Santa Barbara County Public Health Department Protecting Our Human Infrastructure

Conclusions 2

• CL1 Page 1
  2014-15 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury
• CL2
  The value of the annual drills by the Santa Barbara Public Health Department (SBPHD) is reflected in the effectiveness of its staff, the adequacy of its equipment, and its solid relationship with public and private health care partners. This repeated planning for risk develops a level of redundancy in an organization that is critical to its resiliency in the face of any catastrophic challenge.1 The Jury encourages the public to maintain their personal awareness of all health alerts issued by the SBPHD through the local print and broadcast media, on the Department’s website at http://www.countyofsb.org/phd , follow Twitter @SBCPublic Health or Facebook: Santa Barbara County Public Health Department. For consultation or self-reporting of a suspected infectious disease, call the County Health Officer on the 24/7 phone line at (805) 681-5280. The 2014-15 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury is confident that the infectious disease preparedness plans established by the Santa Barbara Public Health Department are adequate and ready for implementation when needed. Under California Penal Code Section 933.05 this report does not require a response. 1 Rodin, Judith. The Resilience Dividend; Being strong in a world where things go wrong. New York: Public Affairs, 2014. 2014-15 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury 3

Observations 1

• OB1
  These state-required annual simulations are designed to build organizational resiliency against public health catastrophic events. The focus of this year’s effort was to test the SBPHD and their public/private partners’ readiness to handle a symptomatic Ebola patient in our community while maintaining the safety of the health care workers and the general public. Immediately following the simulation, each component of the DOC reported to all the participants the most prominent concern identified by their area of the operation. Not surprisingly, most reported their need for better communication lines and upgrades to existing software and technology. Several weeks following the drill, the Jury was able to study the SBPHD’s preliminary after-action report which identified more specific needs for strengthening their infectious disease preparedness plans. The following are some areas of concern for specific improvement and some remediation that has been completed or is in progress: Logistics: Computers lacked standard software and easy access to DOC files. Information Technology (IT) will update DOC computers and ensure access to the necessary data. Command: Hotlines for the “worried well” were established, but adequacy was questioned. The Public Information Officer identified additional call centers in other County departments and in the Public Information Officer room (Joint Information Center) at the County EOC. Video conferences with Santa Barbara, Goleta Valley, and Santa Ynez Valley Cottage hospitals worked well. There is a need to test video conference capability with all hospitals in the County. Ebola Response Team: Additionally, more Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) was required. A shipment received in December provided an adequate supply. They need more ERT members. SBPHD has successfully recruited adequate volunteers who will participate in PPE meetings and response role training. 2014-15 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury 2 ____SANTA BARBARA COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT___ Field Operations: County Animal Services was not prepared for the initial response. This Department will be incorporated in the plan to provide decontamination services and quarantine of any exposed animals. Emergency Medical Services: AMR needs a Sheriff/city police or California Highway Patrol escort for their Ebola-equipped ambulance. SBPHD is working with these law enforcement agencies to establish a standard operation plan for scene security and escort to the appropriate hospital.

Agency Responses 2

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.