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Speaking Points
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•Importance of contact number staffed round-the-clock
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•Get on local/state federal alert networks
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•Be ready to answer questions – anticipate them in advance and have
information prepared
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Narrative
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All communities need to have a round the clock contact
number. Police, fire, and EMS need to
be functioning 24 hours a day. If a
call comes into the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), operators there
need to be able to reach public health officials at any time. If a white powder is reported at 3:30 in
the morning on a Saturday, PSAP needs to be able to reach a public health
representative immediately. If a
major train crash has just happened in town, PSAP needs to know who to notify
at the local hospital so that the hospital can prepare for the mass influx of
patients.
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First, know at all times who has the beeper, who is on call,
make sure everyone who needs this information has it.
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Second, you need to know what is going on. Be a part of whatever
local, state, and federal alert networks exist. Often times, police and fire departments are connected by
radio. Perhaps public health
departments and hospitals should also have radios and know how to use
them. Telephones may fail, and radios
may be required. Additionally, local
public health departments should be connected to the statewide electronic
alert network.
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Third, be prepared to provide information and answer the kind of
questions that will inevitably arise.
People in your community are going to call, and they will want to know
about chemical problems such as paint thinner in school, spills in
laboratories, evacuation strategies.
What do we do about white powder in our jurisdiction? What about mental health issues such as
PTSD – do you have information for people, counselors to whom you can refer
them? You must anticipate these
questions and have answers ready.
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