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Isolation and Quarantine for Rural Communities page 2

Commonwealth of Virginia Adopts RDPC Course page 3

New Whole Community Approach to DHS-Certified Training page 3

Port and Vessel Security Course Update page 5

Update on the RDPC Course Evaluation Program page 7

XIV 2013

Rural Preparedness QuarterlyTraining and Information for America’s Rural Communities

Inside

Many questions remain regarding the December 12, 2012, deadly shooting

at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. However, there is no doubt that the training of community decision makers, law enforcement, and school officials remains a high priority among urban and rural communities alike. The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consor-tium (RDPC) offers the following courses aimed at fostering partnerships and improv-ing the readiness of communities to prevent and respond to similar incidents. • AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-

Based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement with Local School Systems (instructor-led course)

• AWR 148-W Crisis Management for School-Based Incident: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement with Local School Systems (web-based course)

• AWR 208-W Crisis Management in a Rural School - Webcast (web-based course)The RDPC plans to assess lessons learned

from Sandy Hook and other school-based incidents for course improvement purposes. However, evidence acquired through course evaluations indicates that participants of these courses have increased their knowl-edge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for the benefit of their communities’ readiness. For example, the RDPC recently conducted a survey of prior AWR 148 training

School Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut Highlights the Importance of Training

2 RDPC www.ruraltraining.org

Isolation and Quarantine for Rural CommunitiesBy the end of 2012, 41 states reported

widespread influenza activity according the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion (CDC). The instances and spread of the seasonal flu in 2012 and 2013 are significant and serve as reminders of the risk to public health of potentially more deadly infectious diseases. While a pandemic flu scenario warrants special planning and preparations, the use of containment measures to manage the spread of other diseases such as tuber-culosis (TB) is commonplace. For example, more than 10,000 cases of TB are reported each year in the United States.

The use of isolation and quarantine as disease control measures is the topic of a new suite of courses developed by the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC).

With the advent of vaccinations and the complete eradication of some of the most troublesome and recurrent diseases throughout history (small pox, polio, among others), non-pharmaceutical interventions such as isolation and quarantine came to be viewed as archaic in developed nations. The twenty-first century, though, has introduced the public to new communicable disease types such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and H1N1 influenza (“swine flu”). The discovery of Ebola, the emergence of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), and the potential threat of bioterrorism have pushed the need for isolation and quarantine preparedness back into the responder purview. Modern condi-tions have left many responders, especially in rural and remote communities, without the knowledge and training they need for activating or coordinating aid for isolation and quarantine response.

Though the federal government retains authority to implement isolation and quarantine measures, especially at ports of entry such as airports, much of the burden for implementing isolation and quarantine falls on the shoulders of local communities that operate under differing state and local laws and authorities, and operating proce-dures. Four RDPC courses aim to assist rural communities in planning for public health emergencies based on national-level

guidelines and best practices. While all courses will offer common background modules and scenarios, separate courses will be developed for target audiences such as healthcare, public safety officials, and private sector entities.

Private sector organizations often overlook planning where half their work force may be absent at any given time over a period of weeks or months. “This can put a strain on an organization’s ability to conduct day-to-day business, which can

in turn put it at risk to failure through an inability to provide the goods and services their customers expect,” says Dan Charles, Curriculum Designer for NorthWest Arkan-sas Community College.

For example, the private sector course addresses unique aspects of planning for an infectious disease outbreak, including the:• Continuity of operations and the

management of employees poten-tially cut-off from regular facilities even though the structures may be unaffected.

• Lengthy duration of the emergency as compared to more common incident types such as tornados, floods, or winter storms (e.g., weeks or months rather than the hours and days).

• Financial expenses accrued due to lost productivity.Tailored for local business owners, phar-

macies, local employers, local association members, and volunteer organizations, the objectives of the private sector course are to:• Provide private-sector organizations in

small, rural, and remote communities with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively plan for and respond to isolation and/or quarantine events of their populations.

• Identify gaps and areas for improvement in infectious disease planning in organi-zational continuity plans, policies, and procedures.

• Involve private sector continuity manag-ers in a structured exchange of informa-tion, ideas, solutions, and resolutions as they pertain to continuity issues during response to an infectious disease.All courses in the suite include discus-

sion-based exercises that require partici-pants to evaluate the activities necessary to implement isolation and quarantine measures. Keep an eye on the RDPC website for offerings and open registration periods for courses in this suite (see http://rural-training.org/courses).

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New Whole Community Approach to DHS-Certified Training

The newest Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency (FEMA) directive for the

emergency preparedness community is to implement strategies that include the notion of “Whole Community.” The principles of Whole Community are based on three essential assumptions: understand and meet the actual needs of the Whole Community; engage and empower all parts of the commu-nity to define their needs and provide ways to meet them; and strengthen what already works well in communities on a daily basis to improve resiliency and emergency manage-ment outcomes.

Plans and procedures should include each portion of the community, including persons with access and functional needs, religious organizations, and unique groups such as pet owners who need to plan for accommodations for their pets when they are directed to evacuate a given area.

By this token, many of the courses offered by the RDPC follow these three guidelines. For example, MGT 405 Mobiliz-ing Faith-Based Community Organizations in Preparing for Disaster includes the notion of engaging faith-based organizations to better serve the community as a whole in the event of an emergency. MGT 403 Response Planning for People with Access & Func-tional Needs in Rural America encourages communities to plan for persons with access and functional needs. Similarly, PER 280 Emergency Response: Strengthening Coopera-tive Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities aims to better integrate busi-nesses and other private sector entities into the response and recovery framework.

The following two case studies demon-strate Whole Community approaches to preparedness.

Case Study: Planning for Persons with Functional Needs in Monroe County, Florida

As a hurricane moves through the Atlantic and approaches the Florida Keys, citizens prepare to evacuate and many businesses cease operations. From the outside, evacuating one’s home due to an approaching hurricane may seem like an easy decision. The Florida Keys, however, present individuals and emergency response agencies with two distinct challenges to evacuation: (1) a “one road in, one road out” situation from Key West to Homestead/Miami along U.S. Highway 1, and (2) a high percentage of access and functional needs individuals within the Florida Keys permanent population, including elderly persons. In order to facilitate the evacuation of access and functional needs individuals, Monroe County, Florida, which incorporates all the Florida Keys, has developed a special needs registry, as required by Florida statute. Furthermore, Monroe County has necessary mutual aid and assistance agreements in place to ensure that proper resources are available to safely evacu-ate these individuals and provide assistance after evacuation.

Monroe County, Florida, is the south-ernmost county in the United States and is made up of the Florida Keys and portions of the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. Based on the 2010 Census, Monroe County has a permanent popula-tion of approximately 73,000 residents; 18% of residents are 65 years of age or older. To qualify under Florida’s special needs defini-tion, one must be frail, elderly, medically needy, and/or disabled and not served in or by a residential facility program.

Commonwealth of Virginia Adopts RDPC Course The Rural Domestic Preparedness

Consortium (RDPC) has many ways of providing training to rural emer-gency responders. There are the traditional instructor-led training sessions, ITV (Inter-active Television) deliveries, and web-based, self-paced training. Each of these delivery methods has their own advantages, depend-ing on the needs of the jurisdiction request-ing the training course.

One of the RDPC’s most popular web-based training courses, AWR 187-W Terror-ism and WMD Awareness in the Workplace, gained the attention of the Virginia Depart-ment of Emergency Management (VDEM) as a means to put regulatory training in place for all employees of the state—approximately 85,000 workers. The Commonwealth of Virginia has recently institutionalized the course in response to a directive from the Governor requiring workplace terrorism awareness training. State agencies are still allowed to develop their own agency specific training materials, but most will use the online course to relay core concepts and then deliver a shorter course (classroom or online) to address training needs more specific to

their respective agencies.Ken Clark, VDEM’s Training Curriculum

Manager, coordinates the course delivery, applications, and resources on behalf of the Commonwealth. Based on his familiarity with AWR 187-W, Mr. Clark recommended that the course be accepted by the state to fulfill the workplace terrorism awareness training requirement.

If other jurisdictions wish to take advan-tage of web-based training for institutional purposes, please contact the RDPC. Staff are available to provide technical assistance and support. Feel free to contact the RDPC at info@ruraltraining.org or via the RDPC helpdesk (1-877-855-7372) to inquire about any of the RDPC’s services or courses.

It gained the attention of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) as a means to put regulatory training in place for all employees of the state—approximately 85,000 workers.

4 RDPC www.ruraltraining.org

Due to the high percentage of special needs individuals within the state’s popula-tion, Florida Statute 252.355 – Registry of Persons with Special Needs requires each local emergency management agency to develop and maintain a registry of all special needs individuals for the purposes of evacuation and sheltering. The special needs registry is activated when (a) a hurricane (regardless of category strength) threatens the Florida Keys and (b) the Monroe County Decision Board (comprised of County Mayor, County Administrator, County Fire Chief, County Sheriff, and County Emergency Manager) has ordered an evacuation. Per the Monroe County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP), special needs individuals are evacuated from the Florida Keys 36 hours prior to a hurricane making landfall. The evacuation of special needs individuals follows a phased evacuation protocol, which begins with tourists, followed by special needs individuals, and lastly the general public.

In addition to special needs registry individuals, Monroe County has agree-ments in place to ensure hospital patients within the Florida Keys are safely evacuat-ed as well. When an evacuation is ordered, the Monroe County Emergency Opera-tions Center (EOC) will send a request to the Florida state EOC for hospital patient evacuation. The state of Florida will then activate its agreements with the North Carolina Air National Guard (NCANG) to dispatch C-130 military transport planes to assist with the evacuation of patients to hospitals in Highlands County, Florida, which have agreements with Monroe County to accept evacuated patients.

All nursing and other residential facili-ties within Monroe County are privately owned and for-profit facilities. Consequently, residents of these facilities are not eligible for placement on the special needs registry. Therefore, each facility must have its own emergency evacuation plan for its residents that defines where the residents will be evacuated to and how it will be achieved. This plan must be submitted to Monroe County Emergency Management for review and approval. If a facility does not have an approved plan on file with Monroe County Emergency Management, the Florida

Agency for Healthcare Administration has the option to take appropriate steps to ensure the facility develops an approved plan.

Case Study: Integrating Florida’s Businesses and Industries

The Whole Community approach helps create what is termed a “resilient commu-nity,” which is a community able to function during and after a crisis. Resilient commu-nities get the entire community involved, including local businesses. Citizens and businesses that live and operate near the Florida coast are accustomed to prepar-ing for and evacuating well in advance of hurricanes making landfall. In the past, the lack of awareness of conditions in impacted areas restricted the reentry of citizens and businesses. Now, the state of Florida, in cooperation with many of its businesses, is helping communities get back on their feet faster and alleviate the unknown through its integration of the Emergency Support Function (ESF) 18 – Business, Industry and Economic Stabilization into the State Emergency Opera-tions Center (EOC). With this innovative approach to emergency response, business representatives are on the front line with other response officials and are assisting the state with accessing the resources it needs to get back to business.

After the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005, Florida identified a need to better coordinate resource information with businesses and industry, and allocate resources before, during, and follow-ing an incident. The integration of business and industry within the state EOC, as part of a new ESF-18, was a significant step to help meet this need. The relationship not only strengthens the capabilities of

emergency response agencies, but it also helps local businesses to quickly reopen following an incident.

To facilitate ESF-18, Florida encourages a positive working relationship to ensure everyone is prepared for an emergency by incorporating their businesses into the state training schedule. Local retailers participate in a week-long hurricane preparedness exercise conducted each May. This full-scale exercise allows businesses the opportunity to train with other businesses as well as response officials, which enables them to become more familiar with the process. They also participate in smaller training events such as scenario-based tabletop exercises that are held through the year and “thunderbolts,” which are unannounced three to four hour training events.

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Whole Community

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Port and Vessel Security Course Undergoes 3-Year Update/Recertification

To maintain U.S. Department of Home-land Security (DHS) certification, each course in the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium’s (RDPC) training catalog must undergo an update every three years to ensure the course content is current and remains consistent with the mission and scope of DHS. The DHS recertification process requires the course developer to conduct a detailed review of the curriculum to ensure the content is relevant to the target audience and is up to date. Newly imple-mented directives from DHS, pertinent regulations, national guidelines, or other information that has a direct impact on the course content can be integrated into the updated materials. DHS requires the course

developers to update all materials based on information gathered from deliver-ing the course over the past three years, as well as from input from subject matter experts (SMEs). The RDPC also utilizes the information obtained from Level 3 course evaluations, which are typically conducted in parallel with the 3-year recertification process.

The most recent course to undergo a 3-year revision is AWR 144 Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel. The course developer, The University of Findlay, updated course materials based on feedback collected from deliveries, SMEs, and the Level 3 course evaluation. AWR 144 received official DHS recertification in August 2012. The original scope of AWR 144 remains the same in the updated materials, which is to assist the public safety community in understand-ing the unique and complex security needs

of rural maritime facilities and vessels. Through AWR 144, rural first respond-ers gain a better understanding of the criticalities of the maritime system, thereby increasing their ability to defend it. Since its original approval in October 2008, AWR 144 has been delivered at 60 locations across 25 states resulting in more than 1,600 respond-ers trained.

Every course the RDPC offers follows the same recertification process, assuring each training course continues to be as effective and timely as possible. As times change, so do the needs of many of the rural communities across the United States. All RDPC courses are offered to the public free of charge for qualifying jurisdictions. To schedule AWR 144 or any other of the RDPC’s course offerings in your area, please visit the RDPC website at: http://ruraltrain-ing.org/request-course.

John James is a master instructor with Eastern Kentucky University, an academic

partner of the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC). He has more than 25 years of emergency services experience. From 1990 to 2003, he served simultane-ously as a career firefighter, with the rank of lieutenant, and as deputy director of his county emergency management agency. In 2003, John moved to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency where he served as regional coordinator, deputy director, and interim director. During this time, he worked several major disasters including Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, where he served as state liaison to the Gulf Coast counties of Alabama, and the tornado outbreaks in 2007 and 2011. Due to his extensive experiences, John understands and appreciates the importance of the RDPC in rural areas.

“As former interim Director of the Alabama Emergency Management, I recog-nized the need in rural areas like ours for a well-defined plan in the event of catastrophic events, that is custom to the rural jurisdic-tion in which it will be used, rather than a template created for a larger, metropolitan area. Because of RDPC, each rural area that takes advantage of the trainings offered will be able to develop their own, individual procedures unique to their location. It is worth noting in these tough economic times that these trainings are all offered free.”

During the tornado outbreak of 2007, John served as the state coordinating officer in support of the state and federal recovery activities. In 2008, John returned to his fire service roots where he serves as a regional coordinator for the Alabama Fire College. In this position, he coordinates the train-ing efforts of both the career and volunteer departments within his area. During the Alabama tornados of April 27, 2011, John was assigned to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency through a mutual aid agreement to assist with the response and recovery efforts in one of the most heavily affected areas of Alabama.

John has served as an instructor for both the fire and emergency management disciplines for several years. He holds certification as an instructor in numerous fire disciplines as well as several areas of

emergency management. He has taught for both the Alabama Fire College and Alabama Emergency Management Agency covering topics such as fire instructor, fire inspector, firefighter I/II, hazardous materials, emer-gency operation plan (EOP) development, and testing and evaluating an EOP. He has also traveled around the country sharing lessons learned from his disaster experience.

John has a Bachelor of Science degree in public safety administration from Athens State University and is a Certified Emer-gency Manager (CEM), the highest honor of professional achievement awarded to individuals in emergency management.

RDPC

John James

6 RDPC www.ruraltraining.org

Training America’s rural responders

Register On-Line!RDPC prepares you for the unique situations facing communities in rural America. We train responders using the latest U.S. Department of Homeland Security-approved curriculum. Log on to our website today for training schedules, registration and more information.

www.ruraltraining.org

TELL US YOUR STORY!Do you have a story about your rural community? Whether you want to share an experience, best practice, or just let us know what life is like for a rural first responder, we’d love to hear it. Your story may be featured in an upcoming newsletter, or we could even show up

on your doorstep with camera in hand to feature the story on the RDPC’s Rural Responder Network. To submit your story idea, contact Jessica Melton at jmelton@centertech.com. For more information about RDPC, email helpdesk@ruraltraining.org.

Prepare For The Worst, Train To Be The Best

www.ruraltraining.org RDPC 7

In 2010, the RDPC established a Level 3 Course Evaluation Program to evaluate

the training effectiveness of its courses. This program is based on Level 3 of Donald Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of evaluating training programs—behavior. The purpose of the program is to measure the transfer in behavior that has occurred in the participant due to his/her completion of the training course. Therefore, the program measures the transfer of training by assessing whether trainees are applying newly acquired knowl-edge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in their daily job setting.

The RDPC utilizes the results of the Level 3 course evaluations not only to evalu-ate the transfer of KSAs, but also as a tool to identify potential improvements to course curricula and delivery mechanisms. Level 3 course evaluations are just one of many mechanisms utilized by the RDPC to help ensure that high quality training is continu-ally developed and delivered to the rural emergency response community that is both relevant and timely.

Completed Evaluations

To date, the RDPC has completed evalu-ations on four (4) individual courses:• AWR 144 Port and Vessel Security for

Public Safety and Maritime Personnel• AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response• AWR 148 Crisis Management for School-

Based Incidents: Partnering Rural Law Enforcement and the Local School Systems

• MGT 381 Business Continuity Planning and Emergency ResponseOverall, each evaluation indicated

that the course helped the majority of the respondents gain a better understanding of the concepts and principles covered in each course. The evaluation results also indicate that participants are taking the informa-tion they acquired and applying it to their organizations and job responsibilities. For example, the MGT 381 respondents stated that the course had helped them to write a new or update an existing business continu-ity plan, form a business continuity plan development team, identify critical busi-ness functions and potential hazards, and complete a risk analysis.

The RDPC also utilized the evaluation information in the recertification for each course. Final reports for each of the course evaluations are currently available on the RDPC website at: http://www.ruraltraining.org/news/reports.

Current and Future Evaluations

The RDPC is utilizing the lessons learned from previous course evaluations in the administration of current and future evalu-ations. Presently, the RDPC is conducting an evaluation of AWR 187-W Terrorism and WMD Awareness in the Workplace. This evaluation is in the data analysis phase and a final report is expected in late Spring/early Summer 2013. In addition , the RDPC will perform evaluations on the following

courses in the near future:• AWR 208-W Crisis Management in a

Rural School (Webcast) • AWR 209 Dealing with the Media: A

Short Course for Rural First Responders• MGT 335 and MGT 335-W Event Securi-

ty Planning for Public Safety Professionals• PER 280 Emergency Response: Strength-

ening Cooperative Efforts Among Public Safety and Private Sector Entities

• PER 281 Homeland Security Terror-ism Prevention Certificate for Law EnforcementIf you have completed one of these

courses listed above, please be on the lookout for official communications from the RDPC for your invitation to participate in the course evaluation.

Each course provided by the RDPC is tuition-free and aims to help participants prepare for unique challenges they may face as emergency responders. The RDPC Level 3 course evaluation program helps to ensure that each course is meeting those goals and objectives. For more information about the RDPC or the mentioned courses, please contact the RDPC at info@ruraltraining.org or via phone at 1-877-855-RDPC (7372). To see a full list of available RDPC courses, please visit http://www.ruraltrianing.org/courses.

Update on the RDPC Course Evaluation Program

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School Shooting

RDPC Academic Partners

participants and found that at least 85% of the respondents are:• Better prepared to communicate with

all stakeholders using common school emergency management terminol-

ogy (96%);• More confident in identify-ing potential vulnerabilities within the school(s) in the community (95%);

• Better prepared to identify possible solutions to potential

vulnerabilities within the school(s) in the community (93%);

• Better able to identify and mitigate poten-tial threats that schools in the community face including those involving workplace violence, terror-ism, bullying, and domestic issues (85%); and

• Better able to describe the various levels of lockdown and the response protocols appropriate to each (89%).

Responders are encouraged to register for an upcoming instructor-led or web-based course at http://ruraltraining.org/courses.

ESF-18’s role in the state EOC during an event is straightforward. Once the state EOC is activated, the ESF-18, represented in the Unified Logistics Section of the EOC, is staffed with logistical representatives from the state of Florida and the Florida Retail Federation (FRF) as well as representatives from VisitFlorida, Enterprise Florida, Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, Florida Department of Revenue, and the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Develop-ment. When a resource request is made, the ESF-18 reports the availability of and coordinates for the allocation of resources. Conference calls take place as needed with the business community who report the status of their store locations and available resources. Information from these calls is placed in a database in a color-coded system. If a business location is shaded red, the store

is not expected to open within the next 24 to 48 hours. If the business is shaded yellow, it is operating on limited power or services. A business shaded green is fully operational.

A key partner in the ESF-18 is the FRF, which connects private businesses with the emergency management process before, during, and after emergencies. They not only maintain up-to-date information about retail store locations and contacts during an emergency, but help their members prepare for emergencies by offering guid-ance through their outreach components. The FRF also participates in preparedness training with other Florida stakeholders. With help from the FRF, the state EOC maintains status on businesses in affected neighborhoods across the State, providing vital information to communities trying to get back on their feet.

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Whole Community

KUDOSAssistant Chief Harry Willis, Cayce Missis-sippi Volunteer Fire Department, recently completed AWR 147 Rail Car Incident Response in Byhalia, Mississippi.

“I just completed this course and wanted to let you how pleased we were with AWR 147. It was very informative and the instructor did a great job making the course interesting! I will recommend RDPC to others. I will be requesting additional courses for our com-munity in the future!”

Michael Mitchell, Texas Game Warden, Port Lavaca, Texas, recently completed AWR 144-W Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel.

“Thank you for offering the AWR 144-W Port and Vessel Security for Public Safety and Maritime Personnel course online. I have a small port nearby and it really helped to obtain this quality course content online.”