Community-based Public Health clinic setting: A training exercise model for the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

Public Health personnel may be called upon to participate in emergencies and disasters as diverse as hurricanes, pandemic flu or bioterrorism events. It is essential that staff in Public Health agencies be familiar with and able to function within National Incident Managment System in the event of such emergencies. This project shows how one local health center transformed its annual flu clinic into a yearly exercise in incident command using the following components: moving the setting into a community center; coordinating with the Police and Recreation Departments; utilizing the Emergency Preparedness and Immunization programs, including public health center staff, volunteers and CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) to provide flu vaccine to the community, and helping staff become comfortable in their assigned roles within NIMS. The Public Health center's yearly reinforcement of how NIMS operates, practicing incident command in a real-time public health clinic, in an environment that is not as frenetic as it might be in an actual disaster, is a real help in maintaining the skills of the first responders.