The following online resources were compiled to help Region VIII providers and emergency health care personnel plan for and respond to natural disasters, terrorism events, or public health emergencies. Each topic includes resourceful links to education, patient education tools, training, information, and guidelines for preparing and planning for emergencies in Region VIII.
Visit the CHAMPS Climate Change Resources webpage for a compilation of resources on climate change and health, reports and statistics, relevant education and trainings, health equity, and wildfire-specific resources.
Review HRSA’s Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Resources for Health Centers webpage for links to materials assisting health centers with their critical role in providing continuity of care to support communities during and after natural or man-made emergencies.
Please click or scroll down for:
CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule
Emergency Management Documents and Templates
Trainings and Educational Resources
Public Health Emergency Resources: Epidemics and Bioterrorism
Mental Health Resources
Region VIII State-Specific Resources
Other Online Resources
CMS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RULE
On September 8, 2016, the Federal Register posted the final rule Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers. The regulation goes into effect on November 16, 2016. Health care providers and suppliers affected by this rule must comply and implement all regulations one year after the effective date, on November 16, 2017.
ASPR TRACIE
Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers
CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule: Resources at Your Fingertips
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Emergency Preparedness Rule, including Guidance for Surveyors, Providers, and Suppliers
Advanced Copy – Emergency Prep Interpretive Guidelines (PDF)
Surveyor Tool – EP Tags (Excel)
Core EP Rule Requirements
Health Care Provider Guidance
Transcript: 04/27/17 CMS Final Rule Training Call
Guidance related to the Emergency Preparedness Testing Exercise Requirements-Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Recording of September 2021 Emergency Preparedness Information Session with CMS: Overview of FQHCs and What’s New Based on the Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Regulatory Provisions to Promote Program Efficiency, Transparency, and Burden Reduction Final Rule and Presentation Slides
Office of the Federal Register
Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Emergency Preparedness Requirements for Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
CMS Emergency Preparedness Rule Toolkit: Rural Health Clinic/Federally Qualified Health Center
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DOCUMENTS AND TEMPLATES
California Emergency Medical Services Authority
Downloadable and customizable guides for various incidents including active shooters, infectious disease, missing persons, unforeseen severe weather, tornadoes, wildfires, and more.
HICS Incident Response Guides (IRGs)
California Primary Care Association (CPCA) and California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA)
Template to assist health centers in developing and maintaining an emergency management program to guide their response to all emergencies, regardless of cause.
Community Clinic and Health Center Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Template
EverBridge
Assets to help organizations prepare for active shooter threats, including a white paper, webinar replay, and sample training drill for active shooter events.
Active Shooter Preparedness Kit for Organizations
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Toolkit on steps to take during an emergency.
Resolve to be Ready Toolkit
A wildfire preparedness toolkit.
Prepare Your Organization for A Wildfire Playbook
Free software for creating, improving, or updating a business continuity plan.
Business Continuity Planning Suite
A toolkit providing a set of fundamental principles for exercise programs, as well as a common approach to program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning.
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP)
A toolkit addressing Community Lifelines (which enable the continuous operation of critical business and government functions).
Community Lifelines Implementation Toolkit
Health Outreach Partners (HOP)
Document on how to include outreach workers and community health workers in health center emergency preparedness and management.
Tip Sheet by Health Outreach Partners and Migrant Health Promotion
HUD Exchange
A toolkit designed for local governments, continuums of care, and service providers that want to ensure comprehensive and inclusive disaster planning, response and recovery, and long-term recovery efforts, offering a framework for collaboration between local governments and service providers necessary to meet the needs of homeless and vulnerable populations during and after a disaster.
Disaster Recovery Homelessness Toolkit
National Academies of Sciences Engineering Medicine
Templates to guide the efforts of professionals and organizations responsible for CSC planning and implementations.
Crisis Standards of Care: A Systems Framework for Catastrophic Disaster Response
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
Document posted on the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse to be used as a guide for the development of a health center Communications Plan; it may be maintained as a free-standing document, or as an annex to the organization’s Emergency Management Plan (EMP).
Health Center Communications Plan Template
Document posted on the Health Center Resource Clearinghouse to be used as a guide for the development of a health center emergency management (EM) plan, or EMP; suggested language, policies, and/or protocols should be modified to reflect current operations and organizational approach to the EM program’s structure and ongoing maintenance.
Health Center Emergency Management Plan Template
North American Management Health and Family Services
Emergency preparedness fact sheet for community health centers.
Fact Sheet
Ohio Primary Care Association
Editable template for health centers to use in documenting general emergency management and preparedness strategies, planning, and procedures.
Federally Qualified Health Center Template
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
This toolkit is an objective, data-driven, all-hazards risk assessment that can be used by public and private organizations within the Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) Sector to inform emergency preparedness planning, risk management activities, and resource investments.
The HPH Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Disaster Preparedness to Promote Community Resilience: Information and Tools for Homeless Service Providers and Disaster Professionals is a toolkit providing preparedness strategies to better integrate homeless service providers into emergency management systems, ensure that homeless service providers are capable of providing essential services after a disaster, and prepare health care providers to be able to address the health-related needs of homeless individuals.
A Quick Glance at the Toolkit
Disaster Preparedness to Promote Community Resilience: Overview and Introduction
Disaster Preparedness to Promote Community Resilience: Toolkit and Appendices
TRAININGS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Emergency preparedness-related tools and resources to help hospitals and health care systems prepare for medical emergencies.
AHRQ Disaster Response Tools and Resources
Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate (ALICE) Training Institute
Organizational and individual training options plus additional resources to promote proactive strategies to improve the chances of survival during an active shooter event.
ALICE Training Healthcare Program
California Primary Care Association (CPCA)
Part of a series of trainings to help build resilience and agency in emergency response for specific disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes.
California CHC Wildfire Preparedness and Response Training (July 2021) – Recording
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Resource offers a wide range of links to trainings, presentations, and activities on emergency preparedness directed towards clinicians.
Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Resources
Webpage of emergency preparedness resources related to reproductive health including a reproductive health assessment toolkit, pregnancy risk assessment, and information for caring for pregnant women during disasters.
Reproductive Health in Emergency Preparedness and Response
Webpage of emergency preparedness resources related to identifying, locating, and reaching all affected groups in an emergency.
Reaching At-Risk Populations in an Emergency
Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS)
Patient education document that informs patients about health effects of wildfire smoke as well as precautions to minimize exposure.
Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Curriculum of courses that includes mitigation, preparedness, technology, professional development, disaster operations, recovery, and integrated emergency management.
Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Online Independent Study Program
Core Curriculum Courses comprised of Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and All-Hazards Position-specific (AHPS) courses.
National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training Program
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
Includes information specific to health centers during emergencies, including COVID-19 related bulletins and links to CDC resources, plus general information about change in scope, FTCA, and more.
Emergency Preparedness and Recovery Resources for Health Centers
High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (HICAHS)
This eight+ minute video is designed to train agricultural employees how to monitor air quality and how to wear an N95 mask.
What Agricultural Workers Need to Know about Wildfire Smoke
National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH)
Listing of disaster health courses available online at no cost.
Compendium of Disaster Health Courses
National Center for Health in Public Housing
Slides and recordings for a variety of recent trainings, including emergency preparedness/response and other topics.
Recent Trainings
National Opinion Research Center
Guide addresses the challenges facing migrant and seasonal farmworkers during an emergency.
Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health
Free e-learning program designed to help providers deliver culturally and linguistically competent services in disaster situations.
Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response
World Health Organization (WHO)
Effective Media Communication during Public Health Emergencies.
A WHO Handbook
A WHO Field Guide
A WHO Quick-Reference Chart
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESOURCES: EPIDEMICS AND BIOTERRORISM
Visit the CHAMPS COVID-19 Resources webpage for a clearinghouse of resources pertinent to the prevention, slowing of infection rate, and treatment of this illness.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
Updated computer model that predicts the number and type of staff needed to respond to a major disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack on a given population.
Computer Staffing Model for Bioterrorism and Epidemic Outbreak Response
Report on planning for a Mass Casualty Event (MCE) including strategies, tools, and examples of how health systems and communities have approached MCE planning.
Mass Medical Care with Scarce Resources: A Community Planning Guide
Tool to help state and local officials locate alternate health care sites if hospitals are overwhelmed due to a bioterrorism attack or other public health emergency.
Rocky Mountain Regional Care Model for Bioterrorist Events
American Public Health Association (APHA)
Consumer resource that helps Americans prepare themselves, their families, and their communities for all disasters and hazards, including pandemic flu, infectious disease, natural disasters, and other emergencies.
Get Ready
Americares
Plan template and checklist to assist health centers in planning their response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as free online trainings based on the documents.
Resources for Clinics and Health Workers in a Global Pandemic
ASPR TRACIE
Resource examining COVID-19 and secondary disasters, particularly as it pertains to health and medical considerations and sheltering-in-place or evacuating during disasters while maintaining social distance practices.
Healthcare System Preparedness for Secondary Disasters during COVID-19
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Information about the prevention and vaccination, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, etc. of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease)
For Clinicians
Public health surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of health data to help guide public health decision making and action. Contact tracing is one method of conducting surveillance and allows scientists to gather data about infections and how they may spread.
Contact Tracing
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Documents to help with Pandemic Planning Workshops.
Exercise Starter Kit for Pandemic Preparedness
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
Virtual learning hour that focuses on the key components of a contact tracing model; the role of community health workers, social workers, and social supports; long-term financing; and the importance of health care system engagement and collaboration with public health departments.
COVID-19 and the Case for Contact Tracing
Resolve to Save Lives
Playbook that provides technical guidance, checklists, and easy-to-use templates that public health leaders can use to enhance contact tracing protocols and programs.
COVID-19 Contact Tracing Playbook
Trust for America’s Health
Report on each state’s preparedness based on 10 key indicators including levels of funding, vaccinations, evacuation places, lab staffing, and capabilities.
Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Resources
The site includes general flu information, a vaccine locator, instructions for pregnant women, planning and preparedness, pandemic awareness, and vaccine awareness.
www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/planning-preparedness/national-strategy-planning.html
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
Low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters.
Disaster Assistance
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Community Health Association of Mountain/Plains States (CHAMPS)
Information and materials to support the mental health of health center staff.
Resiliency Resources
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA)
Collection of resources providing tips for parents, teachers, and disaster response workers when talking about traumatic events.
Coping Tips for Traumatic Events and Disasters
Catalog of publications on disaster behavioral health preparedness and response, emergency and disaster response workers, suicide prevention (including materials in Spanish), and tip sheets for coping with disasters and emergencies.
Disaster Behavioral Health Preparedness and Response Resources: Resources for Resilient Individuals and Communities
Fact sheets related to general disaster response and recovery as well as violence and trauma-specific information
Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: Managing Stress – English, Spanish
Coping with Grief After Community Violence
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Information on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for veterans, the general public, family, researchers, and providers.
Trauma and PTSD
Information about the wide variety of mental health reactions that have been reported in studies with survivors of disaster and mass violence.
The Impact of Disaster and Mass Violence Events on Mental Health
REGION VIII STATE-SPECIFIC RESOURCES
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE),
Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response
Information includes recent incidents, health care coalitions, planning and preparedness for a range of situations, links to community and population-specific resources, etc.
www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/categories/services-and-information/emergency-preparedness-and-response
www.colorado.gov/cdphe/emergency-preparedness-and-response-topics
Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas (CHAD)
Description of CHAD’s efforts to support health centers with emergency preparedness.
www.communityhealthcare.net/program-emergency-preparedness
Montana Primary Care Association (MPCA)
Resources and links include health center management plans, state resources, national preparedness, personal preparedness, and training courses.
www.mtpca.org/programs-and-services/emergency-preparedness/
Montana Public Health and Safety Division
Resources for public health and emergency preparedness including hospital, epidemiology, and laboratory preparedness, health alert network, immunization, food and water safety, and trainings.
www.dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/index
North Dakota Department of Health
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Information includes links to health alert network, other relevant divisions, planning for families, information on a range of health topics, and publications.
www.health.nd.gov/EPR/
South Dakota Department of Health
Public Health Preparedness and Response
Information includes links to the South Dakota Health Alert Network, a statewide emergency registry of volunteers, related resources and tools, and more.
doh.sd.gov/health-care-professionals/public-health-preparedness-and-response/
South Dakota Department of Public Safety
Office of Emergency Management
Resources include information on state preparedness, responses of counties, assistance for recovery, and ways to mitigate hazards.
dps.sd.gov/emergency-services/emergency-management
Utah Department of Health
Bureau of Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness
Resources include a disaster hotline, healthcare preparedness programs, newsletter, and information on state-wide systems.
bemsp.utah.gov
Emergency Management
Services include Emergency Preparedness and Be Ready Utah, Emergency Management Community, recent legislation, state disaster history, etc.
dem.utah.gov
Wyoming Department of Health
Public Health Preparedness and Response
Information includes responder safety and health, emergency communication, training programs, and emergency planning, and more.
health.wyo.gov/publichealth/preparedness
OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
ADA National Network
A page offering a selection of emergency preparedness and response resources, including ones for people with disabilities
Emergency Preparedness Resources
AirNow
This site provides air quality data at local, state, national, and world levels, including an interactive map providing big picture or single air quality monitor views using the official U.S. Air Quality Index.
AirNow.gov
American Red Cross
Tools including mobile applications, plans, kits, and other information to prepare homes, schools, and workplaces.
www.redcross.org
American Public Health Association (APHA)
Winter Ready resource includes fact sheets on storms, sheltering, power outages, floods, cold, flu, and other safety topics.
www.getreadyforflu.org
ASPR TRACIE
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) created the Technical Resources Assistance Center and Information Exchange (TRACIE) to act as a healthcare emergency preparedness information gateway.
asprtracie.hhs.gov
ASPR TRACIE Fact Sheet
Topic Collection: Ambulatory Care (including primary care) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC)
2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Information includes specific hazard descriptions, preparedness for all hazards, preparedness related to various populations, social media links, and news updates.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Disability and Health Emergency Preparedness
Natural Disasters and Severe Weather
Wildfires
Public Health Preparedness-2016 National Snapshot, a report highlighting how CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) strengthens the nation’s ability to save lives and protect against public health threats through improved health security, protecting people, and strengthening collaboration.
www.cdc.gov/phpr/pubs-links/2016/documents/2016_Preparedness_Report.pdf
Slides from a webinar including information on the selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in healthcare settings.
https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/strive/PPE103-508.pdf
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
Site to providing useful information for developing effective and robust emergency plans and responses.
Quality, Safety & Oversight Group – Emergency Preparedness
Colorado State University | High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (HICAHS)
Resources to create a plan to protect employees and families from smoke (scroll down and click +).
Wildfire Smoke Information for Outdoor Workers
Department of Homeland Security
This initiative, launched in February 2003, seeks to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters.
Ready.gov
Direct Relief
Provides essential medical resources to people affected by poverty or emergency situations including community health centers.
www.directrelief.org
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) must develop an emergency response plan, review the plan at least annually, and provide information about chemicals in the community to citizens. LEPC contact information is available from State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs)
Finding Your LEPC via SERCs
Information and resources about how to prepare for and respond to weather-related and man-made emergencies that affect indoor environments.
Emergencies and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Up to date information of responses, preparedness, and assistance.
www.fema.gov
Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans: Comprehensive Preparedness Guide Version 2.0 (Nov. 2010)
Emergency Support Functions
National Incident Management System
Continuity Guidance Circular
FEMA Mobile App
Provides weather alerts, safety reminders, survival tips, and emergency checklists; locates open shelters and local FEMA staff; and allows users to upload disaster photos to assist first responders.
www.fema.gov/mobile-app
HealthIT.gov
Resources to help health centers learn about how to protect and access patients’ electronic health information in an emergency.
www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-health-care-settings/emergency-medical-services-emergency-preparedness
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Emergency Preparedness & Continuity of Operations resources, including federal financial assistance in declared emergencies and response and recovery programs.
www.hrsa.gov/emergency/index.html
Emergency Preparedness & Recovery Resources for Health Centers, including information about Change in Scope, 340B Drug Program, Federal Tort Claims Act Health Center Policy Manual, and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services emergency preparedness requirements.
bphc.hrsa.gov/emergency-response/hurricane-updates.html
Liability protections for the performance of medical, surgical, dental, and related functions have been extended to Volunteer Health Professionals (VHPs) at health centers that have also been deemed as employees of the Public Health Service (PHS). Through this process, VHPs of deemed health centers may receive deemed Public Health Service employment status, with associated Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) coverage.
bphc.hrsa.gov/ftca/about/health-center-volunteers.html
Health Security
February 2021 article, “Going Viral: The 3 Rs of Social Media Messaging during Public Health Emergencies,” provides a framework for effectively communicating during a public health emergency (Health Security. Feb 2021. 75-81.).
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/hs.2020.0157
Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
Volunteer program to strengthen public health, emergency response, and community resiliency.
mrc.hhs.gov
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
Information related to emergency preparedness policy and practice including tools to enhance readiness and opportunities for local input to effect change.
www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/index.cfm
National Health Security Preparedness Index
Review each state’s preparedness level to address public health threats, including pandemics like COVID-19; data may inform planning, policy discussions, and collaborations.
Preparedness Index
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Emergency preparedness and response information related to workplace safety and health.
www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emergency.html
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Provides information and resources on extreme heat-related health impacts, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.
www.toolkit.climate.gov/topics/human-health/extreme-heat
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
Focuses on preparedness planning and response, building federal emergency medical operational capabilities, countermeasures research, advance development, and grants to strengthen the capabilities of hospitals and health care systems in public health emergencies and disasters.
www.phe.gov/ABOUT/ASPR/Pages/default.aspx
Pan America Health Organization and World Health Organization (WHO)
International emergency and disaster preparedness, monitoring, guidelines, relief information, and more.
www.paho.org
Partnership with Native Americans
Culturally sensitive resource page with FAQs, fact sheets, news, and handbooks for preparation and recovery from natural disasters on Native Reservations.
Disaster Preparedness & Recovery on the Reservation
Ready.gov
Information about conducting a business impact analysis to identify critical business functions, compiling a business continuity plan, conducting related training, testing, and exercises, etc.
Business Continuity Plan
Sunrise Community Health
Presentation to the Region VIII PCA Emergency Preparedness Networking Group on Sunrise Community Health’s responses to and lessons learned from the 2013 flooding in Colorado.
Sunrise Community Health and the 2013 Flood
Trust for America’s Health
A report, designed to give policymakers actionable data to improve their states’ emergency readiness, illustrates states’ readiness for health emergencies of all types; each is placed in a high, middle, or low performance tier based on ten key emergency preparedness indicators.
Ready or Not 2023: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Public Health Emergency
Strategic Plan that provides a vision to strengthen the nation’s ability to prevent, detect, assess, prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.
The 2019-2022 National Health Security Strategy (NHSS)
People experiencing homelessness may be at higher risk of adverse physical and psychological reactions following a public health emergency or disaster; information and resources about trauma-informed approaches can help disaster responders effectively serve homeless individuals and families.
Disaster Response for Homeless Individuals and Families: A Trauma-Informed Approach
Healthcare Coalitions support healthcare organizations during emergency response and recovery, including promoting integration of Coalition member organizations into a broader community response. This site addresses Healthcare Coalition Response Objectives, Scope, and Assumptions.
The Healthcare Coalition Overview