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MINUTES <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH <br />September 22, 2005 <br />Board of Health Minutes Transcription completed by Anne Miles Cassell 3 September <br />22, 2006 <br />A Public Health Preparedness Coordinator was first hired on a contract basis in the <br />winter of 2003. Since then, great progress has been made in completing various <br />components of preparedness plans. Several successful drills have been held as well. <br />Carla Julian, Preparedness Coordinator, presented the Board with an update and <br />answered many questions. <br /> <br />Incident Command is a structured management tool to be used in emergencies and <br />non-emergencies and has been put into use by staff responding to several events. It is a <br />way of managing people and resources in order to meet objectives during emergencies. <br /> There is a directive to use the ICS across the country. The Incident Commander is <br />chosen at the time of the incident and is dependent on the situation. The Health <br />Department has practiced this protocol during several of the smaller outbreaks over the <br />past year. More training in this structure is planned. <br /> <br />Several plans exist within the overall preparedness plan, for example, mass vaccination, <br />mass prophylaxis during an outbreak, infectious and non-infectious disease are all <br />separate plans. The Department has also been working with the hospitals as community <br />partners to identify locations, set-up, and staffing for mass care for patients during a <br />possible pandemic. <br /> <br />The Department has talked with the schools about the possibility of using the <br />gymnasiums as a receiving site for the Strategic National Stockpile. We would be <br />receiving agent for re-distribution for the entire county, including the hospitals. <br /> <br />The forms developed by the regional coordinators in this region for mass medication <br />distribution are going to be adopted statewide. Rosemary Summers acknowledged the <br />work of the regional planners for developing this form. Alan Rimer suggested the <br />addition of email information to the form. <br /> <br />D. Informational Items <br />a. Budget <br />Rosemary Summers reported the Department faces a 25% hard line reduction in <br />travel and training, duplicating, office supplies, departmental supplies, and the <br />uniform line items. A hard line cut means that money may not be transferred to <br />these items from other budget line items. Many of the Department staff have license <br />and certification requirements and will be affected by the cuts in travel and training. <br />The reductions in duplicating budget will be particularly hard on the department <br />because much of the work functions on the duplicating budget. This will ultimately <br />affect the services the department is able to provide. The Board asked to be kept <br />apprised of these items, especially as services are affected. <br /> <br />b. Vet Recruitment <br />Jessica Lee reported that out of over 80 letters that were mailed to area veterinarians, <br />there has been only one inquiry into the vacant board position. There have been no <br />applications submitted. Both Dr. Lee and Dr. Summers have been unable to get in