Resources to Support California Wildfires Response & Recovery

Posted by Marco Tamase on December 8th, 2017 Posted in: Announcements, Consumer Health, Emergency Preparedness, NLM Products, Public Health

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California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Ventura County due to the Thomas Fire, in San Diego County due to the Lilac Fire, and in Los Angeles County due to the Creek and Rye Fires. Additionally, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Eric D. Hargan declared that the wildfires ravaging much of the state posed a public health emergency effective December 4. This declaration helps ensure that people who rely on Medicare and Medicaid continue to have access to care and it gives healthcare providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM) Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) has compiled resources to assist with response and and recovery from the latest California wildfires. Information guides on disaster topics and the Disaster Lit® database provide access to curated, reliable information from vetted Federal, state, and local governments and organizations.

Key National Resources

• NLM Fires and Wildfires Information Guide
  • Content syndication—embed the content of this page on your own website, to get automatic updates and new resources
• NLM Coping with Disasters, Violence and Traumatic Events
• 2017 California Wildfires (Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response)
• Disaster Distress Helpline (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
  • Call 1-800-985-5990 toll-free, 24/7
  • Text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor

Key California Resources

• California Office of Emergency Services Wildfires Resource & Information
• City of Los Angeles Creek Fire Emergency Updates and Information
• California Statewide Fire Map
• City of Los Angeles December 2017 Fires
• WIFIRE Firemap Research Project (including recent smoke concentrations, air quality)
• Air Quality: AirNow from the Environmental Protection Agency (Search by Zip Code or State)

Key Documents

• Search NLM Disaster Lit database
  • NIOSH Tips: Wildland Fire Fighting Hot Tips to Stay Safe and Healthy
  • When It’s Time to Leave: Summary of California Mass Evacuation Laws
  • Cascading Effects and Escalations in Wide-Area Power Failures

Social Media

• Hashtags: #CAWildfires #LilacFire #LibertyFire #ThomasFire #CreekFire #RyeFire #LAFires
• Twitter List: https://twitter.com/NLM_DIMRC/lists/california-wildfire