Let’s Review the Emergency Response Plan for NN/LM Network Members
http://nnlm.gov/training/resources/emresponse.pdf
To help mitigate the impact of disasters on libraries providing support to healthcare providers and their patients, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) has developed and sustains the emergency response plan to help Network members maintain their information services in the event of a disaster.
The effectiveness of the plan depends on collaboration from a broad range of participants including individual Network members, eight Regional Medical Library (RML) offices and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The plan’s structure is designed to provide a framework that begins with preparedness and continues through emergency response and recovery.
The emergency response plan supports a communication strategy for participating members and the RML offices that may be utilized prior to and during an emergency. The plan provides a strategy to support essential services for Network members based on a preparedness plan and assigns responsibility for follow-up and reporting after each incident or emergency event.
Roles/Definitions
Network Members: Maintain an up-to-date Emergency Preparedness Plan to include essential services and resources, strategies for continuity of service, and critical contacts. Use What if Disaster Strikes: Planning and Preparation, http://nnlm.gov/training/ resources/emplanning.pdf. During a disaster, the Network member implements their Emergency Preparedness Plan, contacts back-up library, their state coordinator and the RML Office. (1-800-DEV-ROKS)
Back-up Libraries: Are our first responders to an affected library for communication and service continuity. They maintain a current list of contacts and should proactively work out the level of support (preferably through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), or a Mutual Aid Agreement (MAA) see http://nnlm.gov/ep/mou-showcase/ ) to be implemented with Network Members in the event of a disaster.
Regional Coordinators: Are appointed by the regional RML Office and are a part of the team that helps ensure continuity of service to the affected Network member. They follow-up with and after-incident report to the NN/LM office.
Publishers and Vendors: May work together to temporarily provide resources in disaster-stricken areas through the Emergency Access Initiative (EAI) Collaborative that is still under discussion and testing.
National Library of Medicine (NLM): Maintains the NN/LM National
Emergency Preparedness & Response Plan and functions as a back-up resource when local and regional resources have been exhausted.
Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC): DIMRC is tasked with the collection, organization and dissemination of health information resources and informatics research related to disasters of natural, accidental, or deliberate origin. This Center helps with national emergency preparedness and response efforts. http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc.html
RML Offices: Are responsible for coordinating a response when requested by a Network member, re-routing DOCLINE, notifying the Regional Coordinator of the incident after being contacted by a Network member, and providing needed recovery resources as feasible. They are also responsible for promoting the plan, providing training on continuity of service planning, facilitating back-up library relationships, and assisting with MOU development.
Library Networks/Consortia: The RML will work with regional library networks and consortia to provide preparedness, planning and continuity of service disaster training.
