Emergency Preparedness
The Planning and Preparedness section leads the development and maintenance of state-level all-hazards preparedness and response plans to support public health and medical emergencies. Plans outline key partners, resources and processes to support incident coordination, communication and resource support during public health emergencies. Once plans and processes are developed, staff are trained and equipped with resources to support potential response operations. Plans are evaluated through the design and implementation of discussion-based and functional exercises. Corrective actions identified through exercises and real-world incidents are incorporated into plans to support this continuous improvement cycle.
The foundation to achieve comprehensive emergency preparedness planning for a health department relies on an all-hazards approach, provides consideration to all phases of emergency management, utilizes the principles of the National Incident Management System/Incident Command System (NIMS/ICS) and implements the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Public Health Preparedness Capabilities.
Coordination with all divisions of the health department and external partnering organizations will help achieve comprehensive emergency preparedness, planning and readiness of a working All-Hazards Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).
Community Preparedness
The daily operational functions of the Montgomery County Health Department facilitate the health and welfare of the entire community. The health department also engages and coordinates with external partnering organizations from the public sector (local, district, state, and federal levels), private sector and community sector on regular basis to enhance preparedness for public health or other all-hazards emergencies that present public health implications. External partnering organizations the health department engages and coordinates with generally include:
- Community and faith-based organizations
- Emergency management
- EMS
- Fire departments
- Healthcare organizations
- Mental/behavioral health providers
- Police departments
Volunteer Management
The Montgomery County Health Department coordinates with the use of SERV-IN to assist with overall management of volunteers that want to assist the health department during emergencies. Volunteer management consists of identification, recruitment, registration, credentialing, verification, training, and engagement of volunteers to support the agency’s response to emergencies. The Health Department may also develop partnerships with other volunteer organizations to allow for incorporation of multiple volunteer organizations as needed during emergency response.
SERV-IN
State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana (SERV-IN) is an electronic registration system and database of local, regional and statewide volunteer programs for medical and non-medical volunteers who want to assist our public health and healthcare system during an event or disaster. The system is managed locally to register, credential and alert volunteers. When disaster strikes, you may be asked to volunteer at the local, state or national level depending on your credentials, interest and availability.
To register on SERV-IN, go to https://serv-in.org. On the homepage, select "Register Now". As you register, you may search for organizations in your area for which you are interested in volunteering. You may search for organizations by Indiana County, Indiana District, Indiana Medical Reserve Corp Unit, or Indiana Statewide Organizations. If there is not an organization in your area, or you do not wish to join an organization, you may skip ahead and continue. By default, all users belong to the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana group. Once registered, you will be able to access your profile to add additional information. If you have selected an organization, an administrator will contact you to discuss it further.