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For Immediate Release 09/16/08

Lane County Public Health Awarded More Than $194,000 to Help Prepare Vulnerable Populations

Contacts: Brian Johnson, Lane County Public Health preparedness coordinator, 682-4008; Betsy Meredith, Lane County Public Health nursing supervisor, 682-4041

Lane County Public Health will receive $194,046 to design and implement an emergency planning mentoring program for community-based organizations serving homeless populations.

According to Brian Johnson, Lane County Public Health preparedness coordinator, national and global events have demonstrated the urgent need to effectively prepare vulnerable populations and the communities in which they live to ensure the safety of all in emergency situations.

"Disaster events have repeatedly established that, without appropriate planning, traditional response systems are quickly overwhelmed by all of the resulting human needs in a large magnitude event," said Johnson.

Homeless persons, in particular, are at increased risk of health disparities during a disaster, and especially so during a pandemic illness event. Community Based Organizations (CBOs) can and do provide an appropriate and trusted avenue for communication, service provision, and problem solving for homeless persons, especially in chaotic emergency environments.

"The support of service agencies is essential in disaster situations. This grant will help to ensure that community based organizations in Lane County have a plan for maintaining vital services to the homeless before, during, and after a local disaster event," said Johnson.

Starting in October 2008, and working through September 2009, Lane County Public Health (LCPH) willdesign and implement an emergency planning mentoring program for CBOs serving homeless populations in Lane County, Oregon. The mentoring program will assist local CBOs to successfully write, adopt, and test worksite specific plans and policies. It will enhance their capability to safely and effectively protect their clientele during a pandemic illness or other public health emergency. Emphasis will be placed upon preparations for a pandemic illness, but will incorporate strategies applicable to all hazards. This project will build upon already successful collaborations with the members of several local preparedness efforts, including the Vulnerable Populations Emergency Preparedness Coalition, the Lane Preparedness Coalition, and the Lane Mental Health Disaster Response Alliance.

By the conclusion of the project, all participating CBOs will have developed, at the minimum, coordinated and consistent emergency plans including (1) plans to communicate with clientele; (2) plans to sustain identified essential functions during and after an emergency; (3) a description of the organization’s expected emergency operations structure; and (4) an identified single point of contact for public health emergency messages and alerts. The project will be actively evaluated for progress and will incorporate feedback from key partners and stakeholders throughout its lifecycle. Promising practices and lessons learned through this project will be disseminated widely to public health professionals, CBOs, and the general public.

Lane County is one of several counties tapped to receive this competitive grant funding. According to a release from the Oregon Public Health Division (OPHD), the division will receive $1.5 million in competitive federal pandemic influenza preparedness grants for three demonstration projects that will serve as models for programs nationwide. The funding is a portion of $24 million made available for projects in 62 states and territories through the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of State and Local Readiness, Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response.

For more information, visit: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/preparedness/

Amber Fossen
Public Information Officer
Lane County Government
125 E. Eighth Ave.
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682.3718
(541) 359.9143 (cell)

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