Pandemic/E911 Draft Plan Revealed

Recognizing the disasterous effects of a nationwide influenza pandemic, and the key role that PSAPs play in receiving and handling illness information, the U.S. Department of Transporation was tasked last year in devising a plan to integrate PSAPs into the nation’s health care system during wide-spread disease outbreaks. Now, after meetings among various groups, the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEO) has posted draft documents that contain an amazing level of recommended operational details for handling pandemic incidents. In particular, the document Preparing for Pandemic Influenza: Recommendations for Protocol Development for 9-1-1 Personnel and Public Safety Answering Points contains protocols, flow charts and other materials recommended for handling pandemic situations. Although both documents indicate “Not for dissemination,” both are posted on the public NASEO Web site for download (.doc) here.