COOP planning for local health departments

Local health departments play an important role during small and large-scale emergency scenarios. Depending on the incident, the capacity and capability of a health department to respond to such emergencies could be severely disrupted. Despite these disruptions, a local health department must ensure continuity of operations to conduct essential functions, such as performing surveillance, implementing infection control procedures, and delivering health care services. Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning is vital to prepare a local health department to serve the public during emergencies and disasters.

The University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) recently partnered with the Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) to create a COOP plan for the Department. This plan will allow BCHD to function and serve the public during any emergency or disaster. The CHHS plan updated an existing draft that was created “in-house,” but did not adequately address all of BCHD's needs. CHHS staff worked with BCHD to build the plan into a workable document trough a series of interviews with key BCHD personnel. These interviews identified or redefined all: essential functions; vital records, equipment, and documents; essential emergency personnel, alternate facility capabilities and requirements; and communications capabilities and requirements. The final plan incorporated BCHD's existing emergency plans and its Incident Command System.

CHHS has used this method successfully for a variety of governmental and nongovernmental agencies and it offers a promising strategy for local health departments to maintain essential operations while implementing procedures for dealing with any emergency scenario.