Emergency social services: Canadian Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Planning Guidance for the Health Sector

The Role of Emergency Social Services in Planning for Pandemic Influenza in Canada

Table of Contents

• Preamble
  • Council of Emergency Social Services Directors
  • ESS
  • Personal Preparedness
  • Communication
  • NGOs
  • Volunteers
  • Training
  • First Nations and Inuit Communities
  • Supply Chain Issues
  • Non-Traditional Care Sites

Preamble

Council of Emergency Social Services Directors

The members of the Council of Emergency Social Services Directors (CESSD) are the senior managers/directors, designated by each province and territory, who have the authority and responsibility to take the leading role in Emergency Social Services (ESS) planning and management. The Public Health Agency of Canada is represented in an ex-officio (non-voting) capacity by the Director General of the Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response or his or her designate. Other participants, such as a representative of the Council of Health Emergency Management Directors and the Council of Voluntary Sector Directors, may participate in council activities by invitation.

CESSD is a body that is knowledgeable about ESS planning and management in relation to issues of pan-Canadian concern. Its role includes providing leadership, advice, guidance and recommendations on strategies to prepare for and manage the broad range of hazards and threats that constitute potential emergencies in Canada.

The Council provides leadership, advice, support and guidance for forums concerned with emergency preparedness and response development and for policies related to ESS. The categories of ESS are as follows: registration (for ESS services) and inquiry, lodging, food, clothing, personal services and reception centre/shelter services. More information on the mandate of CESSD is noted towards the end of this document.

ESS

ESS planning for pandemic influenza needs to be an integral part of a coordinated response and placed in the context of government-wide priorities. The unique characteristics of pandemic influenza will create some extraordinary considerations for all stakeholders in emergency management. For example, ESS planning is contingent on the following assumptions, which reflect the unique features of pandemic influenza:

• The influenza pandemic will likely originate outside North America, and we may have advance warning of its arrival.
• Outbreaks will occur simultaneously across the country, preventing reallocation of human and other resources from one jurisdiction to another.
• The influenza pandemic could last for several weeks or even months at a time.
• Health care workers and other first responders will face a higher risk of exposure (but not necessarily infection) than the general population, potentially reducing response capacity because of absenteeism.
• Widespread illness will increase the likelihood of personnel shortages for ESS responders and for other key areas such as police, fire, utility and transportation services and human resources across all spectrums of response.

Many of the traditional ESS responses will not be applied during an influenza pandemic. For example, in a pandemic, emergency clothing will not likely be an issue. Also, as explained later in this document, there may not be a need for traditional ESS shelters or reception centres. Planning for pandemic influenza may, however, need to take into consideration the real societal consequences and economic impacts that will occur as a result of the pandemic and the capacity, duration and availability of ESS resources to respond. Major risk management and due diligence issues need to be addressed by all partners in ESS.

This annex is intended to outline the mandate of ESS and the activities performed by ESS. As well, the specific activities described in the table at the end of the annex represent overriding issues that will affect the delivery of ESS during an influenza pandemic.

Personal Preparedness

• To mitigate the effect of an influenza pandemic, ESS personnel will support the work of local authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), emergency measures/management organizations and health organizations to encourage Canadians to have personal preparedness plans. Federal government departments and agencies have prepared detailed preparedness planning material available for distribution. Personal preparedness will also include general information on universal precaution protocols for mitigating the effects of influenza. Jurisdictions have an interest in actively promoting this preparedness planning and should do so by demonstrating the value of planning from the individual’s perspective. The value from an ESS perspective would be a reduction in the need to respond, as individuals and communities become more self-sufficient and resilient.

Communication

It is evident that pandemic influenza will require clear communication, which balances the need to reduce the anxiety of the public and provides them with important information to better understand what pandemic influenza is and how to cope. The responsibility could lie with local authorities, emergency measures/management organizations and health organizations within the context of a national strategy. For ESS, this will mean informing the public of the ESS services available and how to access them, and ensuring that the approach to ESS services delivered by government and/or community agencies is coordinated. Consideration may be given to establishing public information lines that could be modeled after a “one-stop” service concept and could direct callers to appropriate services already existing in their respective jurisdictions.

NGOs

Pandemic influenza may require NGOs to step beyond their traditional responses in order to address public needs in communities. Providing agencies with a clear understanding of ESS requirements during an influenza pandemic will allow them to develop adequate response plans. NGOs depend on volunteers and staff. It is anticipated that both will be in short supply during an influenza pandemic. Therefore, NGOs will need to be judicious in identifying what critical core services they can provide to the community. This information will assist ESS in determining what services are available and what gaps exist.

Volunteers

The widespread use of volunteers in a pandemic influenza response will require a review of a number of issues. Governments need to determine the extent of their liability when using volunteers in a potentially risky pandemic response effort. ESS volunteers and staff should be expected to receive considerations of safety and protection, such as access to gloves, masks, vaccines, universal protection training and other safety protocols as appropriate to the functions they will be asked to perform during an influenza pandemic. Each jurisdiction will determine where ESS volunteers can be utilized most effectively and safely. A description of the volunteer roles will be required, and appropriate processes for screening and reference checks need to be put in place. The responsibility for volunteer management in a pandemic varies, depending on the jurisdiction and the extent to which volunteers will be used in a pandemic influenza response (for additional details see Annex J: Guidelines for Non-Traditional Sites and Workers, of the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector).

Training

Basic training for ESS volunteers and staff in response to pandemic influenza will be focused on keeping them all healthy and safe.

Once the roles for ESS volunteers and staff have been identified, additional training can be delivered on the specific assigned responsibilities. Volunteers and staff are encouraged to participate in ESS training modules and exercises.

First Nations and Inuit Communities

Provincial and territorial ESS groups across the country support assisting First Nations and Inuit communities during an influenza pandemic, using the general agreements and/or arrangements of mutual aid that currently exist in all provinces and territories. They also support forging closer relationships in the future between provincial/territorial ESS groups and First Nations and Inuit communities for all hazards. This would be for the “four emergency pillars” of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

Supply Chain Issues

One of the features of an influenza pandemic will be the potential impact on the supply chain, and this has implications for the public's access to essential goods such as food, fuel and medications. Supplies could be affected at some point during the pandemic by lack of delivery modes or shortages in the goods themselves. It is anticipated that many areas of the marketplace can reasonably expect mild to severe supply chain shortages. Consideration will have to be given to supply and transportation issues as well as the protection of critical infrastructure. Although most of these issues are outside the scope of ESS, failure to have plans in place will adversely affect the ability of ESS personnel to provide critical services as mandated.

Non-Traditional Care Sites

The establishment and use of non-traditional care sites will vary by jurisdiction, as will the role to be played by ESS in these sites. In some jurisdictions, ESS may coordinate a range of volunteer services, may be involved in the provision of non-medical services or may handle the registration and inquiry needs of these facilities. In other jurisdictions, no services will be provided by ESS to facilities that offer medical services. The role ESS plays in non-traditional care sites will be determined by a number of factors, including the extent of ESS services required within the provincial/territorial pandemic plan and the availability of human and other resources (for additional details see Annex J: Guidelines for Non-Traditional Sites and Workers, of the Canadian Pandemic Influenza Plan for the Health Sector). The specific activities described in the following table represent overriding issues that will have an impact on the delivery of ESS during an influenza pandemic.