Emergency Preparedness
Lori Swinford
Preparedness Coordinator
lori.swinford@vermillioncounty.in.gov
Vermillion County Health Department (VCHD) works to establish an emergency framework for Vermillion County to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate natural, technical, and human-caused threats and incidents that may impact the region. VCHD is prepared to assist our community in these disasters.
Wanted: Volunteers
The Vermillion County Health Department is in need of volunteers to help in the event of a public health catastrophe. Our training standard is that we have the capability of getting medication to every citizen of Vermillion County within 48 hours of a disaster incident. In order to do that, we estimate that we need 100 workers/staff. The Vermillion County Health Department employs 5 people. If a Public Health emergency were to occur, we would need help from volunteers, like you, to assist in protecting our community.
- How do I become a Health Department Volunteer?
Simply complete our registration form and mail it or turn it in to the Health Department at the address/fax number above. If you would rather scan and email your application, please send it to lori.swinford@vermillioncounty.in.gov.
- What does the job of a Health Department Volunteer entail?
We need people to hand out forms. We need people to help other people fill out forms. We need people to collect the completed forms. We need people to carry messages from one table to another, or from one building to another. We need people who will direct traffic in a busy parking lot, regardless of the weather. Yes, we also need nurses, doctors, pharmacists, physician's assistants, medical technicians, counselors, social workers, psychologists, epidemiologists, EMT's and other medical professionals who are trained to vaccinate people, and who understand medications and can identify potential medicinal conflicts. If you are looking for a volunteer position in which you work every Tuesday afternoon or something like that, this is not the job for you. We need you when Vermillion County has been affected with some calamity, not on a routine basis.
- What is a Public Health catastrophe/disaster?
Worst case, we are talking about a biological or chemical attack upon a community or region. Lesser, but still serious incidents, disease outbreaks, or mass causality incidents. If something like this were to happen, the Health Department would have a few hours to set up a Point of Dispensing (a place where we could distribute medication to a lot of people in a short time) or a family assistant center (a place where family/friends could gather to get information during a mass causality incident). We already have arrangements with certain facilities within the county to use their space in a time of emergency. What we need are people to staff these facilities.
- Is training offered so I know what to do?
Yes, we have an outstanding training resource, most of which is computer-based and on the internet. We would like each volunteer to take a 3-hour orientation course. But if a volunteer is interested in learning more, there are many additional courses available, mostly independent study, and it is all free of cost.
- How will I know if/when the Health Department need my help?
On your registration form, you will list your phone number and perhaps an email address. In the event of a Public Health Emergency, we would email, text (cell phones), and then telephone you, in that order, telling you where and when to report for work. All volunteers are also required to register through SERV-IN. SERV-IN is an acronym for State Emergency Registry of Volunteers for Indiana which is an electronic registration system and database of local, regional, and statewide volunteer programs that want to assist public health and healthcare systems during an event or disaster. To Register with SERV-IN go to this link: https://www.serv-in.org.