Public Health Grand Rounds
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A Menu of Suggested
Provisions for
Public Health Mutual Aid Agreements
Organization
and Coordination
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Descriptive Note
To effectively implement an agreement or to promote continuity,
parties to the agreement may wish to incorporate provisions creating
a standing committee or similar working group comprised of members
appointed by the parties. The function of the committee or group
may be to monitor or coordinate activities under the agreement,
or to provide ongoing advice to the parties concerning the agreement’s
operation. Implementation may also be enhanced through the use of
provisions promoting the exchange of information, requiring development
of collaborative procedures or protocols, or contemplating periodic
drills or exercises.
Optional sample provisions
Establishing a coordinating committee or working group:
- Each Party will designate an authorized representative to
attend meetings of the Advisory Committee, which shall promote
emergency management coordination and preparedness at regional
levels by:
- providing a forum where members can raise issues and
receive advice on emergency preparedness matters;
- encouraging and supporting preparation and exercising
of emergency plans for all members;
- serving as a regional link to related groups.
- The Parties will maintain a joint working group to confer
at least annually for the purpose of reviewing and maintaining
the procedures by which to share the information necessary for
an effective response to a public health event and to conduct
joint communication and coordination of information before and
during a public health event.
Envisioning information exchange/coordination procedures:
- To the extent practical, each Party shall:
- Initiate a process to exchange contact lists, and develop
a plan that will determine the mechanism for cooperation;
- Coordinate the exchange of appropriate public health
information between the Parties to better protect the communities
of the region;
- Develop procedures to resolve any identified inconsistencies
or overlaps in existing or developed plans;
- Develop comprehensive guidelines and procedures that
address, including but not limited to, the following: projected
or anticipated costs, checklists for requesting and providing
assistance, record keeping for all participating political
subdivisions, reimbursement procedures and other necessary
implementation elements along with the necessary forms for
requests and other records documenting deployment and return
of assets.
Agreeing to participate in exercises or drills:
- Each Party agrees to participate in any annual disaster
exercise or drill as called upon by appropriate federal, state,
or local governmental agencies with such authority. Such participation
could include communicating to the agency a set of data elements
or indicators describing the Party’s resource capacity under
the situation that may be proposed as part of the exercise or
drill.
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