Disaster Medical System
Initial
Activation/Notification
Function 1: Development and Maintenance of
Medical and Health Disaster Plans, Policies, and Procedures for the Operational
Area
Element 1.2: Emergency/Departmental Operations Center Procedures
Guideline 1.2.1: Response
Activation
Function 2: Assessment of Immediate Medical Needs
Element 2.1: Notification of key positions and activation of the
disaster medical and health system
Guideline 2.1.1:
Notification
Guideline 2.1.2: Activation
The purpose of this policy
is to describe a process for the initial notification and activation of the
local Disaster Medical Services system.
A.
Division
2.5, Health and Safety Code, Section 1797.150-152
B.
Government
Code 8607 requires that the Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator (OAC)
represent the county and all political subdivisions (e.g. cities, districts)
when processing medical and health mutual-aid requests to and from the
operational area. The Medical Health
OAC is part of the statewide medical/health mutual aid system of
California.
A.
Answering Point means the dispatch agency or
facility designated to receive communications intended for the Medical/Health
OAC, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
B. Departmental Operations Center (DOC)
means the center for coordinating discipline-specific activities outside the
city or county Emergency Operations Center (e.g. Medical/Health DOC).
C. Medical/Health Operational Area Coordinator
(MHOAC, M/H
OAC, or Medical/Health OAC) means the individual responsible for the
coordination of medical and health resources and activities within the
operational area.
D. Operational Area means the county and
all political subdivisions within the county.
F.
Regional Disaster Medical
Health Coordinator (RDMHC) means the individual responsible for coordinating medical and health
resource requests between state agencies and the operational area coordinators.
G.
Mutual aid requests are understood to be for
non-reimbursed, voluntary resources unless otherwise indicated.
A.
Requests
for resources, status reports, and other vital exchanges of information between
local medical and health providers and services outside of the Operational Area
shall be processed by the Medical/Health OAC.
Medical and Health providers include the following:
1.
Ambulance
provider agencies
(both public and private)
2.
Public
Health Department(s)
3.
Acute
care hospitals
4.
Environmental
health agencies
5.
Convalescent
Hospitals
6.
Medical
clinics
7.
Extended
care facilities
8.
Other
health related agencies
B. The Medical/Health OAC can be reached 24-hours a day, seven days a week through the Answering Point.
C. The Medical/Health OAC shall
be notified of the occurrence of any of the following:
1. Mutual-aid resources have been requested from outside the county (beyond normal response areas);
2.
Local
resources are depleted or are anticipated to be soon depleted; or
3.
Coordination
of resources between multiple jurisdictions is needed.
C.
Mutual
aid is requested or provided. A
predetermined number (established in the Medical/Health Disaster Plan) of
resources may be requested from outside the operational area or supplied to
fill a request from outside the operational area before notifying the
Medical Health OAC
D.
Notify
the Medical/Health OAC of resource status, requests and actions taken.
E.
Create
and maintain records of the activation/notification.
A.
The
following forms or records should be established as part of the Medical/Health
Disaster plan and will be needed to operate according to this policy.
1.
Medical/Health
OAC contact list, minimally three persons deep
2.
Tool
for 24-hour Answering Point that specifies resource status evaluation
3.
Defined
method for documenting mutual aid request particulars