Preparedness Workshops for State Officials

The National Center for Critical Incident Analysis conducted nine workshops to help state and local officials coordinate with federal officials and prepare for a pandemic or other health crisis. Stephen Prior, the NCCIA Executive Director, coordinated workshops for the National Governors Association. Ford Rowan and Barbara Monseu participated as speakers in the meetings. For an interim report on the workshops, click here..

A preliminary preparedness assessment concluded that there is raised awareness in state government of the problem and potential widespread impact of a pandemic. All states had significant and wideranging awareness of the threat, its origin, and its potential impacts. Additionally, all states were aware of the unique characteristics of a pandemic and the challenge posed for effective planning. But the interim assessment found some shortcomings.

Plans for response and recovery from a pandemic episode continue to have gaps. These shortcomings translate directly into areas in which the states and the federal government should next concentrate their efforts. For example:

• States have not adequately considered how their individual decisions on school closure will impact other states, nor is there consensus among states on how to communicate with the public on this issue. Federal, state, and local authorities must clearly communicate with the public about the purpose and objective of closing schools or dismissing students. They also must recognize the potential impact of those decisions on the availability of workers in both the public and private sectors.
• States do not adequately understand what federal capabilities might be expected at the state level and how federal agencies will engage with them during a pandemic. The presence at some of the regional meetings of the designated Principal Federal Official (PFO) for pandemic response offered the first opportunity for most states to interact with these potentially valuable federal liaisons, but the continued lack of clarity about federal roles and responsibilities—and the triggers for their engagement—contributed to an overall confusion about the federal response.
• Prioritizing the order in which antiviral medications—for either treatment or prevention—are distributed to different groups continues to challenge states. Few clear examples were identified for either prioritization strategies or attendant public communication messages. Although this represents a “moving target” for most states as they continue to stockpile material, it is clearly an area that will generate significant public discussion and should be addressed in advance of any action during a pandemic episode.
• The workshops revealed that informal contacts are in place among officials from states in each region. Those networks have proven effective for most past incidents, but they should be formalized and institutionalized because a pandemic has the potential to overwhelm informal links, particularly if key personnel become sick or are otherwise unavailable.
• State plans rely heavily on the availability of privately held infrastructure, response by volunteer organizations, or actions by other organizations outside their immediate control. Yet the roles and responsibilities of those entities are not clearly defined in most state plans.
• The awareness of potential shortages of critical goods and services was frequently cited as a challenge to the states. However, no solutions were provided for ensuring the availability of goods and services across state and national borders, and there appeared to be little coordination with the private sector in the development of state-based strategies.
• Few states have conducted state-specific economic analyses of their economies under pandemic conditions, and no information was readily available during the workshops about the business of government (e.g., collection of taxes and fees or the potential effect on states’ ability to fund programs, pay vendors, or underwrite special prevention measures).

NCCIA Authors Issue Pandemic Publication

NCCIA Chairman, Ford Rowan, and Executive Director, Stephen Prior, are two of the authors of a publication on Pandemic Influenza that was released by the National Defense University on January 26th 2007. The press release from NDU notes that the report is focused on ‘the broader aspect of maintaining social and economic viability by addressing the organizational readiness of society’s businesses and institutions.’ The document can be downloaded or print copies requested from NDU at the address on the press release.

Chairman Ford Rowan noted that ‘NCCIA is delighted to have contributed to the work at NDU and to have expanded our continuing contributions to the discussion of the responses to the urgent but uncertain threat posed by the H5N1 virus. We believe that the opportunity to act now, while we still have the luxury of time, is invaluable for planning and preparing for the possible future critical incident that a pandemic would represent ’.

Links to NCCIA Publications

• What states can do to prepare for a pandemic or bioterror attack.
• National Governors Association Pandemic Influenza Primer
• Journal of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Recent Activity

• NCCIA chairman Ford Rowan and Chair Emeritus Frank Ochberg have participated in two conferences in Turkey sponsored by the Psychopolitical Association. The purpose of the meetings is to consider ways to resolve conflicts between religious and political groups in the Middle East.
• Workshops were conducted to assess the response to hurricane Katrina, to prepare for a possible pandemic, to assess the impact of a pandemic episode on schools and public safety.
• Several articles have been published on the subject of pandemic influenza.
• We have encouraged study and research on critical incidents and on development of models for the analysis of critical incidents.
• We have collaborated with the federal & state agencies.
• Our expertise has been recognized through the award of a major contract to conduct research and exercises for state officials.
• We continue to work with the National Defense University and have extended our work to include the Dart Center and the Nieman Foundation.
• We are expanding our outreach efforts and network partnerships.

Presentations

• Distributed Medical Intelligence Conference. New Orleans, LA. April 2006. Occupational Hazards: Business Sector Preparedness and Community Resilience.
• Public Health Preparedness Summit. Washington DC. February 2006. Occupational Hazards: Business Sector Preparedness in Anthrax, Influenza, and Katrina Response.
• Port of Mobile Continuity and Resiliency Advanced Regional Response Training - Community Response Module. Mobile, AL May 2006. (1) Identifying Critical Staffing and Modeling Absenteeism, (2) Identifying the Choke Points, & (3) Scoping Continuity Assessment.
• Georgetown University. November 2005 National Capital Region Resilience Network. Avian Flu Preparedness.
• Distributed Medical Intelligence Conference. New Orleans, LA. April 2006. Occupational Hazards: Business Sector Preparedness and Community Resilience.
• Public Health Preparedness Summit. Washington DC. February 2006. Occupational Hazards: Business Sector Preparedness in Anthrax, Influenza, and Katrina Response.
• Port of Mobile Continuity and Resiliency Advanced Regional Response Training - Community Response Module. Mobile, AL May 2006. (1) Identifying Critical Staffing and Modeling Absenteeism, (2) Identifying the Choke Points, & (3) Scoping Continuity Assessment.
• Georgetown University. November 2005 National Capital Region Resilience Network. Avian Flu Preparedness.
• American Board of Industrial Health, Denver, Colorado, October 2005. Building Trust: the Experience After Katrina.
• International Center for Terrorism Studies and the International Law Institute, Washington, DC, November 2005, Homeland Security: Coping with Natural and Man-Made Disasters.
• American Society of Safety Engineers, College Park, Maryland, November 2005. Applying the Lessons of Katrina to Prepare for a Pandemic Influenza.
• Foundation for American Communication, Atlanta, Georgia, December 2005. News Reporting in a Crisis: Lessons from Katrina.
• ORC Executive Business Forum, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 2006, From the Flood to the Flu: Learning from Disasters to Prepare for the Future.
• International Center for Terrorism Studies and the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, Arlington, VA, August 2006, The Middle East Conflict and the Media.
• National Governors Association – Annual Policy Advisors Conference. Denver, CO. March 2006. Pandemic Influenza – Policies and Problems.
• National Governors Association – Washington, DC. Pandemic Influenza – A Primer for State Officials.
• League of Women Voters, Washington DC, April 2006. Homeland Security & Civil Liberties.
• National Association of Public Information Officers, Washington DC. May 2006. Pandemic Influenza and Public Communication.
• Spirit of Reconciliation Conference (DHHS/CDC), New Orleans, LA. From Flood to Flu. Western Governors Association, Annual Meeting, Sedona AZ. Pandemic Flu: Prepared or Panicked?

About NCCIA

The National Center for Critical Incident Analysis is a privately funded, interdisciplinary effort by civilian experts in public health, national security, law enforcement, communications and social psychology dedicated to improving the public's ability to understand and cope with critical incidents, and the government's capacity to anticipate, prevent and manage these serious events.

Conferences and Workshops

• National Governors Association: Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza: A Primer for Governors & Senior State Officials.
• Journal of Homeland Security & Emergency Management: Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Adaptive Responses to an Evolving Challenge.
• National Defense University: Weathering the Storm: Leading Your Organization in a Pandemic.

Publications

• Fall 2005 Conference: From Flood to Flu (NDU)
• Spring 2006 Workshop: Pandemic Influenza: Impact on Schools
• Summer 2006 Workshop: Pandemic Influenza & Public Safety (with National Sheriffs Association)
• Winter 2006 Conference: Preparing for the Next Health Crisis: News Media Impact
• Future Workshop: Pandemic Influenza: A Law Unto Itself (with International Association of Chiefs of Police)