Sup Annex Communication Plan

Benton County Health Services
Emergency Communications Plan

Emergency Response Plan
Support Annex A:
EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS
PLAN
_____________________________________
________________
Health Director Signature
Date

CONTENTS
Section I. Introduction
A. Purpose
B. Scope and Applicability
C. Incident Management Activities and Key Concepts
D. Authorities
Section II. Planning Assumptions and Considerations
Section III. Roles and Responsibilities

A. Local Government
B. State Government
Section IV. Concept of Operations
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Section V. Incident Management Actions
11
Section VI. Ongoing Plan Management and Maintenance

A. Coordination and Plan Maintenance
B. Training and Exercises
12
Section VII. Abbreviations and Glossary
14
Section VIII. Attachments and Appendices

1. Public Information Call Center Operations
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Introduction
Effective risk communication in a disaster hinges on the ability to recognize the outbreak,
mobilize supplies of needed materials to affected populations in a timely manner, and
provide ongoing medical care for affected individuals. Benton County Health Services
(BCHS) has the legal authority and responsibility to lead the response to an
epidemic/outbreak event or a pending public health threat. The county emergency
management office will coordinate and facilitate the medical response. This plan will be
used in conjunction with other emergency management plans as appropriate.
When an emergency occurs in the community, there may be little or no public
information initially available about the incident. Once an incident is made public, there
is a need for professional and articulate public information from a credible medical or
public health source. A biological or communicable disease emergency is certain to
generate a high level of public and media interest. This document describes how BCHS
will respond to public information requests and communicating important information to
key partners and agencies.
The Benton County Public Health Communication Plan outlines key assumptions for the
response to public information, refers relevant legal and statutory authorities, and defines
a concept of operations for communications. The roles and responsibilities of public
health will be delineated to manage public information needs with the intent of
minimizing injury or exposure to those persons directly affected as well as those who
have not yet been exposed. BCHS will augment the response activities of federal, state
and local agencies.
While official hazard assessment is not done for diseases in the community, BCHS
should be prepared to respond to any evidence of the category A agents (anthrax,
botulism, smallpox, tularemia, plague and viral hemorrhagic fever). Of more common
incidence are communicable diseases such as influenza, pertussis, meningococcal
disease, E Coli. 0157, norovirus as well as foodborne outbreaks. BCHS has also
experienced the need for public information when a new disease receives media attention
such as West Nile virus, SARS, Avian Influenza H5N1or Pandemic Influenza. Thirdly,
the need for information increases when a disease outbreak occurs, when many children
become sick, or when a death occurs.
A. Purpose
The purpose of this Communications Plan is to coordinate routine and emergency public
health communication methods and procedures including:
Communication among health officials within the public health system,

Communications between public health officials and other emergency responders,
Direct communication with the media,
Communication considerations for specific populations and the general public,
Long term public educational efforts related to hazard awareness,
Information about the communications equipment and capabilities available
during emergency operations,

Identifying and obtaining the resources necessary for an effective health related
public information response.
Because this plan requires ongoing working relationships and developing agreements
across disciplines, agencies, government officials and media representatives, it requires
careful review by all key players and an openness to revision based on input from key
players and evolving circumstances.
The plan includes all-hazard standard operating procedures for before, during and after
the emergency. The standard operating procedures clearly define the activities that should
take place depending on the level of the emergency and at different stages of the
emergency response, including notification of key partners, guidelines for establishing
and operating a joint information center (JIC) and providing for telephone information
line surge capacity.
B. Scope and Applicability
The scope of this plan is to provide a description of the role Public Health plays in
ensuring effective risk communication during the mitigation, preparation, response, and
recovery phases to disasters or emergencies that affects the lives and well-being of
individuals of Benton County.
It is the intention that this plan will work in concert with local, state and federal plans
dealing with a disaster or emergency.
This plan cannot anticipate all possible emergencies or situations and therefore should not
be used without competent review, training and exercising of the plan by qualified
emergency management professionals to test, revise and/or validate its contents.
Conditions will develop in actual operations where standard methods will not suffice.
Nothing in this plan shall be interpreted as an obstacle to the experience, initiative, and
ingenuity of those responsible for responding to emergency situations in overcoming the
complexities that exist under actual emergency conditions.
C. Incident Management Activities and Key Concepts
This plan addresses the full spectrum of activities related to communications during
incident management, including prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery
actions. The plan focuses on those activities that are directly related to an evolving
incident or potential incident rather than steady-state preparedness or readiness activities
conducted in the absence of a specific threat or hazard. Additionally, since incidents
typically result in impacts far beyond the immediate or initial incident area, this plan
provides a framework to enable the management of communications for multiple
incidents as well as the prevention of and preparation for subsequent events. Examples of
incident management actions include:
Increasing local public awareness;
Assessing trends that point to potential terrorist activity;
Communicating and coordinating protective measures across jurisdictions;
Increasing countermeasures such as inspections, case management, and
investigations;

Conducting public health surveillance and assessment processes and, where

appropriate, conducting a wide range of prevention measures to include, but not
be limited to, immunizations, isolations measures, and quarantine;
Providing immediate and long-term public health and medical response assets;
Coordinating support to Regional, local, and tribal authorities in the aftermath of
an incident;
Providing strategies for coordination of resources required to handle subsequent
events;
Restoring public confidence after a terrorist attack;
Enabling immediate recovery activities, as well as addressing long-term
consequences in the impacted area.
D. Authorities
According to Benton Countys Public Information Annex of the county Emergency
Operations Plan, upon activation of the ECC, the overall responsibility for public
information rests with the Incident Commander acting through the Public Information
Officer. The PIO serves as the official Benton County spokesperson and the sole source
for dissemination of official emergency related materials to the public.
In accordance with the State of Oregons Bioterrorism/Public Health Emergency Joint
Information System/Center Operations Plan, in the event of a bio-terrorist event or public
health emergency involving the state, the responsibility for coordinating the activities of
the JIC rests with the Department of Human Services Office of the State Public Health
Officer, Public Health Preparedness Planner, and Health Services Public Information
Officer (PIO) in coordination with the Governors PIO and PIOs of other affected local,
state and federal agencies and partner organizations. The Health Services Joint
Information System and/or Joint Information Center will be activated at any time that the
Agency Operation Center is activated, or at other times as determined by the Lead Public
Information Officer or Deputy Public Information Officer in conjunction with the
Incident Manager, Deputy Incident Manager or designee.
In the event of a local public health emergency or imminent public health emergency, the
Health Director who is acting as the Incident Commander is responsible for assessing and
determining the need for additional resources. Upon determination of need, the Incident
Commander or designee shall request resources through Benton County Emergency
Management.
II. Planning Assumptions and Considerations

The coordination of timely and accurate communications with partners and the public is
an essential function during a disaster to ensure that protective measures are taken and to
reduce the spread of rumors and misinformation.
During a large public health disaster, public action and cooperation would be required to
contain the spread of disease. Consistent messages from various agencies are necessary
to ensure public trust and reassurance. For this reason, reliable communication methods
must be in place and well exercised for various types of disasters.
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There are times, however, when disaster strikes without warning and the public
information system cannot react rapidly enough to properly inform the public about the
hazard. For this reason it is important that prior to the occurrence of an emergency the
public be made aware of potential hazards and the protective measures that should be
employed.
A primary goal of communicating with the public is to gain their cooperation in
responding to the emergency. Clear, concise public communication is the single most
important contributing factor in determining the success of the public information
response. Age, cultural background, and average educational level of the population will
be considered, and simple, non-medical terminology will be used. Informing and
reassuring the public will reduce fear and anxiety and will be crucial to earning public
confidence and cooperation.
Assumptions of this plan include:
Adequate communications are vital for effective and efficient warning, response,
and recovery operations
During an emergency, routine communication methods may be neutralized or not
effective.
The public needs a consistent resource for receiving accurate and timely
information.
Responding agencies need reliable and effective means of communicating with
each other.
Additional communications equipment required for emergency operations will be
made available from citizens, business, and/or other government resources.
During an emergency, Public Health staff will quickly be overwhelmed and
additional staff may be necessary.
Inaccurate or late risk communication information can lead to public mistrust;
further demand on resources; or failure to take protective measures.
Poor public communication during a disaster can result in:
Public demand for misallocation of limited emergency response resources
Public mistrust or circumventing public health recommendations
Opportunists who play on peoples fears or uncertainties to provide
fraudulent advice or treatment
Overreaction and wasted fiscal and medical resources during the emergency
response, and increased disease and death.
It is estimated that during a public health emergency demands for services from the
worried well could outnumber the demand from those who are actually ill by 20 to 1,
potentially overwhelming the available medical response resources.
III. Roles and Responsibilities

A. Local Government
The Benton County Board of Commissioners, as the jurisdictions chief executive board,
is responsible for the public safety and welfare of the people of its jurisdiction. The Board
of Commissioners provides leadership and plays a key role in communicating to the
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public, and in helping people, businesses, and organizations cope with the consequences
of any type of domestic incident within the jurisdiction.
Public Health
Communicable Disease Nurses, Environmental Health Specialists, or the Health Officer
may be the first responders to a public health threat. In some instances, notification
comes from an outside agency such as local hospitals, healthcare providers or a facility.
BCHS Policy and Procedure of Triage and Routing of CD Phone Calls will be followed
to alert all necessary parties. Public Health will manage the initial crisis response using
ICS, including the appointment of an Incident Commander and a Lead Investigator under
the Operations section.
If the event is small enough, the response may be handled by the Communicable Disease
Team. In a larger event, other agencies and the state department of health may be
involved. As the scale, magnitude, and significance of the event grows, the responsibility
for Incident Command, mitigation, investigation, and recovery will progress through
State and Federal agencies as appropriate.
This Communications Plan and/or Benton County Public Information Annex of the
county Emergency Operations Plan will be activated at any time that the BCHS
Department Operations Center is activated, or at other times as determined by the
Incident Commander or designee.
The development of a disaster or threat requiring risk communication from Public Health
will be likely to progress over time from a non-emergency situation. This information is
expected to come from Communicable Disease staff, GSRMC and/or health care
providers. Alternately, BCHS staff may receive notification of an emergency from state
health officials, neighboring counties, Emergency Management, other governmental
agencies, or members of the public. These means of communication may occur through
the 24/7 Disease Reporting number, emails, Oregon Health Alert Network (HAN); Alert
Oregon notification, or ORCD Alert.
Preparedness/ Pre-Event
Planning
Coordinate planning activities with state and federal health, law enforcement, and
emergency management agencies.
Participate in training, exercising, coordinating with local/state agencies to ensure
the integration of plans.
Notification
Communication methods are in place and updated with first responders and other
key partners. Refer to the PIO Annex of the Benton County Emergency
Operations Plan for a list of contact information for the applicable points of
contact.
Establish and maintain liaison with clinics, nursing home/care centers, mental
health organizations, EMS, GSRMC, funeral service providers and other
jurisdictions.
Facilitate cooperation among all local involved parties (e.g. government officials,
emergency responders, health experts, businesses and the public.)
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Maintain alert, warning, and notification mechanisms such as through Health

Alert Network, ORCD Alert, and Oregon Alert.
Educate key partners of communication methods and procedures.
Keep equipment under a schedule of testing, maintenance, and repair.
Train personnel on the appropriate equipment as necessary
Public Information
Work with Benton County Emergency Management to identify potential health
hazards and prepare the appropriate public health response to such hazards.
Prepare emergency information for release during emergencies such as fact sheets
and draft news releases.
Conduct public education programs including hazard awareness, protective
measures and meaning of warning signals, in collaboration with local and state
partners.
Educate local media on the role of public health, and general protective measures
the public should take on a regular basis.
Maintain contact list and working relationships with local media.
Participate with ECC on testing local procedures such as media notification.
Maintain contact list of groups to assist in message development and delivery to
special populations.
Educate key partners on media access and PIO function.
Response/Event
Activate plans and procedures as appropriate.
Maintain records and documentation as appropriate.
Notification
Notify staff and key partners through Public Health Staff Notification Procedures.
Establish early means of communication and outline responsibilities with key
partners.
Provide public health updates to key agencies as additional information is
obtained.
Contact the State ECC through the county Emergency Coordination Center when
additional resources are needed. The ECC will then contact the OSPH AOC.
Public Information
Establish a Joint Information Center if necessary.
Provide information about the event and health effects to the public.
Provide information on protective measures to be taken by the public and
partnering agencies.
Provide a means for the public to receive additional information as appropriate
(website, information line, hotline, etc.).
Keep the public updated as to the progress of events and any changes to previous
messages.
Establish public information programs dealing with personal health and hygiene.
Assist in maintaining rumor control.
Utilize public feedback as a measure of the informational programs effectiveness
or to make immediate changes.
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Monitor media reports for accuracy of information, make corrections as

necessary.
Recovery/ Post Event

Participate in After Action Reports, hot-washes, debriefings, etc. and schedule trainings
and exercises internally and through the county as appropriate.
Notification
Provide key partners with updates as to outcomes of the event as appropriate.
Public Information
Provide the public with updates as to outcomes of the event as appropriate.
Provide information about potential or continuing hazards affecting public health
and offer appropriate guidance for mitigation of harmful effects.
Continue to provide information about protective measures as appropriate.
Compile record of events and prepare After Action Report.
Assess effectiveness of the emergency public information program.
Joint Information Center
After an emergency has been declared, state and local Joint Information Centers (JIC)
will assume primary responsibility for all public information efforts and media relations
activities. In the event that a Joint Information Center is to be established, the JIC will be
housed near the ECC, but could be operated from anywhere with an available Internet
connection or appropriate communication system. Depending on the scale of the
emergency, the JIC may be operated virtually from the offices of the Lead and Deputy
PIOs. Communication modes and frequencies must integrate with the State/Local
jurisdictions current emergency communication plans.
PIOs staffing the JIC will record media briefings and monitor all local and national
coverage to identify areas that need additional emphasis or correction, analyze trends, and
update frequently asked questions (FAQs) and talking points. Additionally, PIOs staffing
the JIC will log all calls and e-mails, analyze for trends in concerns and questions and use
this information to update FAQs and talking points.
The JIC provides the physical location for coordination of the following functions:
1. Lead and Deputy PIOs (Leadership Command and Control)
2. Content and Clearance Team
3. News Media Liaison
4. Clinician Communication
5. Media and Public Information Monitoring and Research
6. Community Health Education
7. Government Communication
8. Hotline
9. Public Health Partners and Stakeholders
10. Spokespeople
11. Public Area of Health Alert Network (HAN) Website

An individual may be assigned multiple functions based on the scope of the event.
Detailed position descriptions for the team leaders for each functional area are included
in the Benton County JIC operations plan. It is anticipated that these positions will be
filled by public health staff, other county staff, partner agency PIOs, or regional/state
PIOs as necessary. They may also be filled by qualified PIO volunteers who have
received Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication and JIC training.
County Emergency Management
Refer to Benton Countys Emergency Communications Annex of the Benton County
Emergency Operations Plan. The Emergency Program Manager is responsible for
implementing the Emergency Coordination Center to focus on serving as the
communications and coordination center for the county.
Communications Officers and operators from support agencies, while under control of
their own office and operating their own equipment in the EOC, will be responsible for
knowing and following the procedures outlined in this plan.
Existing communication systems and use is outlined in Benton Countys Emergency
Operating Procedures - Emergency Communications. This includes:
a. Corvallis Police Department 9-1-1 Center
The Corvallis Regional Communication 9-1-1 Center operated by the Corvallis
Police Department is the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).
Emergency calls for service are received by the 9-1-1 Center and dispatched to
the appropriate public safety agencies.
b. Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency Services
The Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency Services (BCARES), comprised
of:
radio operators licensed by the Federal Communications Commission for
noncommercial (amateur) communications, have voluntarily registered their
services and formed an organized pool of trained communications specialists to
assist Benton County Emergency Management in providing emergency and
disaster communications.
Other County Departments
According to Benton Countys Emergency Communications Annex of the Emergency
Operations Plan, all county department heads will make available any personnel or
communications equipment deemed essential for emergency communications services by
the Emergency Coordination Center. When emergency operations are initiated, the
supervisors will determine which communications personnel will be required. Staff
requirements will vary according to the incident.
B. State of Oregon
The Oregon State Public Health (OSPH) is the state agency with primary responsibility
for public information during a public health emergency. Within Oregon State Public
Health (OSPH), the Public Health Preparedness Program is the lead program for the state
public health response to emergencies. There are a large range of public health roles and
responsibilities on the state level during a public health emergency. The scope of the
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event, resources and priorities will determine how many of these roles and
responsibilities OSPH actually undertakes.
OSPH has the ability to notify healthcare providers, partner agencies and other counties
through the ORCD Alert, the Health Alert Network (HAN) and CDC websites.
Section IV. Concept of Operations

This plan describes both the relationship of Benton County Public Health to the local
emergency response structure, and the roles and responsibilities of BCHS management
and local public health program staff in risk communication.
The Communications Plan is structured to serve for the day-to-day operations of
responding to public information requests as well as in an emergency situation. There are
times when a communicable or other disease outbreak warrants the release of information
to partners and/or the public.
In the event that a public health emergency or impending public health threat is declared,
BCHS DOC will be activated. The countys ECC may be activated or utilized if
resources are overwhelmed.
Communications play a critical role in emergency operations. Emergency communication
operations in Benton County include, but are not limited to, coordination of public safety
communications via telephone, radio and LEDS. These events will most likely require
establishing an Emergency Communications Center within the ECC, as well as the
expansion of the standard daily activities and responsibilities of the 9-1-1
Communications Center.
According to Benton Countys Emergency Communications Annex, the existing public
safety communications systems, consisting of telephones and radio facilities, will
perform the initial and basic communications effort for emergency operations. Landline
circuits, when available, will serve as the primary means of communication with radio as
back-up.
If the day-to-day operations are insufficient to meet the increased communication needs
created by an emergency; various county or state agencies, amateur radio operations, and
business/industry radio systems will be asked to provide expanded communication
capabilities.
Section V. Incident Management Actions

Benton County utilizes the Incident Command System in accordance with National
Incident Management System (NIMS) requirements as per the County Emergency
Operations Plan. As applicable, the Benton County Health Director (or designee) will
serve as the initial Incident Commander and shall direct initial operations through the
Benton Health Services Department Operation Center (DOC), which will be the incident
command post. The Incident Commander will determine to what level the Incident
Command Structure will be expanded, and possibly physically move the command post
to the county ECC.
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To ensure continuity of public health and medical activities during a public health
emergency, the following line of succession is established:
Benton County Health Director
Deputy Director for Public Health
Division Manager for Environmental Health
Other designated staff
In many situations, communicable disease nurses serve as the initial team leader until
further resources are necessary.
Should the Public Information Officers be unavailable, absent, or incapacitated for any
reason, the Incident Commander or designee shall act as the PIO for the duration of the
incident or until a suitable replacement can assist.
If an event grows beyond the scope of local public health, the countys Emergency
Coordination Center may be utilized. In which case, the Benton County Emergency
Management Office is the overall authority for the Emergency Coordination Center and
its Emergency Communications Center located in the ECC. If the incident is large
enough, the state Department of Human Services will take the role of Incident
Commander.
VI. Ongoing Plan Management and Maintenance

A. Coordination and Plan Maintenance
The Benton County Health Director or designee is responsible for the Public Health
Communications Plan development, distribution, periodic review, and updating. Each
service with emergency assignments is responsible for assigning personnel and
equipment and providing training necessary to carry out emergency functions.
This plan will be reviewed as necessary based on lessons learned during emergencies,
exercises, county or state public health organizational changes, state planning guidance or
as other events warrant. The Deputy Director for Public Health is responsible for
assuring routine biennial review of this plan, as well as organizing exercises designed to
test this plan.
The Deputy Director for Public Health will also be responsible for assuring that an
evaluation is conducted and an after-action report is completed on all exercises or real
events related to the functions of the Public Health Communication Plan.
The lead PIO will be responsible for maintaining media directories and contact
information as well as to update call-down lists and contact information unless otherwise
specified in an appendix. The PIO will also be responsible for content on the Public
Health website and Public Health Information Call Center.
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Other public health staff, in conjunction with county Information Services and Telecom
will be responsible for maintaining communications equipment such as the copy
machine, fax machine, website, Public Health Information Line and email.
B. Training and Exercises
The Deputy Director for Public Health will assure that staff who will be filling key ICS
and public information roles complete NIMS/ICS training as directed by the Oregon DHS
- HS Public Health Preparedness program including ICS-700.
Lead PIOs will receive training on crisis and risk communication and, when possible,
attend regional or state trainings on communication and Public Information. Additional
training may be obtained through other sources as they are identified and available.
Training opportunities will be shared with PIOs from other agencies as appropriate.
The medical and health services will participate as required in drills and exercises
conducted by Benton County Office of Emergency Management. Such exercises are held
according to the timeline and frequency set forth by local emergency management.
These drills and exercises may range from tabletop to full-scale.
Additional drills and exercises may be conducted by various agencies and services to
develop and test the ability to effectively respond to requests for public information and
communication needs. Evaluation and post exercise follow-up will serve to improve the
plan and our ability to support the County EOP.
In-house drills will take place at least annually to test specific notification procedures.
These are to be coordinated by the Lead Public Information Officer and/or the Public
Health Preparedness Coordinator. The After Action Report and Improvement Plan will
be shared with the Benton County Health and Human Services Director, Benton County
Public Health Manager, and the Emergency Management Director. (See appendix 1 for
more detailed Public Information Call Center (PICC) training.)
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Section VII. Abbreviations and Glossary

AOC
BCHD
BCHS
CDC
DHS
DOC
ECC
EMS
EOC
EOP
ESF
FAQ
GSRMC
HAN
HHS
ICS
JIC
JIS
NIMS
OEM
OERS
OSHA
OSPH
PHEP
PICC
PIO
POC
SOP
Agency Operations Center

Benton County Health Director
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Oregon Department of Human Services
Department Operations Center
Emergency Coordination Center
Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Operations Center
Emergency Operations Plan
Emergency Support Function
Frequently Asked Questions
Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center
Health Alert Network
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Incident Command System
Joint Information Center
Joint Information System
National Incident Management System
Office of Emergency Management
Oregon Emergency Response System
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Oregon State Public Health
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Public Information Call Center
Public Information Officer
Point of Contact
Standard Operating Procedure
Oregon Health Alert Network The secure, Web-based electronic emergency

notification system operated by Oregon DHS and used to alert all public health
emergency response staff of an event requiring a public health response.
Emergency Support Function. A functional area of response activity established to
facilitate the delivery of federal assistance required during the immediate response phase
of a disaster to save lives, protect property and public health, and to maintain public
safety.
General Staff. A group of incident management personnel organized according to
function and reporting to the Incident Commander. The General Staff normally consists
of the Operations Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Logistics Section Chief, and
Finance/Administration Section Chief.
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Incident Command System (ICS). A standardized on-scene emergency management

system that enables multiple agencies and jurisdictions to respond to single or multiple
incidents using an integrated organizational structure.
Incident Commander. The individual responsible for all incident activities, including
the development of strategies and tactics and the ordering and release of resources. The
Incident Commander has overall authority and responsibility for conducting incident
operations and is responsible for managing all incident operations at the incident site.
Joint Information Center (JIC). A facility established to coordinate all incident-related
public information activities. It is the central point of contact for all news media.
Joint Information System (JIS). Integrates incident information and public affairs into a
cohesive structure to provide consistent, coordinated, timely information during an
incident.
National Incident Management System (NIMS). A system that provides a consistent
nationwide approach for governments (federal, state, local, and tribal), private-sector
businesses, and nongovernmental organizations to work effectively and efficiently
together to prepare for and respond to incidents.
Operation Section. Under ICS, the section responsible for all tactical operations.
Planning Section. Under ICS, the section responsible for collecting, evaluation, and
disseminating operational information related to the incident.
Shelter-in-place. Protecting yourself during an emergency by remaining in your house or
business place. For chemical emergencies, choose a small, interior room with few or no
windows as high in the building as possible.
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Appendix 1: Public Information Call Center Operations
PICC Setup
Secure location
The Rogue Room can be easily modified to establish the Public Information Call
Center (PICC). An all staff email shall be sent explaining the situation and the need for
the Rogue Room. Staff will be asked to relocate all r events and meetings to alternative
spaces in the building to allow for the PICC. The PH Division Coordinator will clear the
schedule of the Rogue Room through the use of the Outlook calendar setting.
Set up location
Set up 5 workstations, each consisting of a telephone and computer: 1 for the
Public Information Call Center Coordinator, and 4 calling stations.
Each of the 5 phones shall be configured to log into a queue and the queue then
selects which phone will ring. Prior to joining the queue, each phone operator would
have to log in. (See the Series 1 ACD instruction manual for more information on how to
use the phones.)
Acquire supplies
The Rogue Room will need to have tables and desks added to accommodate the
additional phones and computers. The Public Health Division Coordinator can assist in
finding all of the necessary furniture. The Department Administrative Assistant is the
liaison with the telephone and computer arrangements. The computers will be set up by
Benton County IRM and the phones by LCOG Telecommunications.
Supply list
Digital Phones
o 5 NEC D term Series 1 phones, all connected to the same number.
Computers
o 5 Dell Computers set up by Benton County IRM.
Internet Connection
White Board
Large Meeting Room (Rogue Room)
Tables
Chairs
Desks
Blackberry
o Enables the Public Information Call Center Coordinator to be in constant
contact with the volunteers and to be very mobile.
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Call capacity
The most fundamental aspect to the call center is determining how many calls you
need to accommodate in a given period of timeper hour, for example.
Plan first for the heaviest call volume.
Base high-target volume on population size and on actual call volumes from past
emergencies.
Staff size
Once you project the number of calls to be accommodated, determine the size of staff
required.
Operators
Determine the number of operators by dividing call volume by the average length of a
call, begining with peak-volume calculations (per hour).
To determine an average call length:
Check with established call centers for guidance (2-1-1, poison control
centers, local American Red Cross).

A commonly suggested baseline is 4 minutes per call, 12 calls per hour per
operator.
Factor in time for breaks, paperwork and training/briefing.
Other variables to consider when determining number of operators needed:

Number of PICC sites
Length of shift
Number of shifts
Number of phones available
Whether or not/when surge support will be provided
Total staffing
In addition to operators, staff the PICC with individuals who can lead, administrate,
interface with internal and external partners, and attend to ongoing and emerging
needshuman and technical.
Pre-identify the types of positions needed.
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Determine the minimum as well as optimal staffing totals needed to
maintain operationsremember to multiply by the number of shifts:

PICC Minimum Staffing Total: 8 per shift
Command staff
1 (1 Supervisor)
Logistics
1 (1 Lead)
Operations
4 (1 Lead, 3 Operators)
Administrative
1 (1 Lead)
Other
1 (External Liaison)
PICC Optimal Staffing Total: 13+ per shift
Command staff
1 (1 Supervisor)
Logistics
3 (1 Lead, 2 support functions)
Operations
5+ (1 Lead, 3+ Operators, 1+ Subject
Matter Experts)
Administrative
3 (1 Lead, 2 support functions)
Other
1 (External Liaison)
Staff functions and qualifications

Base the PICCs functional positions and reporting structure on the Incident Command
System (ICS).
Create an organizational chart.
Connect the PICC to the organizations larger emergency response effort.

Create job cards for each staff position:
Supervisor and direct reports
Key job responsibilities
All lead or staff responsibilities/tasks (when reporting for shift, during
operation, post operation)
Determine the qualifications and work experience needed for each staff position.
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example:
Staff position
PICC Supervisor
Qualifications
Knowledge of event; experience with ICS and PICC
operations; management skills
External Liaison
Administrative Lead
Logistics Lead
Able to work with other agencies or community partners

Supervisory and organizational skills
Knowledge of/ability to broker technical support;
knowledge about how to obtain necessary supplies
Experience with PICC operations
Data entry experience desired
Able to organize and coordinate information and people
Tech savvy, mechanical expertise and ability to lift a
minimum of 25 pounds
Detail oriented; ability to accurately track and inventory
supplies
Appropriate training in customer relations and call center
operations; foreign language proficiency is optional
Trained professionals, such as: nurse, epidemiologist,
environmental health specialist, mental health professional,
pharmacist
Operations Lead
Personnel Needs Support
Personnel Coordinator
Facilities Support
Supplies Support
Operators
Subject Matter Experts
19

Volunteers
Recruitment
Oregon State University
Volunteers can be solicited from Oregon State University by email request sent
out over the pre-med listserv. Chere Pereira (Chere.pereira@oregonstate.edu), is the
Chief Premed Advisor at OSU and she moderates the list serv. An email volunteer
request can also be sent out over the Public Health Undergraduate listserv. Karen Elliot
(Karen.elliot@oregonstate.edu), who is a Public Health Faculty member at Oregon State
University, is the moderator of this listserv.
LB Vision
Volunteers were can also be recruited through the Linn Benton Vision Volunteer
Center. The Health Department Administrative Assistant is the liaison between the
Health Department and LBVision. LB Vision has a form that potential volunteers fill
out, that form is then forwarded to the Department Administrative Assistant, who would
then pass the form on to the Public Information Call Center Coordinator.
Processing
Once volunteers have been recruited, they must fill out a Volunteer Form and
turn it into the Public Health Division Coordinator. The volunteer form collects the
volunteers name, contact information, and emergency contact information. The Public
Health Division Coordinator will send the prospective volunteer additional required
documents.
Training
Volunteers will be sent all of the BCHD required trainings via email by the Public
Health Division Coordinator who will also follow-up with the volunteers. Volunteers are
required to complete HIPAA and mandatory reporter training and sign the confidentiality
statement prior to participation.
Once all of the required trainings are completed, the PICC Coordinator will
arrange a time to train the volunteer in the specifics of the PICC. Most of these trainings
would occur during the volunteers first shift. Trainings would include:
Tour of the relevant areas of the Health Department
Training on how to operate the phones
Overview of the outbreak situation
Instruction on how to use the tracking system
Practice calls
Volunteers may not always be dependable, sometimes arriving late or not showing up at
all. Volunteer unpredictability will challenge staffing the PICC. A solution to this would
be to offer unpaid internships as a way to have more dependable volunteers.
20

PICC Messages
Create Hotline Messaging
All messages shall be created in Microsoft office, then uploaded to Google
documents (http://docs.google.com/). Google docs is a website where documents can be
uploaded and viewed online. There are a variety of different settings including privacy
settings that allow the creator to determine who can see and edit the documents. No
protected health information shall be listed on Google docs.
The Following forms will be accessible from the homepage:
Call Database
Daily Update
Pathogen Script
PICC Schedule
Oregon HHS Information Page
Call Database An excel spreadsheet will be used to track the time, date and topic of
calls received. A separate spreadsheet page will be created for each week that the
Information Call Center is in operation.
Daily Update The daily update will included any new and important changes to the
pathogen script. The daily update will be revised every morning before 8:00 am.
Pathogen Scripts Scripts should be comprehensive documents including a wide variety
of topics related to the pathogen in question.
PICC Schedule Volunteers will be able to schedule their own shifts on the PICC
Schedule. Participation will be encouraged through periodic emails from the PICC
Coordinator including a link to the PICC schedule.
Maintaining the PICC

PICC Staffing
The PICC schedule will be available to all volunteers at anytime as a Google doc.
If there is not adequate staffing for a certain time, an email will be sent out to the listserv
of volunteers asking for someone to cover that time. If no volunteers are available, the
PICC Coordinator will staff the phones. If the PIC is unable to cover the phones, the PH
Project Assistant may be available to help.
Frequent Updates
Every morning the PICC Coordinator will revise the daily update, and whenever
drastic changes occur. Major changes to the daily update will also be written on the
white boards, printed out for the volunteers, and announced to all volunteers at the
beginning of their shift.
Track Calls
All of the calls will be tracked in the Google documents spreadsheet.
21

Archive Information
Every Monday morning the PICC Coordinator will download the PICC schedule
and the call database to ensure a back-up exists to the Google docs versions.
Call volume
The chart below shows three levels of call demand and how those needs might be met.
Level III is the most intense and relies on external surge support.
3 Scenarios, several solutions
Event Type
Level I
low intensity
Hours/Shifts
Phone Lines,
Location
Operational:
M F, 8 am 5 pm
1 PICC site:
Room A
(up to 8 phones)
or
Room B
(up to 15 phones)
1, 9-hr shift
(hourly breaks, 1 hr lunch)
Operational:
7 days/wk, 8 am 8 pm
Level II
medium intensity
2, 6-hr shifts
(hourly breaks, .5 hr lunch)
Level III
high intensity
Operational:
7 days/wk, 8 am 8 pm
Combination:
external surge
support plus PICC
2, 6-hr shifts
(hourly breaks, .5 hr lunch)
Operational:
24 hr for 4 days
Surge support can

be used for 24-hr
service or peak-hr
service
Operational:
24 hr as long as needed
2 PICC sites:
Room B
(up to 15 phones)
Room C
(up to 19 phones)
Operators
(12 calls/Op x 8 hr)

3 (minimum) 15 Operators
30 68 Operators needed to staff 2

shifts
(15 34 Operators/shift)
1,980 4,488 calls/day total

(990 2,244 calls/shift)
(12 calls/Op x 5.5 hr x 2)

68 Operators needed to staff 2 shifts
(34 Operators/shift)
Commercial Service
site:
Up to 63 phones
288 1,440 calls/day total
(12 calls/Op x 5.5 hr x 2)
2 PICC sites:
34 phones
Community Partner
site:
24 phones
Capacity
4,488 calls/day total

(2,244 calls/shift)
(12 calls/Op/hr)
36 Operators needed to staff 3 shifts

(24 Operators, 8 am 6 pm)
(10 Operators, 6 pm 12:30 am)
(2 Operators, 12:30 am 8 am)

(2,592 calls/day)
(720 calls/day)
(168 calls/day)
(12 call/Op/hr)
Up to 63 Operators

(.01 of 1.8 million, pop)
Call volume, regardless of intensity, will not be evenly spaced. Spikes will occur most
likely the first few hours of an emergency, and will be one of the heaviest periods. Its
also the time when there will be the least amount of information to provide the public.
To anticipate surges, consider these components:
Certain times of day are generally lighterwhen most people are sleeping, for
example (between 11 pm and 7 am).
Volume is likely to increase when there is a marked change in the situation or

significant news is announced by the media.
22

Accurate data is one of your best predictors; an automatic call distributor (ACD)
can track and report calls by the hour allowing you to anticipate todays volume
based on yesterdays activity.
Training, testing, and exercising

Training
Until a PICC is activated, precisely who will be available to staff the call center is
unknown. Identify possible recruits and train your lead staff. Just-in-time training will
be an integral part of the set-up and shift-start processes.
key areas to cover in training:
The Incident Command System, how this pertains to the PICC staffing structure
and your organizations larger emergency response effort (see Writing it down:
Incident Command System chart)
Specific job functions (see Writing it down: Job card; completed job cards can be
found in the PICC plan for Public Health Seattle & King County at
http://www.metrokc.gov/health/apc/index.htm); consider training certain
individuals on more than one position as a backup measure
Processes attributed to each lead area: administration, operations, logistics
Best practices for handling deaf, hard of hearing, speech- or cognitive-disabled or

delusional or disoriented callers
For the operations lead and operators, familiarity with the Operator Guide, which
can include:
Job card and list of tasks
All instructions for using the phone equipment and protocols (including how to
handle media calls)
Phone scripts and Q & A for the specific emergency
Call log sheets and protocols
Criteria (or decision tree) for making and receiving referrals and/or transfers
Referral guide (including Web sites)
Instructions for difficult and special-needs callers (TTY, foreign language)
All informational/educational materials that the public will be provided by your
health department (handouts, Web downloads)
Clarity on compensation and other labor issues, how staff will be called to duty,
anticipated length of service, and measures planned for employees safety and
comfort
Note: It is better for operators to be clear and accurate on a few key points than
confused and inaccurate on a broad range of topics. Train accordingly. It could
mean the difference between safety and harm for the caller.
23

Testing
Some aspects of the PICC to periodically test:
Call rollover function to each surge support provider.
Interactive voice response or menu system options (make sure staff knows how to
correctly record messages for the corresponding options).
Call routing (pressing the assigned operator key should send caller to a live
operator, for example).
Operational test of all phones, headsets, and line jacks.

o Call-out protocols to PICC staff
Document the results and make corrections as needed.

Exercising
Some points to consider when designing a PICC exercise:
Involve your team of experts as planners as well as observers (internal and

external).
Test as many aspects of your technology as possible.
Track your set-up time (have a goal in mind).
Evaluate your process for training PICC staff (including support materials,
Operator Guide, scripts).
Activate the PICC for at least 30 minutes.
Recruit enough volunteer callers to overload your system (provide callers with
talking points, emergency backgrounder, parts to play).
Ask every volunteer and staff member to complete an evaluation form (a different
form for each group).
Conduct a debriefing (hot wash) immediately after the exercise.
Send thank-you notes to all participants, especially your team of experts that
helped make the PICC a reality.
24

Worksheets
Incident Command System (ICS) staffing structure
Job card
Call data comparison chart
Room phone line list
Operator log (shift summary sheet)
Operator log (individual call sheet)
Referral Guide
Post-event evaluation form
25

Emergency Communication Plan
Incident Command System PICC Staffing Chart

Job card
PICC (name of position) RESPONSIBILITIES

PICC LOCATION &
SHIFT:
REPORTS TO:
[WRITE NAME]
DIRECT REPORTS:
[WRITE NAME]
FUNCTIONAL AREA:
Reporting for Shift
During Operation
Post Operation
27

Call data comparison chart

Call data collection capabilities and processes
Name
Public
Health PICC
Computergenerated
report
(post
activity)
Yes/No
Real-time
capability
Length of
calls (time
& date)
# calls
offered
# calls
answered
# calls
abandoned
# calls
deflected
Operatorcollected
data
# calls
waiting
# calls
after
hours
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Yes/No
Community
Partner #1
Community
Partner #2
Commercial
Service
State
Department
of Health
28

Room phone line list

Periodically perform a maintenance check of the items on this list. You may find it helpful to
label your wall jacks and corresponding phone sets to facilitate room set up.
Phone
Number
Jack
ID#
Type
(Digital/
Analog)
Active
Jack
Needs
Repair
Matching
Handset
UCD/ACD
Capable
Jack Test/Comment
Last Date Tested
29
Benton County Health Department

Operator log
To be completed at the end of every shift. For calls needing more in-depth notation, use the
Individual call sheet on the following page.
Shift summary sheet

Public Information Call Center (PICC)
page _____
Please complete for every shift.

Date ________ / ________ / 200__ Shift ______________
Operator ___________________________________ Location ___________________________________
Required information
Total calls this shift ___________
Tally each call here:
Tally each caller who reports technical difficulty reaching an Operator:

Busy signal
Disconnect
Long wait
Other
Optional: Use this section to highlight important issues from your Individual call sheets.
Unique questions (not answered in Operator Guide materials):
Unique information (limited-English speaker, eye-witness reports, difficulty reaching Operator, distress level,
other):
NOTES:
30

Communications Plan
Operator log
To be completed for an individual call as needed.
Individual call sheet

Public Information Call Center (PICC)
page _____
Please complete for an individual call when more detail is needed.

am
Date ________ / ________ / 200__ Shift ______________
Time__________
pm
Call #___________
Operator ___________________________________ Location ____________________________________
Unique questions (not answered in Operator Guide materials:
Unique information (limited-English speaker, eye-witness reports, difficulty reaching Operator, distress level,
other):
NOTES:
31

Communications Plan
Referral Guide
Caller
Need
Referral
Contact Information
General Public
Non-medical information
about event: where to go
for care, facts on the
medication/vaccination
being administered,
symptoms (if event is a
disease), preventive
steps to take
(name event)
Information Line (PICC)
(phone number, email, Web

site)
TTY (deaf, deaf-blind, hard
of hearing, speech
disabled)
(Web site)
site)
recorded messages and

live operators, subject
matter experts
(other)
Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention
(CDC)
Federal Emergency
Management Agency
(FEMA)
(800) CDC-INFO
(888) 232-6348 TTY
www.cdc.gov
cdcinfo@cdc.gov
(800) 621-FEMA
apply by phone
(800) 462-7587 TTY
www.fema.gov
site)
Diagnosis of symptoms,
complications/allergic
reaction to medication/
vaccination, mentalhealth issue
Mental-health issue or
questions about
Callers healthcare
provider
Crisis Line

site)
Human services or other

community resource(s),
including referral to
healthcare provider
Basic life services
(shelter, clothing, food,
water, etc.)
Language interpreter
2-1-1/Community
Information Line
211
(Web site)
American Red Cross

site)
TTY service
(for deaf, deaf-blind, hard
of hearing, speech
disabled)
Media
Information about event

or situation update
Health Care
Provider
Information about
diagnosis and/or
treatment

site)

site)
(This might be your Joint

Information Center
(Number provided at time of

event)
site)
32

Communications Plan
Post event evaluation form

1.
Thinking specifically about the role you had in the Public Information Call Center, please tell
us: (a) what was good, (b) what needed improvement and (c) your ideas for solutions.
(A) WHAT WAS
GOOD?
(b) What needed

improvement?
(c) How can we fix it?
Communication flow
(how information was
transmitted among all
PICC staff)
Staffing/scheduling
process
Decision-making
authority (clarity
about who was in
charge of distinct
tasks)
Debriefing
opportunities (backup, support)
Physical Work Space
Workstation comfort
(chairs, space
allocation, etc.)
Room environment
(temperature, access
to snacks/beverages/
restrooms, etc.)
Materials, Training & Equipment
Resources and
information (clarity,
organization, etc.)
Information updates
(process, frequency,
etc.)
Equipment usage
(training, instructions,
etc.)
33

Communications Plan
(continued)
Post event evaluation form
page 2
2. Is there anything else you suggest we do to improve PICC planning, operation or

efficiency?
3. What was your role in the PICC?

Supervisor
External Liaison
Operations, Administrative or Logistics Lead
Operator
Subject Matter Expert
Support
Surge support
Other (please specify)____________________________________________
4. What is your regular job?
5. How well do you feel your role in the PICC matched the skills you use in your
regular job? (Please circle one)
1
not well
5
very well
6. Other comments:
Thank you for responding.

Your feedback will help us improve future call centers.
34

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Benton County Health Services

Emergency Communications Plan

Benton County Health Services

Health Director Signature

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Section II. Planning Assumptions and Considerations

Section III. Roles and Responsibilities

Section IV. Concept of Operations

Section V. Incident Management Actions

Section VI. Ongoing Plan Management and Maintenance

Section VII. Abbreviations and Glossary

Section VIII. Attachments and Appendices

Benton County Health Services

Communication among health officials within the public health system,

Benton County Health Services

Benton County Health Services

Conducting public health surveillance and assessment processes and, where

II. Planning Assumptions and Considerations

Benton County Health Services

III. Roles and Responsibilities

Benton County Health Services

Benton County Health Services

Maintain alert, warning, and notification mechanisms such as through Health

Benton County Health Services

Monitor media reports for accuracy of information, make corrections as

Recovery/ Post Event

Benton County Health Services

Benton County Health Services

Section IV. Concept of Operations

Section V. Incident Management Actions

Benton County Health Services

VI. Ongoing Plan Management and Maintenance

Benton County Health Services

Benton County Health Services

Section VII. Abbreviations and Glossary

Agency Operations Center

Oregon Health Alert Network The secure, Web-based electronic emergency

Benton County Health Services

Incident Command System (ICS). A standardized on-scene emergency management

Benton County Health Services

Appendix 1: Public Information Call Center Operations

Benton County Health Services

Plan first for the heaviest call volume.

centers, local American Red Cross).

Other variables to consider when determining number of operators needed:

Benton County Health Services

Determine the minimum as well as optimal staffing totals needed to

maintain operationsremember to multiply by the number of shifts:

Staff functions and qualifications

Create an organizational chart.

Connect the PICC to the organizations larger emergency response effort.

operation, post operation)

Benton County Health Services

Able to work with other agencies or community partners

Benton County Health Services

Benton County Health Services

Maintaining the PICC

Benton County Health Services

Surge support can

(12 calls/Op x 8 hr)

30 68 Operators needed to staff 2

1,980 4,488 calls/day total

(12 calls/Op x 5.5 hr x 2)

288 1,440 calls/day total

Operator _ Location __