UCSF Today

Monday, September 11, 2006

UCSF Offers Update on Disaster Preparedness

By Lisa Cisneros

The Chancellor’s Steering Committee on Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Terrorism, convened in the aftermath of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, reports that UCSF is making substantial progress to prepare for a variety of threats.

The steering committee recently cited accomplishments in its annual report, which provides updates on all projects, funding and proposed priorities for 2006-2007. 

Steve Barclay, senior vice chancellor of Administration and Finance, and Mark Laret, chief executive officer of UCSF Medical Center, continue to co-chair the Chancellor’s Steering Committee on Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Terrorism. 

Importantly, UCSF has received nearly $835,000 of extramural funding for emergency equipment and staffing support. UCSF Medical Center received $3 million in 2005 for structural seismic mitigation and another $3 million this year for nonstructural improvements from the FEMA pre-disaster mitigation program.

In general, the ongoing war on terror following 9/11 has raised disaster awareness and improved preparedness across the University. For example, UCSF Medical Center provided personal emergency preparedness kits to all employees for its 2006 employee appreciation program. And last week, University Advancement and Planning began to offer its staff at Laurel Heights Neighborhood Emergency Response Team training prepared and presented by the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD).

In fact, UCSF continues to be an active participant in regional preparedness activities through the California Emergency Medical Services Agency, San Francisco Office of Emergency Services, San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH), and Hospital Council. The integrated emergency drills conducted by campus and medical center use scenarios that also involve coordination with these local emergency management agencies.

         


 

San Francisco Fire Department Firefighter Ed Chu

San Francisco Fire Department Firefighter Ed Chu presented Neighborhood Emergency Response Team training to a group of University Advancment and Planning employees at Laurel Heights on Sept. 7.

Moreover, connections have been made with San Francisco Police Department and SFFD for hazard assessments, evacuation drills, and support for public disturbances. These relationship-
building efforts paid off this spring when San Francisco Office of Emergency Services accepted a UC Police Department (UCPD) liaison in its incident command structure. 

The San Francisco Hospital Council CEO Committee also has worked with the SFDPH to identify emergency preparedness performance benchmarks and timelines. As a result of concerns expressed by the CEOs to Mayor Gavin Newsom regarding some aspects of City emergency preparedness, the Mayor recently addressed these concerns in an Executive Directive on Emergency Medical Disaster Preparedness.

Focus Areas and Goals

The steering committee, convened in October 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was charged to deliver results on the following key focus areas:

     
  • • Oversee the activities of the management structure   established to address the campus’ preparedness related to nuclear, biological,   chemical, and cyber terrorism;
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  • • Identify the various facets of biological   and chemical terrorism that needed to be addressed by the campus and its affiliated   hospitals;
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  • • Assess the organization’s current capacity   to respond to nuclear/ biological/ chemical/cyber attacks, and make recommendations   on strategies to minimize risks;
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  • • Identify sites on campus where agents that   might be useful in terrorism are stored and make recommendations of methods   to secure them;
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  • • Develop strategies to inform and educate the   various constituents of the UCSF community and
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  • • Develop strategies to coordinate with local,   state and federal authorities.

Based on the initial review and analysis of campuswide disaster preparedness, the steering committee identified key goals that have guided its activities over the past five years. These are:

     
  • • Focus efforts to more fully integrate the   medical center and campus disaster plans for a better-coordinated response.  
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  • • Strengthen access control for the campus,   educating and reinforcing existing policies related to the use of UCSF identification   badges and tightening controls and compliance related to security.
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  • • Continue efforts to improve security and reduce   immediate, critical risks to some key physical facilities, including mission-critical   information systems.
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  • • Focus and invest in efforts to improve communication   in all areas, with particular emphasis to ensure communication supports coordination   across the enterprise.
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  • • Improve overall emergency preparedness and   train and educate the campus community on disaster readiness.
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  • • Ensure that UCSF lives up to its role and   reputation of leadership and as a resource to the region, as well as maintain   strong coordinated relationships with local and regional agencies for disaster   management.
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  • • Plan strategically and respond to calls for   funding support for UCSF disaster preparedness when available.

Most of the work to identify risks and secure physical hazards around campus locations was completed in the first two years of the steering committee’s formation. Projects such as disaster drills, training, and other coordination of emergency response activities, are ongoing and have been integrated into regular operational programs at UCSF.

“As exercise scenarios have become more complex, outcome measures more sophisticated, and training requirements more demanding, we have uncovered vulnerabilities not previously identified,” the report states. “These projects and the continued emphasis on campuswide solutions are the primary goals for the steering committee for 2006-2007.”

Making Progress

The medical center and campus have continued their joint participation in local and statewide emergency drills. Recently, the groups participated in the April 2006 San Francisco earthquake exercise. By jointly activating both campus and medical center incident commands and testing systems and communications, it has been determined that co-location in the Emergency Operations Center will reduce crowding in the medical center’s incident command center and will improve coordination, particularly for the operations and logistics teams. The next campuswide disaster drill is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 15.

“Co-location has been very beneficial to expand awareness of the specialized disaster response issues that each incident command center must address and the decision processes which must be considered in distributing limited campus resources available during a disaster,” the report states.

Among other highlights cited in the annual report of the Chancellor’s Steering Committee on Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Terrorism are:

     
  • • UCSF Medical Center continues to prepare for   and respond to surge capacity requirements or the ability to accept patients   at beyond its regular capacity in an emergency. The medical center plan for   Parnassus is to accommodate up to 70 disaster victims, including 10 burn or   trauma patients. Plans call for transporting less injured patients from Parnassus   to the UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion. Additionally, a preliminary analysis   of non-medical center space on the Parnassus campus has been initiated to   identify possible locations for aggregating groups of patients.
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  • • The UCPD has developed an online submission   and tracking system to monitor campuswide compliance for emergency action   plans. About 80 percent of campus departments/units have submitted these plans.  
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  • • A 2006 training calendar that includes the   schedule for hazardous materials for first-receiver training, earthquake drills   and preparatory training, trauma training, conferences, and online training   links has been widely distributed. Additional online training opportunities   are posted at the UCSF Terrorism Information web   site.
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  • • A plan to specifically achieve compliance   with National Incident Management Systems mandatory training requirements   will be rolled out for 2006-2007. Compliance with this training is required   for continued grant eligibility.
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  • • UCSF Medical Center Infection Control has   developed a preliminary communicable disease emergency outbreak plan that   specifically addresses surveillance, notifications and alerts, patient isolation   and cohorting, personal protective equipment, and mass prophylaxis for medical   center staff. Emergency planning for a communicable disease outbreak for the   campus community will occur in 2006-2007.
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  • • The dedicated server, installed to host emergency   notifications listservs, is regularly tested and a recent plan to ensure server   redundancy to this system as well as the UCSF home page system is being developed.   Regular news articles continue to be posted on UCSF Today and the UCSF Terrorism   Information website continues to be updated.
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  • • Last spring, a proposal to develop emergency   preparedness curriculum was prepared by a multidisciplinary faculty committee   under the leadership of the chair of the Department of Community Health Systems   in the UCSF School of Nursing and funded through the UCSF Library’s Instructional   Improvement Program. A draft curriculum was recently presented to the UCSF   Inter-professional Education Task Force and a short introductory course is   being considered as a requirement for incoming second-year students.
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  • • UCPD continues its successful twice-yearly   safety fair program bringing information and demonstrations on a variety of   safety and emergency preparedness items to the campus community. The next   safety fair is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 14. See story   for details.

Photo/Lisa Cisneros

Link:

UCSF to Host Fifth Annual Safety Fair