1. 1. EBOLA IN DALLAS Challenges, Strategies, Logistics
2. 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. 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. 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. 5. CHALLENGES Phase 3: Amber Vinson Identifying contacts Notifying residents Communicable disease control orders Transporting her to Emory Addressing healthcare workers who travel
6. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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
12. 12. NINA & BENTLEY REUNION
13. 13. QUESTIONS?