HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmergency Government Committee 10-25-95A
ST. CROIX COUNTY
NOTICE OF COMMITTEE MEETING
TO: Robert Boche, Chairman
St. Croix County Board
FROM: Arthur Jacobson, Chairman
COMMITTEE TITLE: Emergency Government Committee
DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday - October 25, 1995
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
LOCATION: Government Center
Emergency Government Community Room
1101 Carmichael Road
Hudson, Wisconsin 54016
:1•I�1 •► • s �I1e
DATE OF NEXT MEETING OPEN
ACTION ON PREVIOUS MINUTES
UNFINIS.HFD BUSINESS
1) Review and discussion of nursing home disaster plans
2) Storm shelters for trailer courts
3) Report on Mutual Assistance Response Teams
4) Report on First Aid training and equipment
5) Review of Director's position description for grant purposes
NEW BUSINESS
1) Exercise participation by nursing homes
2) Municipality disaster planning
3) Joint Minnesota/Wisconsin, Washington/St. Croix County exercise
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE
POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
ADJOURNMENT
(Agenda not necessarily presented in this order)
SUBMITTED BY: Jack Colvard, Emergency Government
DATE: October 10, 1995
PHONE #386-4719/386-4718
Copies to: County Board Office
County Clerk
Committee Members
News Media/Notice Board
MINUTES
Emergency Government Committee
October 25, 1995
PRESENT: Art Jacobson, John Mortensen, Charles Mehls, County
Board; Jack Colvard, Pam Benson, Emergency Government;
Bruce Brantner, Emergency Communications; Marcia Ivy,
Bernadine Mortensen, St. Croix County American Red Cross;
Luanne Flick, Glenhaven Care Center; Carolyn Krieger,
Joyce Jurisch, St. Croix Health Center, Don Richardson,
Don Jorgenson, American Heritage Care Center; Mike Smith,
Baldwin Care Center; Glenda Zielski, Diane Olson, The
Lutheran Home; Twylah Wieland, Park View Home.
The meeting was called to order at 9:02 a.m. by Chairman Jacobson.
All were invited to introduce themselves. Today's agenda was
adopted on a Mortensen/Mehls MOTION. The September 8, 1995 minutes
were approved on a Mehls/Jacobson MOTION.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: November 16 at 9:00 a.m. in the E.G.
conference room.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
#1. Review and discussion of nursing home disaster plans
Colvard stated to the Committee that he had received a
disaster plan from Richardson at the American Heritage Care
Center to go over. The Lutheran Home brought in an emergency
plan for review, and the St. Croix Health Center submitted a
copy of their Evacuation Plan.
Bernadine Mortensen addressed emergency planning with regard
to the American Red Cross shelters. She stated there are 46
facilities in St. Croix County currently with American Red
Cross shelter agreements. These shelters are opened only
after the Emergency Government office directs them to do so.
Then the American Red Cross liability covers damages to the
facility that occur during the emergency.
Zielski and Olson from
updated their current
planning process they
Falls Police Department
Falls' emergency plan.
Falls also provided re
planning for the nursi
plan also includes the F
The Lutheran Home described how they
disaster/emergency plan. In their
met with Brad McAbee from the River
and also referred to the City of River
The University of Wisconsin -River
:sources in their planning. Besides
ng home, The Lutheran Home emergency
:ids Care Center and senior apartments.
Richardson from the American Heritage Care Center stated that
safety of residents was the first priority to consider when
making a nursing home emergency plan. He also stated it was
best to keep the plan simple and easy to understand.
Other ideas/suggestions mentioned were that plans should be
flexible and easy to update.
Mehls spoke regarding nursing home evacuation concerns,
including the importance of taking along medications and
medical administration records (M.A.R.Is) . Also he said that
each facility should have a zippered bag or other portable
case for the M.A.R. 's. He stated that probably the most ill
or 20% of the nursing home residents may need to be taken to
a hospital in order to receive adequate care. Most nursing
homes in the area are 95-98% full and would not have room for
incoming disaster victims. Priority considerations during an
evacuation would be security of records, administrative triage
for distribution of residents, security of medications,
shelter assignments, shelter staffing, transportation, and
whether water would be needed.
Smith stated that planning would be needed at the local
municipal level to coordinate with the nursing home plans.
Mehls stated that there are 9 ambulances in the County. Only
4 could be used during an emergency at a facility. The other
ambulances would need to remain in place in order to respond
to other calls. Possibly 4 ambulances from out of county
could be utilized. Other transportation available for
transporting residents (with prior approval) would be the
Workshop vans, Department on Aging vans and possibly personal
vehicles.
Colvard clarified that the National Guard can only be
activated by the State Governor through a request made by
Emergency Government. The National Guard does have two water
tankers with potable water which then could be used if needed.
Another item to consider in disaster planning would be
designating the source for additional medications i.e. a
pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, etc.
Zielski believes that Emergency Government should hold an
annual meeting for nursing homes to update emergency plans and
keep abreast of changes.
In closing, Colvard stated his willingness to come out to any
nursing home and meet with staff regarding nursing home
emergency planning. A long-range goal would be for each St.
Croix County nursing home to have a tabletop exercise to test
their emergency plan, train employees and see how their plan
m0ght be changed or improved.
#2. Storm shelters for trailer courts:
Colvard stated that no municipalities or villages with trailer
courts responded to the letter we sent them on August 21, 1995
regarding storm shelters for trailer court residents. A
Letter was sent on October 4, 1995 to the trailer court
managers/owners asking them if they had storm shelters, and if
so to list them along with a keyholder or keyholders to that
shelter. To date, five responses have been received to that
letter. This committee's next focus will be on
city/municipality emergency planning and trailer court storm
shelters will be one item in those plans.
#3. Report on Mutual Assistance Response Teams:
Mehls stated he had contacted two more agencies and they were
interested in this project. The next step will be to hold a
3-county meeting with the 3 County chairpersons, 3 Emergency
Government Directors, and Emergency Government Committee
chairs or their designees. Colvard stated he would try and
set up this meeting at the Baldwin Community Center on
November 15 at 10:00 a.m.
#4. Report on First Aid training and equipment:
Colvard stated two classes were held for County employees and
34 persons received instruction in Basic First Aid. Fourteen
additional employees have already expressed an interest in
attending a future class. After some discussion, it was
decided to put this item on the agenda for the next meeting.
Jacobson and Mehls will be talking to Public Protection and
Finance about equipping the First Aid room here (and at other
County locations) and holding refresher training in the future
as part of the County's ongoing emergency preparedness.
#5. Review of Director's position description for grant purposes:
A yearly requirement of the Emergency Management Assistance
Grant is a review of the Director's position description.
After discussion, a Mehls/Mortensen MOTION was approved to
make no changes in the Director's position description.
NEW BUSINESS:
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1. Exercise participation by nursing homes:
A tabletop exercise is planned for November 8, 1995 at the St.
Croix Health Center Nursing Home in New Richmond. It will be
held between 10:00 a.m. and noon. Local officials and nursing
home staff have been invited to attend. A functional exercise
is planned for December 13 from 10:00 a.m.-noon. These
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exercises will test the St. Croix Health Center Emergency Plan
and train St. Croix County nursing home staff.
#2. Municipality disaster planning:
A review and possible update %J the City of New Richmond's
Emergency Plan may be done after the tabletop and functional
exercises to be held in November and December. Mehls stated
there will also be a fire/smoke drill held at the St. Croix
Health Center on November 13, 1995. High school students will
be used as victims, instead of actual nursing home residents.
#3. Joint Minnesota/Wisconsinf Washington/St. Croix County
exercise.•
Colvard stated that he is attending a meeting this afternoon
at Stillwater regarding this exercise. January 25, 1996 at
7:00 p.m. is the date and time set for the exercise
orientation. Tentatively, this will be a mass casualty
occurrence on the St. Croix River between Washington and St.
Croix Counties.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE:
A recap of the 4th Quarter Plan of Work, which was submitted
to the Emergency Government Regional Director, was given to
Jacobson, Mortensen, and Mehls.
Colvard passed around a report from the earthquake in Los
Angeles, which stated that the top three disaster expenses
were: 1. toilet facilities, 2. food, and 3. cots and blankets.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting adjourned at 11:12 a.m. on a Mortensen/Mehls MOTION.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Mehls, Secretary
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