, in jeopardy while leaders, agencies, and groups fought and acted on policy, credit, regulations, funds, and turf. We also learned about the resiliency of providers and citizens and the power of collaboration and action for the greater good.
Staffing for Emergency Response and Recovery
In recent years, attention and resources have focused on emergency preparedness plans, systems and training. Few would question that our workforce is better trained to handle disasters, but do we have the right people in response positions; those capable of handling the extreme stress and uncertainty of a major disaster? Additionally, are managers and supervisors ready to handle the overwhelming staffing complexities related to catastrophic events? This program will address these questions and provide lessons learned in human resources in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Texas Hurricane Response Hub Training Opportunities
A Practical Guide to the Access and Functional Needs of Venerable Populations
Different communities have different needs. Communities, populations, and individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) require communications they can understand. Sheltering needs are also different for those with functional or access difficulties. How can Public Health and first responders interact with a variety of populations before, during, and after a disaster should be influenced by the different needs of each community. Needs and methods of communication should be established before disaster strikes. Learning objectives of this training includes: recognize the vulnerable populations in your communities, identify trusted community resources, describe the importance of preparing and acting with inclusion in mind, explain the power of resources in accessing aid and information, and implement best practice methods for emergency preparedness for vulnerable populations.
Communicating to the Public During a Hurricane or Other Disaster
An effective communication plan delivers a succinct message across several channels to reach a mass audience. Learn how to tailor your health and medical message and communication channels appropriately after a disaster. Learning objectives of this training include identifying the importance of communication during a hurricane or other disasters, listing the principals of disaster communications, describing how to use media/social media, and summarizing the role of public health in crisis communications.
During a disaster, and specifically during hurricanes, public health departments need to maintain situational awareness by tracking data from a variety of available tools. This data can include epidemiological surveillance, direct hospital surveillance, emergency transportation, and research of the possible health effects (human, environmental, animal, etc.) likely to be caused by a specific disaster. Learning objectives of this training include recognizing the importance of situational awareness, identifying the tools used for creating a Common Operating Picture (COP), describing the tools used in empirical data capture data, and explaining surveillance activities during a hurricane.
Puerto Rico Hurricane Response Hub Training Opportunities
Ethics in Disaster Response Management for First Responders
The goals of this training are as follows: describe the ethical principles, mention the response management standards in Puerto Rico, identify the codes of conduct in emergency management, identify the ethical standards for disaster response management and know the duties and responsibilities of ethics in disaster response management.
Psychological First Aid: Addressing Mental Health Distress During Disasters
When people are faced with disaster, intense emotions are often present and appropriate. Psychological First Aid (PFA) can help responders promote an environment of safety, calm, connectedness, self-efficacy, empowerment, and hope. PFA was developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD, with contributions from individuals involved in disaster research and response. This webinar will provide a brief overview of PFA and connect viewers with both online and in-person training resources.
ECHO Project: Hurricane Preparedness During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This ECHO project series was created in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic that is impacting the island of Puerto. The Puerto Rico Technical Assistance Center has gathered public health and emergency preparedness experts from across the island to create a 6-part ECHO series addressing different aspects of hurricane preparedness while dealing with an ongoing pandemic situation.
Georgia Hurricane Response Hub Training Opportunities
Preparing for hurricane season can be stressful especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this webinar, CDC experts will discuss special considerations for general population hurricane shelters during the COVID-19 pandemic and how community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and public health professionals can effectively communicate messages. They will also share hurricane resources and educational materials you can use and distribute within your own communities.
Overview of ESF #8 in Mass Care
This video provides an overview of Emergency Support Function #8 (Public Health and Medical Services) in mass care. Mass care includes sheltering, feeding and distribution of emergency supplies. This training is intended for preparedness and response professionals in Georgia. This is a just-in-time training, and there are no prerequisites.
This training addresses Capability 7, Functions 1-4 of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Capabilities: National Standards for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Public Health including determining public health role in mass care operations, determining mass health care needs of the impacted population, coordinating public health, health care, and mental/behavioral health services, and monitoring mass care population health.
Georgia Hurricane Response Hub – Building and Deploying a Power Toolkit
In this informative video, the Georgia Technical Assistance Center describes the best practices for organizing and deploying a mobile power toolkit that can be used during hurricane events and other disaster situations when electrical failures occur at healthcare facilities.
NNPHI Public Health Navigator
The NNPHI Public Health Learning Navigator, a curated online resource supporting quality learning for the public health workforce, has training opportunities related to basic hygiene, crisis and risk communication, decision making in emergency preparedness, and several other topics that could help you respond to COVID-19 and hurricanes in your community. Visit the navigator to learn more.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Resource Page
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has compiled resources for the public, healthcare professionals, health departments, health care facilities, and others. Visit the CDC’s website for a complete list of resources and state-level data.
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
To get more information about our Emergency Preparedness, Response, & Recovery Team, visit here.
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