Javier Crespo, Associate Director for the NER office of NN/LM, convened his staff as well as the RML Library Director (Lamar Soutter Library, University of Massachusetts), Elaine Martin, the library’s designated emergency preparedness/response coordinator, Barbara Ingrassia, and Barbara Davis from the Newport (R.I.) Hospital library to learn about the National Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, and to receive training in response and service continuity. Highlights of the day:

• introduction on how the plan has evolved and Dan’s role by Javier
• PowerPoint presentation by Dan (http://www.slideshare.net/dtw2t/nertraining0408/) on how the plan is designed, and including:  discussion of the different roles of the “players” in the plan, 4 scenarios–types of responses based on specific situations, service continuity planning, other training options
• an excellent Table-Top Exercise carried out by Barbara Davis (hospital librarian role), Javier, Mark (DOCLINE component), Elaine in the “buddy library” role, and including a call to the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC), since they are located in the NER.  Barbara Ingrassia filled the Regional Coordinator role with follow-up and reporting.

Lunch included a more in-depth discussion of the 8 Steps to developing a disaster plan, and generated some excellent ideas to be implemented in the region.  The day concluded with a discussion of regional issues, which helped to develop strategies for rolling out the plan in the region over the next year.  All agreed that the Table-Top exercise is a very good way to train, and they will investigate using such an exercise at some of the chapter meetings, etc.

The day was very productive, and the outlook is bright for making the plan a reality in the NER of NN/LM. 

The RML staff of the Pacific Northwest Region (PNR) of NN/LM and colleagues from the HSL at the University of Washington gathered on Monday, March 17, 2008 to learn about NN/LM’s National Emergency Preparedness & Response Plan. Cathy Burroughs, Associate Director of the PNR, and Sherrilynne Fuller, Library Director, were unable to attend because of illness.

The morning meeting at the South Campus Center began with introductions and an overview of the day’s activities. The agenda included:

• Dan’s PowerPoint presentation, giving background and details of the plan as it has been approved. Some features added to the presentation specific to this region:
  • visual metaphor for disaster preparedness and response: slide of a photo that Dan took in NYC’s Central Park after snow of a man walking under an umbrella (preparedness) and, in the background, the statue of Balto, the sled dog who led the team on the final leg of the mission to deliver diphtheria antitoxin from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, in 1925 (response)
  • discussion of risks present in the PNR that most other regions do not share (Pacific Southwest Region being the exception): volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, closer proximity to avian influenza in wild bird populations (Alaska/Russia)
• discussion of regional issues: training available from WESTPAS, difficulties for members because of long distances involved and limited funding available for travel and class costs. Resources libraries will be supportive. The PNR will use the term “state coordinator” instead of “regional coordinator” in rolling out the plan.
• service continuity training: use of FEMA information to assist in assessing risks, will encourage discussion of how money for salaging materials should best be spent: replacement cost vs salvage cost. RML staff will assist to implement the eight-step plan throughout the region, especially through training the state coordinators

In the afternooon, the meeting moved to the Library, where a conference call was set up with the state coordinators.

• Dan gave an orientation of the existing plan to the state coordinators and facilitated discussion among the coordinators and the RML staff present at this portion of the meeting (Cathy Burroughs participated via conference call). Kathy Murray, the state coordinator for Alaska was present in person at the afternoon meeting, and the other coordinators participated via the conference telephone.
• a table-top exercise followed the orientation session, featuring the RML staff, a hospital librarian and the state coordinators via conference call. The exercise was carried out well and quickly, followed by some discussion.
• goal-setting: encourage use of WESTPAS training, make URL to the toolkit available to everyone once it has been moved to the NLM server, offer assistance through consortia in the region

The consensus was that this project/initiative should be given a higher priority on the region’s web page, perhaps offering a quick link to the plan and its accompanying resources. Also agreed: some clarification of the DOCLINE piece is needed. Training will be based on the 8-step service continuity plan plus the toolkit, hopefully to be developed into a class similar to the basic PubMed class offered by NLM, for use in the regions.

The NN/LM SE/A RML staff, representatives from the University of Maryland HSHSL, Angela Ruffin (Director, NN/LM National Network Office) and Barbara Nicholson (Technology Librarian, NN/LM National Network Office) met at the University of Maryland HSHSL on Friday, March 14, 2008 to hear about and to discuss the NN/LM Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan. The day’s agenda included:

• PowerPoint presentation by Dan, showing images of disasters in the SE/A region, identifying risks to the region, and introducing the NN/LM preparedness plan
• discussion of regional issues to be addressed as part of the plan roll-out: use of the online toolkit, opportunities within the region for training (SOLINET), options for DOCLINE use
• identification of other risks inherent to the SE/A region besides hurricanes and severe weather: proximity to nuclear power plants, military installations, Washington, DC, terrorist acts and bioterrorism
• service continuity training: identified roles of RML staff in the planning process for the region, discussed coordination based on the eight steps recommended in the guide available from the toolkit
• table-top exercise in the afternoon using a given scenario and coordinating the appropriate response among staff present at the meeting and member librarians via conference telephone
• discussion of preparedness, response and training goals for the region

The RML staff made plans to add depth to their coverage for some functions, such as changing DOCLINE status for member libraries in an emergency. They plan to introduce the plan and encourage the development of partnerships within the regional hospital library consortia at their meetings. Details of the meeting content will be available in the final report to the National Network Office of the NN/LM.

The Southwest Virginia Health Information Librarians met at the University of Virginia’s Health Sciences Library on Friday, March 7, 2008.  The focus of the meeting was the introduction of NN/LM’s National Emergency Preparedness and Response plan.  Participants had received the following questions in preparation for the meeting:

• list any emergency situations that have or could disrupt patient care at your hospital
• prioritize a list of three services that you feel are most important to your patrons
• prioritize a list of five online resources that you feel are most important to your patrons
• prioritize a list of five print resources that you feel are most important to your patrons
• list any unique resources at your library that would be at risk if your building suffered a disaster
• what information sources that you provide access to would likely be needed by patient care personnel in the event of a disaster?  What services?

The answers to the questionnaire created a lively discussion about the topic, and generated some helpful feedback.   

This past Thursday I was invited to speak at the Middle Atlantic Region (MAR) RAC Meeting in New York City. It was an opportunity for me to meet Angela Ruffin, Head of the NN/LM Network Office of the National Library of Medicine, Kathel Dunn, Associate Director of the Middle Atlantic Region of the NN/LM, and Michelle Volesko Brewer, who helped develop the model MOU featured in the Toolkit. It was such a pleasure meeting Angela, Kathel, and Michelle, and to get to know many of the other participants at the meeting. There is truly a lot of interest in emergency preparedness in the MAR, and I look forward to working with and learning from these colleagues in the future.

Click on the slide image below to see my MAR RAC Meeting presentation:

The trip to New York City also featured a substantial snowfall the morning after the meeting. Fortunately, I was taking the train home to Charlottesville and didn’t have to deal with flight cancellations and delays at area airports. As a result, I was able to take a very pleasant walk through Central Park during the heart of the snowfall. Here’s a picture that I took of a man walking away from an underpass. Note the umbrella and the sculpture of the dog, Balto. Two symbols of emergency preparation and response.