Sit Rep through an e-mail group I am registered with.

Thought this might be of some interest as it is timely and in line with our sitrep assignment.
Kris
-----Original Message-----
From: Angela Devlen [mailto:Angela.Devlen@caritaschristi.org]
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2:00 PMTo: listserv@bcpwho.org
Subject: [listserv] FW: NEMRC Update - TX - Medical/special needs focus
For those that may be interested.
Angela

Emergency Management, Caritas Christi Healthcare
Director, BCPWHO
President, Mahila Partnership
736 Cambridge Street
Quinn 1
Boston, MA 02135
angela.devlen@caritaschristi.org
617.789.2424
www.linkedin.com/in/angeladevlen
www.bigmedicine.ca/angeladevlen.htm

From: Hal Newman [mailto:hnewman@tems.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 1:57 PMTo: hnewman@tems.ca
Subject: NEMRC Update - TX - Medical/special needs focus
This is a NEMRC Update – TX – with a focus on medical/special needs.


The hospital in Galveston is being used by FEMA Disaster Medical Assessment Team (DMAT).

All Texas State Veterans Homes have resumed normal operations.

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS): Statewide intake evacuation hotline is up and taking calls.

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is coordinating status of hospitals in the impacted counties with the Texas Hospital Association (THA), including the FEMA mobile hospitals.

DSHS Repatriation Team continues to return Medical Special Needs (MSN) patients to their home counties or temporary medical facilities. Additional assets have been requested.

The DSHS Disaster Mortuary Team (DMORT) has deployed refrigerated trucks to affected counties upon request.
All ten FEMA supplied refrigerator trucks have been deployed to assist in body storage.
• Orange- arrived, 1 unit
• Beaumont- arrived, 2 units
• Crosby- arrived, 5 units. One unit may be deployed to Galveston
• Galveston- arrived, 2 units.

DSHS MACC continues to track all medical needs in impacted area and has deployed vaccines, trucks, equipment and supplies to impacted counties as requested.

Animal Bite Case Standard Operating Procedures and information on co sheltering and bus cleanup has been prepared by DSHS veterinarians. Texas federal assets total 921 personnel in 26 DMAT/Strike Teams (plus 3 DMORT) deployed statewide.

Resource requests: Dialysis

Requests for additional resources for End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients are being handled by DSHS at the Multi-agency Coordination Center.

Medical Special Needs shelters in El Paso, Amarillo, and Lubbock have been demobilized.

Requests for oxygen bottles/tanks are being processed as they come in to the ESF-8 desk. Other governmental agencies may be executing contracts for these resources as well.

TCEQ is working with water districts regarding boiled water notices and with DEAFLINK for issuances of boiled water notices for the hearing impaired. TCEQ is working with TAHC (Texas Animal Health Commission) on management of animal carcasses.

TCEQ Strike Team Investigated large bulk above ground storage tank that was observed to be smoldering by surveillance teams. Tank appeared to be venting possible hydrogen sulfide from a molten sulfur processing facility. Further investigation will be conducted to ensure tank is functioning properly.

The following cities are currently on a boil water notice due to Hurricane Ike: Sacul, Houston, Port Neches, Dickinson, Highlands, Raywood, and Groves

Public Utilities Commission (PUC): The PUC has been fielding calls with requests for when power will be restored in the affected counties. Currently, we have information on outages by counties and for Oncor and CenterPoint’s service areas by zip code. However, utilities are still assessing the damage, and we only have just started to receive some information on estimated restoration time. We hope to have more information tomorrow on estimated restoration time for affected counties. Utilities have been working hard and outage updates reflect that restoration is ongoing; however, currently we still have approximately 2.3 million customers without power.

American Red Cross (ARC): At this time the ARC is operating 145 shelters with a population of 19,995. There are 105 vehicles providing feeding, served 36,238 meals, 68,284 meals have been served to-date. There are 1,230 disaster workers providing these services.
2-1-1: September 14, 2008, the 2-1-1 system handled 14,435 calls. Since September 9, 2008, the 2-1-1 Texas system has handled 96,823 calls.

Three gulf coast Area Information Centers (AICs) remain closed due to storm damage. Callers from those impacted areas are being assisted by AICs across the state. AICs across the state are contributing 100% of total staff and volunteers to respond to information and referral calls related to Hurricane Ike. All have extended business hours as needed. AICs will continue to work throughout the weekend with extended hours.

The 2-1-1 Texas system continues to receive volunteer support from individuals and multiple entities. At 10:30 a.m. today, our call volume was 5,549. The top caller needs identified for Hurricane Ike are as follows: Re-entry Information; shelter; FEMA assistance; Special Medical assistance; financial assistance; hotel availability; Search and Rescue; food; gas money; ice; curfew; debris removal and evacuee location.

Deaflink: Deaf Link has added the capability of for all Deaf evacuees to be able to place Video Relay Interpreter (VRI) phone calls to friends and family through all our Shelter Link systems that are installed in the shelters and at the reception points.
Deaf Link continues to utilize the Accessible Hazard Alert System for all Warn2 weather alerts, PSAs for affected areas, sheltering areas and the state, such as, boil water notifications, travel restrictions, contact numbers to find family and weather updates. Deaf Link Volunteers are coordinated to assist with the San Antonio reception center and shelter.

Access to Galveston Island remains restricted to emergency responders only.

DDC 3B San Antonio: The ARCC is receiving post impact evacuees and implementing the re-entry plan for evacuees from non-affected areas. DDC San Antonio is preparing to receive 1500 General Population and 900 MSN evacuees from Galveston. The reception center has processed a total of 6837 General Population and 461 MSN evacuees from the post-landfall areas. DPS regions 3A and 3C have requested the repatriation of citizens from San Antonio shelters, 64 evacuees have returned to the City of Robstown.

MASS CARE: Shelter operations continue throughout central and eastern areas of Texas by the American Red Cross and local jurisdictions. There are 252 Shelters remaining open with a population of 38,764. The Salvation Army has 35 canteens with 1 kitchen. The Baptist Men and Southern Baptist Men are responding with 7 kitchens currently and are deploying 5 more. The Latter Day Saints are continuing to provide clean-up kits, hygiene kits, and food boxes.

SHELTER INFORMATION: Anyone requesting a shelter can phone 2-1-1 and the shelter information number, 214-653-7629, will be given to them. This number goes to the Dallas County Homeland Security Office which is maintaining the a-list of open shelters, space and rotation for receiving evacuees.




Be well. Practice big medicine.
Hal

Hal Newman
Executive Director, National Emergency Management Resource Center [NEMRC]
E: hnewman@tems.ca
W: www.nemrc.net

If you have contacts who you think would benefit from the NEMRC Updates/Alerts for Hurricane Ike, ask them to register on the NEMRC website www.nemrc.net

There is no charge for these updates although it is certain we are actively seeking corporate or organizational sponsors interested in building their respective brands while contributing to a valuable service for individuals and organizations involved in emergency preparedness and disaster relief.