NN/LM PNR Emergency Preparedness & Response

Posted by nwsoadmin on September 2nd, 2008 Posted in: News From NNLM PNR

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Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month?

National, regional, state, and local organizations, will combine efforts throughout the month of September to encourage all Americans to take steps to prepare for emergencies before they happen.

Action we take as individuals to be prepared can greatly improve our ability to survive and recover from all types of emergencies, whether natural or man-made.

In addition, in your role as a health information provider, preparedness by your library can mitigate the impact of disasters on healthcare providers and their patients.

To help Network member libraries in the NN/LM maintain their information services in the event of a disaster, your RML is participating in a national emergency preparedness and response plan.

To launch this plan in the PNR, and to offer additional preparedness and disaster response support, we are introducing a new webpage titled: Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Pacific Northwest Region.

On this new page, you will find links to important contact and resource information about preparedness and disaster response for Network libraries in the PNR. Here are some highlights:

• The most important contact is the toll-free NN/LM Emergency Assistance Number, 1-800-DEV-ROKS, that will connect you to the Pacific Northwest Regional Medical Library. Call this number whenever disaster strikes and your local resources/plans are unable to keep your core services available, so we can help implement the response plan!

• Check out the NN/LM Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit. It includes the complete NN/LM Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan document along with preparedness and response flowcharts, disaster plan templates, many helpful sample documents, and pre-formulated PubMed searches. The toolkit also includes an 8-step guide to service continuity planning to help maintain essential services continuity during a disaster.

• Contact information for your State Emergency Planning Coordinator is also listed. Via an agreement with the RML, these individuals have designated roles to work with state and/or regional library groups to increase emergency preparedness by health libraries in their state and in the PNR. You can contact your State Coordinator for assistance in developing emergency preparedness and service continuity plans at your workplace. In the event of an emergency or disaster, when necessary, the State Coordinator is part of a response team for the affected Network member(s). They are also members of the PNR Emergency Preparedness Committee, chaired by Gail Kouame.

• Find additional information about preparedness and responses, including Office of Emergency Management by State; education and training, including workshops on disaster preparedness, response,and collection salvage from WESTPAS; a list of disaster recovery companies, and more.

Remember, for assistance at the time of an emergency, or training on developing preparedness plans, you’ll find helpful information and resources via Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Pacific Northwest Region, linked off the left navigation bar under the Members Services tab on the PNR homepage.