Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

About the role

The Emergency Preparedness Coordinator coordinates responses to requests for ESF-8 public health and medical emergency assistance and resources. They also coordinate with colleagues and external partners to develop and evaluate regional/local Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response plans and program operations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates responses to requests for ESF-8 public health and medical emergency assistance and resources.
• Coordinates with colleagues and external partners including city and county emergency management and/or public health organizations, DSHS, other state agencies, volunteer groups and private industry to develop and evaluate regional/local Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response plans and program operations.
• Facilitate meetings or work-groups, measure performance metrics, and solicit feedback from emergency management/public health partners to identify gaps in ESF-8 resources and recommend improvements to regional/local plans.
• Develops and delivers trainings and presentations to local and regional entities and other emergency management stakeholders to improve understanding and support for Public Health Emergency Preparedness planning.
• Serves as a regional liaison with federal, state, and local agencies as appropriate. Represents Region 8 on key ESF-8 public health emergency preparedness work-groups to identify gaps in resources and recommend improvements for deployment of the Strategic National Stockpile during a public health emergency.
• Advise local elected officials and emergency management partners on Region 8’s public health preparedness responsibilities and capabilities and recommend appropriate action plans.
• Assists in the facilitation of ESF-8 preparedness exercises including facilitated discussions, tabletop exercises, functional exercises, and/or full-scale exercises following Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program guidance.
• Develops performance reports such as After Action Reviews, and implements changes to various plans and or develops procedure manuals form identified areas for improvement.
• Serves as a liaison to local and regional agencies to coordinate joint inter-jurisdictional public health planning, response and recovery activities.
• Develops and evaluates regional ESF-8 Public Health Response plans, SOGs, and Task Sheets to be consistent with DSHS, and Federal Standards.
• Works with DSHS central office to develop standardized techniques for evaluating preparedness response plans.
• Participates in the on-call rotation providing 24/7/365 phone coverage for the reporting of infectious diseases and public health emergencies.
• Responds to Public Health emergencies, including natural disasters, bio-terrorism, disease outbreaks, and other disasters.
• Assumes an active role in the regional incident command structure during public health responses and/or exercises.
• Serves as a DSHS Region 8 liaison to the Disaster District Emergency Operations Center (DDEOC) during disaster response activations.
• May deploy to an affected jurisdiction in the region to assist with emergency response and recovery efforts.

Requirements

Two or more years of experience in public health, healthcare, emergency management or related field OR at least a Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in public health, healthcare, emergency management, or directly related field of study.

Skills

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of emergency management, hazard mitigation, disaster recovery, disaster preparedness or emergency response as it relates to Public Health Emergency Preparedness.
• The basic concepts of planning, training and exercising principles and methods.
• The use of communication tools such as WebEOC, EMSystems, satellite phones, radios, and general computer equipment.
• The National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command Structure, and the National Response Framework.
• Effective communication, verbally and in writing.
• Problem identification, analysis and resolution.
• Developing and implementing complex plans and procedures.
• Managing and tracking multiple projects at different stages of development.
• Operating a variety of office and specialized equipment including a laptop computer with a variety of software (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, e.g. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint), plotter, projectors, camera, GPS device, communications devices such as two-way radio, satellite radio/phone, and other specialized audio-visual equipment.

Qualifications

Valid driver’s license (Texas Class C or equivalent)

Texas Class A Exempt or Commercial driver’s license required within 12 months of hire

FEMA IS-100, IS-200, IS-300, IS-400, IS-700, and IS-800 required within 12 months of hire