April 2002

Need

The development of disaster medical system standards and promulgation of related regulations is one step in the continuing effort to improve and standardize disaster medical and health responses to disasters. To maximize long-term system improvements, California needs the capacity to:

· Periodically review and update existing standards and regulations;

· Develop, review, and update guidelines, training standards and curricula to support implementation of the standards;

· Ensure that new disaster system standards developed for medical, public, and environmental health functions are mutually consistent and compatible and avoid inappropriate overlap and duplication; and

· Provide technical advice to the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and the Department of Health Services (DHS) related to development and adoption of new standards and regulations.

Mission

Provide structure and process to maintain, update, and promote adoption of disaster medical and health standards.

Goals

The goals of the organization are to advise EMSA and DHS on the following:

· The implementation of disaster medical and health standards in all California counties;

· The provision of guidelines, tools and training to support the implementation of disaster medical and health standards;

· The update of existing standards and development of new standards to meet changing threats, environmental conditions, technological changes, and advancements in the understanding of disaster medical and health response requirements; and

· The technical appropriateness, consistency, and compatibility of new and updated medical and health standards.

Concept of Operations

The Standards Maintenance Organization would be an advisory committee to DHS and EMSA. The committee would consist of members representing medical and public health, environmental health, and mental health, appointed by their respective departments from nominees submitted by represented stakeholder organizations.

Generally, the committee would advise the departments on all issues related to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Specifically, it would be responsible for the development, review, and update of disaster standards for the functions of the two departments. The committee would also review guidelines and training curricula.

The advisory committee would have the responsibility of assuring that developed and updated medical and health standards and guidelines are consistent and compatible. This requirement would be accomplished during periodic meetings of the committee or designated subcommittee review of standards and guidelines.

Relationship to EMSA/DHS

The advisory committee would be strictly advisory with no formal authority to approve or reject proposed standards or regulations. Committee recommendations would be directed to the appropriate Chiefs of Disaster Preparedness for the two departments.

Committee Composition

Until the committee and its membership are established in Regulation, the Steering Committee of the Disaster Medical Standards Project shall transition into the role of the Standards Maintenance Organization with the membership (or designees) as listed below:

· California Department of Health Services (DHS)

· California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)

· State Office of Emergency Services (OES)

· Local OES

· Conference of Health Executives Association of California (CHEAC)

· California Conference of Local Health Officials (CCLHO)

· Multi-County local EMS Agency (LEMSA)

· Rural LEMSA

· Rural Health Officer

· Urban LEMSA

· Urban Health Officer

· Suburban LEMSA

· Suburban Health Officer

· LEMSA Medical Director

· Regional Disaster Medical and Health Coordinator (RDMHC)

· California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH)

· California Emergency Nurses Association (CalENA)

· California Association of Emergency Physicians (CalACEP)

· California Health Association (CHA)

· State Firescope

· State or local Mental Health Official

Initial Committee Tasks

The committee, working with DHS and EMSA, shall undertake the following tasks:

· Determine meeting frequency, dates and locations;

· Establish a decision-making processes;

· Develop procedures and criteria for reviewing, developing, and recommending approval for standards, guidelines, and training curricula, including use of external committees and relationships with other standard setting bodies (i.e., FIRESCOPE);

· Develop a strategy for gathering input from stakeholder organizations and for disseminating products;

· Develop plans for periodically assessing the status of disaster planning and preparedness in California and the impact of its work on that status; and

· Develop procedures for membership selection.