Case Scenario: One of the hardest-hit areas after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. After the IOT swept through, causing death and devastation, an emergency response plan was devised to pull together various strategies and assign and describe emergency team roles. A 2008 plan, available online, outlines steps before, during, and after a disaster such as the 2004 tsunami. In this case, the "before" steps include information and data collection (e.g., landslide data and location of shelter areas), the establishment of a "vigilant team," and the installation of an early warning system, among others. "During" and "after" steps then describe necessary tasks and build on the "before" steps. The main objective listed on the plan is to provide prevention measures and coordination among concerned agencies and to determine the agencies with the most responsibility for response efforts. The Patong emergency response plan establishes the town mayor, for example, as the initial commander in charge (United Nations Environment Programme, 2008).

To formalize a complex disaster response, most health organizations create a detailed response plan with available resources that they make public through a convenient medium such as a website.

In addition, emergency planning and response often involve collaborations and a multidisciplinary team response that includes, among others, medical personnel, epidemiologists, health educators, and public health practitioners playing vital roles.
For this week's Assignment, select a local, state, or provincial health department with an emergency preparedness and response plan. If your local health department or health ministry does not have one listed, explore the state health department website, or another health department in another state or country's jurisdiction or municipality.

Once you identify a response plan, consider the role you might play on an emergency response team given your professional health track and preparation (e.g., health educator or public health practitioner). Also, consider the other roles of various types of public health professionals (e.g., health educator) on such a team.

Assignment: Paper: 3 pages (INCLUDE SUBHEADINGS)

1. Briefly describe your chosen local or state health department's emergency preparedness and response plan.

2. In terms of having an emergency preparedness and response plan in place, explain whether the resources listed on the web page of your chosen organization are adequate, and why or why not. Be sure to explain any gaps in resources. Regardless of whether you think the plan is adequate, suggest resources that might be added and explain why you chose these.

3. Explain the role you might play on the team given your professional health track and preparation (health educator or public health practitioner). Why is this role important? What would happen if no one fulfilled this role?