Novermber 2011 - All thirteen counties in the Northeastern California region (Mutual Aid Region 3) participated in the Annual Statewide Medical-Health Exercise on November 17th. This year’s disaster exercise was based on a disruption of the public water system due to a contaminant, either chemical (Sodium Hydroxide or Ricin) or biological (bacteria or protozoan). This scenario not only impacted the community by requiring a Do Not Use Order to be issued for municipal water systems but also resulted in health effects on anyone who consumed or had exposure to the contaminated water.
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Each county was able to customize the exercise to meet their needs in testing emergency plans and response capabilities. A multitude of emergency response functions were tested from a facility specific level, all the way to the State level. County, Region, and State wide drills on communications, information sharing, and medical surge were conducted. Individual healthcare facilities tested departmental response plans for coping with a long term water disruption to determine their capacity to continue providing critical medical services for their community.
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All counties participated in the statewide communication, information sharing, and medical surge capability reporting drills which included use of the California Health Alert Network (CAHAN) and HAvBed (National Hospital Available Beds). Glenn, Tehama, Plumas, Shasta, and Siskiyou practiced communicating through ham radios as a means of backup or redundant communications for a disaster which disrupts standard modes of communication.
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Ten counties, who make up the Northeast California Regional Epidemiology Project, participated in an additional epidemiology/surveillance component to the Statewide Exercise. Participating counties tested the ability to securely exchange information regarding cases of communicable disease between local medical providers and departments of public health during a simulated state of emergency.
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Exercises are a critical component of preparing for disasters as they provide an environment to assess response plans, emergency equipment, and personnel so that gaps in plans, training, or equipment can be addressed prior to a real event. County health departments and partner medical facilities, as well as other response partners (i.e. law, fire, emergency management, etc.), participate in the full Preparedness Cycle, which includes planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and making corrective actions, as dictated in the National Response Framework. The annual California Statewide Medical-Health Exercise provides an opportunity to focus on the preparedness and response capabilities of the medical and health community and is a worthwhile annual event for all involved.


Exercise Highlights
from each Region III County
*Information below is just a highlight of each county’s exercise and does not cover every activity the county completed
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Butte County focused their exercise on the implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS) throughout all levels of the medical-health community including Public Health, hospitals, long term care facilities, and clinics. Participating partners were charged with assigning staff to fill key ICS command and general staff functions within their facility or agency for a response to a water disruption emergency.
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Colusa County participated in Regional and State communications and information sharing such as California Health Alert Network (CAHAN), EMSystems/HAvbed (shares inpatient bed census, Emergency Department status, and EMS resource availability), and the Northeast California Regional Epidemiology Project drill component.
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Glenn County executed an agreement with an Assisted Living Facility in their county to use their multipurpose room and unoccupied resident rooms as a community medical needs shelter. The agreement was activated and the site was assessed and setup for use as a medical needs shelter.
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Lassen County participated in Regional and State communications and information sharing such as California Health Alert Network (CAHAN), EMSystems/HAvbed (shares inpatient bed census, Emergency Department status, and EMS resource availability), and the Northeast California Regional Epidemiology Project drill component.
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Modoc County conducted a week long State training in Incident Command System (ICS) position specific training for Emergency Operations Centers (EOC). This training concluded with a tabletop exercise (discussion based) where participants simulated activating, staffing, and operating a County EOC in response to an incident.
Plumas County activated their Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and all three hospitals activated their Hospital Command Centers (HCC). Plumas District Hospital tested their disruption of water services plan by utilizing a 2500 gallon potable water tender to deliver potable water through their existing internal water system.