peer phase iv handbook... · 2012-06-29 · peer members may receive hhan alerts at any time for...

PEER Phase IV

Self-Guided Handbook June 2012

1 | P a g e PEER General Member Training - June 2012

Table of Contents

1) How to Use This Handbook................................................................................................. 2

2) Overview of PEER................................................................................................................ 3

3) The Role of the Point of Contact......................................................................................... 7

4) How to Page the Duty Officer.............................................................................................. 7

5) Using the HHAN ................................................................................................................... 8

6) Using WebEOC……....................................................................................................................... 9

7) Knowledge Check ...............................................................................................................10

8) Resources to Print & Save .................................................................................................12

Contact the MDPH Duty Officer When… Point of Contact Guidelines PEER Information Management System Diagram HHAN Quick Reference Guide WebEOC 7.3 Quick Reference Guide Map of Public Health Preparedness Region 4

9) Knowledge Check Answer Key………………………………………………………………….. 23


How to Use This Handbook

This self-guided training handbook is intended for general members of the Partnership for Effective Emergency Response (PEER). The handbook provides an overview of the PEER protocols and the role of members, and reviews how to use the three core communication technologies:

1. The Health and Homeland Alert Network (HHAN) 2. The City of Boston WebEOC 3. Conference calls.

Users should:

• Review each section of the handbook • Complete the WebEOC and HHAN practice sessions • Complete the Knowledge Check on pages 10-11 • Print and save the Quick Reference resources at the end of the handbook

Questions?

Consult the PEER website for additional training and to download a copy of this guide:

http://sph.bu.edu/peer

Training for the MDPH WebEOC is available on-line at:

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/emergency-preparedness.html

Contact the HHAN Administrator at [email protected] with any questions about the HHAN.

http://sph.bu.edu/peer

mailto:[email protected]


Overview of PEER The PEER communication protocols were initially developed in the Fall of 2008, and have been revised to incorporate lessons learned from drills and exercises.

The purpose of PEER is to: • Ensure timely, consistent, and reliable communication of critical information • Improve situational awareness during emergencies

PEER connects member organizations throughout Public Health Preparedness Regions 4A, B & C. These organizations represent five disciplines

37 community health centers 69 EMS agencies 29 hospitals 230 long-term care facilities 62 local public health agencies

See page 22 for a larger map.

Use the Protocols to

√ Notify members about incidents that may require a significant change in normal daily operations (HHAN)

√ Provide forums for communication during an emergency (WebEOC, conference calls)

√ Support medical intelligence in Emergency Operations Centers

Protocols Do Not

Supersede the authority of member organizations

Replace individual response efforts

Burden member organizations


The PEER Information Management System The PEER Information Management System (PIMS) is a mechanism used to notify and share necessary information about an incident with PEER general members across the regions.

Refer to page 15 for a larger diagram.

When an incident occurs, information management follows this process:

a. The MDPH Duty Officer receives notification from a PEER member, another agency, or by other means.

b. The MDPH Duty Officer then contacts the MDPH HHAN team to request that a HHAN alert be sent out to PEER general members who may be impacted by the incident. The HHAN team continues to send HHAN alerts as requested by the MDPH Duty Officer.

c. PEER members receive and confirm the HHAN alert and respond according to their own Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs).

d. The MDPH Duty Officer requests additional HHAN alerts to be sent out as necessary to provide situational awareness as the incident continues.

e. The MDPH Duty Officer determines if it is necessary to activate WebEOC to share information. The MDPH Duty Officer works with the PEER Notification Center (PNC) to set up an incident in WebEOC. PEER members will receive a HHAN alert with a notification to log into WebEOC.

f. PEER members log into WebEOC and post critical information as necessary.

g. The MDPH Duty Officer may determine that it is beneficial to hold a conference call. PEER members will be notified by a HHAN alert of the conference call information.


Communication technologies: HHAN, WebEOC, and conference calls.

Use of the HHAN

a. PEER members will receive HHAN alerts if they may be impacted by an incident.

PEER members may receive HHAN alerts at any time for situational awareness. If an incident occurs that impacts PEER members, the frequency and urgency of alerts may increase.

A HHAN alert will go out to PEER members with instructions to log into WebEOC or to dial-into a conference call.

b. All PEER members must have their own HHAN account. If you do not have a HHAN account, or if you are unsure of your username and password, please contact the HHAN Administrator at [email protected].

Refer to the HHAN Quick Reference Guide on page 16 for details on how to set up your profile, and how to read and confirm alerts.

c. Every HHAN alert that you receive will indicate a severity level as follows:

You can set your HHAN account to determine how you receive each level of alert (e.g. email, cell phone, work phone, pager, etc.).

d. It is very important that you confirm receipt of an alert when requested to do so. Refer to the HHAN Quick Reference Guide on page 16 for details on how to confirm an alert.

Use of WebEOC

a. WebEOC is a software program that provides an online forum for emergency response personnel to share critical information. WebEOC provides a space for a virtual Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

b. If the MDPH Duty Officer determines that it is necessary to activate WebEOC, you will receive a HHAN alert directing you to log onto the system. The alert will include the name of the system and also contain the name of the incident.

c. It very important for all PEER members to be familiar with WebEOC. Please complete the WebEOC Practice Session in section 5 of this handbook. If you encounter any issues using WebEOC, contact the PEER Program Manager at [email protected].




d. Note the following guidelines for use of WebEOC during an emergency:

• All postings should be concise and report critical facts.

• WebEOC is not a forum for speculation or opinion.

Use of Conference Calls

If the MDPH Duty Officer determines that it is necessary to hold a conference call, you will receive a HHAN alert with the instructions on how to dial-in to the call Conference calls during an emergency response are brief and to the point.

Usually less than 30 minutes; Agenda is strictly followed.

Speak ONLY when recognized by facilitator.

Observe strict time limits for oral reporting.

No prolonged discussion; No problem solving.

Put phones on “mute” when not speaking.

NEVER put a phone on “hold.”

This is not the place to exchange contact information.


The Role of the Point of Contact

Each PEER member organization must designate a Point of Contact.PEER gets information “to your door” and it is up to each organization to decide how to use that information. The designated Point of Contact is responsible for disseminating information within the organization.

Review the resource “Point(s) of Contact Guidelines” on page 14. Verify that the Point of Contact designated at your organization is prepared to fulfill these responsibilities.

When selecting your Point(s) of Contact, consider:

• A Point of Contact should be available to respond to incidents that may occur outside of business hours.

• A back-up to the Point of Contact should be designated, to fulfill the responsibilities in case of illness, vacation or other scheduling challenges.

How to Page the Duty Officer

PEER depends on you to report incidents. The position of MDPH Duty Officer is staffed 24/7 and receives all pages and other notifications about new incidents. The MDPH Duty Officer will determine if PEER members should be notified about an incident via HHAN alerts, and may do so in consultation with Discipline Leads.

Page the Duty officer at

617-339-8351 to report an incident

To report an incident:

1. Page the MDPH Duty Officer at 617-339-8351 2. When prompted, enter your ten-digit callback number followed by the pound sign (#), then

hang up 3. Wait for a return call from the MDPH Duty Officer 4. Provide the critical incident information to the MDPH Duty Officer

See the resource “Contact the Duty Officer When…” on page 13 for full details about what to report to the MDPH Duty Officer.

PEER

Incident!


Using the HHAN It is important to verify that you can login to your HHAN account, and that your contact information is up-to-date.

HHAN Practice Session Use the HHAN Quick Reference Guide on page 16 to complete the following tasks:

1. Login to the HHAN a. Use your own username and password to login. b. If you do not know your username, contact the HHAN administrator at

[email protected].

2. Verify that the information in your Personal Profile is up-to-date a. Click on the “Personal Profile” tab. b. Confirm that all of the information in your profile is correct. c. Pay special attention to your phone numbers and email addresses, and your “Alerting

Preferences.”

Use the “Alerting Preferences” to customize how you will receive each level of alert. You can receive alerts via:

Email Phone Cellphone/ Pager Smartphone

3. View your most recent alerts a. Click on the “View All Alerts” tab. b. Locate the most recent PEER alert that you received. c. Open the alert by clicking on the alert name. (If you did not receive a PEER alert

recently, open another recent alert). d. Look under “Uploaded File(s)” to find any documents attached to the alert.

4. Log out of the HHAN a. Click on “Logout” in the upper right corner of the screen



Using WebEOC It is very important for all PEER members to practice using WebEOC regularly. If you encounter any issues using WebEOC contact the PEER Program Manager at [email protected].

City of Boston WebEOC Practice Session Use the WebEOC Quick Reference Guide on page 18 to complete the following tasks:

1. Login to WebEOC a. Login as directed on the Quick Reference Guide. b. In the Tier 3 Login screen, make sure to select the incident named “2012 PEER

TRAINING.”

2. Add information about your facility into the Health Log a. From the Control Panel, click on Health Log and click on “New Record” to enter

information. b. Fill out the entry fields. c. Check the box that says “Regional Significant Events” if you want to share information

with everyone logged onto the system. d. Check the “Post to PEER” box if you want to post the event on the PEER Log. e. Click “Submit” to save. f. The Health Log display board will automatically show on your screen. You will see your

entry and other entries posted by your discipline colleagues as well as all PEER members.

3. Update the event that you just entered

a. Look at the Health Log display board. b. Locate the event that you posted and click the “Update” button. c. You will now see the Health Log entry screen with the information that you previously

entered for this event. However, the “Description” field will be blank, ready for you to enter your updated information.

d. Add a sentence indicating that the issue has been resolved into the Description field and click “Submit”.

e. The updated Health Log display board will automatically show on your screen.

4. View the events posted by Hospitals to the Health Log a. View the Health Log display board. b. Select “Hospitals” from the “Filter” list in the top right-hand corner. c. The Health Log display board will now show only those events posted by hospitals.

5. View the PEER Log a. At what time is the conference call scheduled? ________

6. View the Regional Significant Events board a. Where is Big City EMS responding to a bus accident? _________



Knowledge Check Use the materials below to check your understanding of the materials.

PEER General Information Answer these questions after reviewing this handbook. (Answer key provided on page 23.)

Question Answer

1. What is the purpose of PEER?

2. True or False:

a. PEER protocols replace emergency response efforts at your organization.

b. PEER members will receive HHAN

alerts about incidents that may require a significant change in daily operations.

a. True False

b. True False

3. Who is the designated Point of Contact for your organization?

Is this person available to fulfill the responsibilities listed in the “Points of Contact Guidelines”?

Point of Contact:

Yes No

4. What phone number do you call to report an incident?

Phone number:

5. List three types of incidents that you may report to the MDPH Duty Officer.

1. 2. 3.

6. If an incident impacts PEER members what type of notification would you receive first from PEER?

HHAN Alert WebEOC posting Conference call

(Continued on next page)


HHAN Complete each task below to verify your HHAN account.

Task Task Complete 1. Record your HHAN username and password.

(If you do not have a user name and password, contact the HHAN Administrator at [email protected])

HHAN Username:

HHAN Password:

2. Log onto your HHAN account

3. Complete the practice session on page 9.

WebEOC Complete each task below to verify your WebEOC account and view the boards.

Task Task Complete

1. Record your WebEOC username and password. (If your organization does not have a username and password, please contact the PEER program at [email protected])

Tier 2 Username:

Tier 2 Password:

2. Log onto WebEOC and view the Control Panel.

3. Complete the practice session on page 9.

Resources to print & save

Task Task Complete 1. Print and Save the resources on pages 12 - 22.


Resources to Print & Save Print the following pages and keep them in an accessible place.

These resources include:

• Contact the Duty Officer When… • Point of Contact Guidelines • PEER Information Management System Diagram • HHAN Quick Reference Guide • WebEOC 7.3 Quick Reference Guide • Map of Public Health Preparedness Regions 4A B and C

MDPH Duty Officer Contact Sheet

Remember, the MDPH Duty Officer number is a PAGER! Leave your callback number, and the MDPH Duty Officer will return your page.

The MDPH Duty Officer can be contacted by paging 617-339-8351.

Information to include when reporting: • Your contact information • Nature of the incident

• Location of the emergency • Any known details

To report an incident:

1. Page the MDPH Duty Officer at 617-339-8351 2. When prompted, enter your ten-digit callback number followed by the

pound sign (#), then hang up 3. Wait for a return call from the MDPH Duty Officer 4. Provide the critical incident information to the MDPH Duty Officer

________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13 | P a g e PEER General Member Training - June 2012


Point of Contact Guidelines

The PEER member organization point(s) of contact (POC) is responsible for receiving PEER notification messages and conveying the information to decision-makers within their own organization. During emergencies, the POCs act as the information interface between the PEER Information Management System and their own organization. The POCs is determined by individual agencies. The purpose of this tool is to provide guidance only and does not substitute for existing internal processes of each organization during emergency events.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Communicate alert information to relevant personnel.

2. Assist MDPH Duty Officer as requested.

3. Confirm receipt of HHAN alerts.

4. Post requested information on WebEOC.

5. Provide personnel for conference calls if needed. 6. Document activities and observations (positive or negative) for your agency’s

After Action Report (AAR) process.

IMPORTANT Information HHAN Website: http://mass.gov/hhan

Your HHAN User ID: ________________

Your HHAN password: _______________

WebEOC Website: http://eoc.cityofboston.gov

Tier 1 Login Account: PEER

Password: PEER

Tier Two Login User: __________

Password: __________

Questions for Quality Improvement PEER does not require written answers. These are questions for the Point(s) of Contact to keep in mind while working through the incident.

1. Was the information you received from the HHAN and WebEOC adequate to determine whether or not information should be transmitted to designated personnel within your organization?

2. Was the information received from the HHAN and WebEOC adequate to assist your organization in making decisions about an appropriate response?

3. Were you able to post information about your organizational status and resources on WebEOC as requested?

4. Were the appropriate personnel available for teleconferences and other communications as requested? If not, why?

This document can be found on the PEER website: www.sph.bu.edu/peer.

Guidelines and checklists are subject to periodic review and may be revised as needed overtime. Last revision: June 2012

http://mass.gov/hhan

http://eoc.cityofboston.gov/

http://www.sph.bu.edu/peer

Hospitals EMS Community Health Centers

Long-term Care Facilities

Public Health

Point of contact(s) to be determined by individual agencies


PEER Information Management System (PIMS)

Incidents reported by on‐scene, CMED, MEMA and others

Incidents reported to Duty Officer by PEER Members

Support Team to Duty Officer at MDPH

PEER Discipline Leads Subject Matter Experts serving rotating shifts MDPH Duty Officer

On-call, rotating position at MDPH Staffed 24/7

HHAN Team On-call rotating position at

MDPH Staffed 24/7

PNC PEER Notification Center

Facility staffed 24/7

HHAN used for notification WebEOC used for

communication and situational awareness

PEER Member Organizations (5 Disciplines from 4A, 4B & 4C)

ACTIVATION

Click here to edit your Personal Profile

Look here for your Group list

Click here to see Alert details

Login to the HHAN at http://mass.gov/hhan If you forgot your password, click the “Forgot Password” link If you forgot your username, email [email protected]

A. Request a HHAN account, if you don’t have one: To request an account, send an email to the HHAN Help Desk at [email protected]. You will receive an email invitation with instructions to activate your account.

B. Verify that the groups listed reflect your discipline: All PEER notifications are sent out to members whose HHAN accounts are registered in the Community Health Centers, Emergency Medical Services, Hospitals, Long- term Care Facilities, and Hospitals Group Lists in Region 4. To view a list of the Groups you belong to, login to the HHAN and view your “home page”. Your Groups are listed on the left panel. If you have any questions about the groups shown, email [email protected].

A. Complete your Personal Profile: Completing your Personal Profile is critical for receiving HHAN Alerts correctly. It is important that you set up your profile when you first receive the account, and update it any time your contact information changes.

How to set up your HHAN account to receive PEER Notifications

To update your Personal Profile: i. Login to the HHAN at http://mass.gov/hhan ii. Click on the “Personal Profile” tab iii. Confirm that all information in your profile is correct. iv. Pay special attention to your phone numbers and

email addresses, and your “Alerting Preferences.” Use the “Alerting Preferences” to customize how to receive each level of Alert.

v. Make sure to set your Call-In ID in order to call into the HHAN to listen to the three most recent Alerts. It is recommended that you use your cell phone number as your Call-In ID, so that you can remember it easily.

Health and Homeland Alert Network (HHAN) Quick Reference Guide

1


Health and Homeland Alert Network (HHAN) Quick Reference Guide

How to receive and confirm HHAN Alerts When you receive a HHAN Alert on your phone, email, or pager, it is often requested that you “confirm” the receipt of the Alert. You may also confirm an Alert you received previously on the website.

HHAN Quick Reference Guide – June 2012

To listen to confirm an Alert received on the phone: The HHAN will call you from the number 617-401-8658. 1. Enter your four‐digit Telephone PIN if prompted. 2. Listen to the Alert message. 3. If necessary, press 2 to repeat the message. 4. Press 1 to confirm the Alert.

To read and confirm an Alert received via email: 1. The HHAN Alert will be delivered by email. 2. Read the email. 3. If requested, click on the link in the email to confirm. NOTE: Many HHAN Alerts have files attached to provide more information. The files can only be accessed via the HHAN website.

To access recently received alerts on the phone: You may find that you need to listen to an Alert received in the past. For example, you are listening to an Alert on your cell phone and the call is dropped. 1. Dial the HHAN toll-free number 877-313-HHAN (4426) 2. Enter your Call-In ID when prompted. 3. Enter your four-digit Telephone PIN when prompted 4. You may listen to the three most recent alerts received. NOTE: Your Call-In ID and Telephone PIN are selected on your HHAN Profile page. It is recommended that you use your cell phone number as your Call-In ID, so that you can remember it easily.

To read and confirm an Alert via internet, text message, or alpha pager: 1. Login to the HHAN at http://mass.gov/hhan 2. Click on the Alert title to access the Alert Details Page. 3. Read the Alert. 4. Click on “Confirm” to confirm. 5. Links to attached files appear at the bottom of the Alert

Details Page.

A complete HHAN User Guide can be found on the PEER website: http://sph.bu.edu/peer

2


Logging into WebEOC

Go to: https://eoc.cityofboston.gov

A. Tier 1 Login Screen Account: PEER Password: PEER

B. Tier 2 Login Screen Jurisdiction: Select “PEER List” from the drop-down list User: Select your account name Password: Enter your password

C. Tier 3 Login Screen Position: Your organization will be automatically selected. Incident: Select the current incident. (The most recent incident will be selected by default.)

D. Additional Login Information: Enter your complete contact information as prompted.

Note: Pop-up windows must be enabled If you see a “logged in” message but no Control Panel, your computer is blocking pop-up windows. Look for the error message below and follow the prompts to select “Always allow pop-ups from this site.”

WebEOC 7.3 Quick Reference Guide - June 2012

WebEOC 7.3 Quick Reference Guide

1


https://eoc.cityofboston.gov

https://eoc.cityofboston.gov

The Three Display Boards used for PEER Use the Health Log to post events and to view events posted by all PEER members. Postings will go onto the PEER Log if you select that option.

The Health Log can be filtered to display select postings:

• All PEER: displays all events posted by all PEER members

• Discipline: displays all events posted by PEER members in the selected discipline (EMS, health centers, hospitals, long-term care, public health)

• Position: displays all events posted by your account only.

The PEER Log displays selected events posted by PEER members in all five disciplines. This board is not monitored by Duty Officer. Regional Significant Events displays significant events posted by everyone logged onto this incident. This includes emergency management, public safety and fire departments. Postings are reviewed and approved to be displayed.

The Control Panel

Click on the incident name to view another incident.

Click on the name of the display board to open it and view posted events.

Red Text means that there is new information to be viewed.




2

Posting Information to the Health Log Use the Health Log to post events.

Open the Health Log Entry screen by clicking on the “New Record” button in the Health Log Display board.

A. Complete these fields on the screen. o Event Type – select from the list. o Description – be very specific. o Priority – select from the list. o Address – enter the complete address of the event. o Attachment – use to attach a file from your computer.

B. Select “Regional Significant Events.” If this event should be seen by everyone in the system. The posting will be reviewed and approved. An event is “significant” if it affects more than one discipline or more than one jurisdiction.

C. Select “Post to PEER” to post the event for all PEER members to view on the PEER Log.

D. Click “Submit” to post the information.

Guidelines for entering information: • Be concise and specific in your description of the

event. Write a brief description including the implications of the event and any initial actions taken. Include numbers when appropriate (e.g. number of people affected).

• The information should be appropriate and polite. Remember that your entries will be seen by many people.

• Do not use jargon or acronyms when entering information. Make sure that everyone knows what you’re talking about.




3


Viewing the Three Display Boards Each of the display boards works in the same way. The only thing that differs for each screen is the type of events displayed. Health Log: displays all events posted by PEER members; can be filtered to display events posted by a single discipline or by

your account. Also includes a “New Record” button to post a new event, and an “Update Record” button to change an event you posted previously.

PEER Log: displays events posted by PEER members in all five disciplines. This board is not monitored by the Duty Officer. Regional Significant Events: displays significant events posted by everyone logged onto this incident. This includes

emergency management, public safety and fire departments. Health Log Display ONLY: Click here to post a new event.

Health Log Display ONLY: Click here to filter the events displayed.

Health Log Display ONLY: Click here to change an event you posted previously.

Click here to turn off the automatic refresh of your screen.

Click here to open files attached to the posting.

View the name and organization posting the event.



4

The geographic area of focus of PEER is Public Health Preparedness regions 4A, 4B, and 4C in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.



Knowledge Check Answer Key

PEER General Information This key provides you with the correct answers to the Knowledge Check on page 3.

Question Answer

1. What is the purpose of PEER? (See page 3)

The purpose of PEER is to ensure timely, consistent, and reliable communication of critical information and to improve situational awareness during emergencies.

2. True or False: a. PEER can replace emergency

response efforts at your organization.

b. PEER members will receive HHAN alerts about incidents that may require significant changes in daily operations. (See page 3)

3. Who is the designated Point of Contact for your organization?

Is this person prepared to fulfill the responsibilities listed in the “Points of Contact Guidelines”? (See page 14)

Point of Contact: (Answer differs for each organization)

Yes No

4. What phone number do you call to report an incident? (See page 7)

Phone number: 617-339-8351

5. List three types of incidents that you may report to the MDPH Duty Officer. (See page 13)

1. (Answer differs for each organization) 2. 3.

6. If an incident impacted PEER members, what type of notification would you receive first from PEER? (See page 4)

a. True False

b. True False

HHAN Alert WebEOC posting

Conference call

peer phase iv handbook... · 2012-06-29 · peer members may receive hhan alerts at any time for...

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