Resources
Helpful information and links to important resources both locally and nationally.
Florida’s Poison Control Centers
Mission & Services:
The mission of the Florida Poison Control Centers is to provide exceptional care for individual patients and for supporting public health through information, surveillance, education and research.
The Florida Poison Information Center Network was created by an act of the Florida Legislature in 1989 (FS 395.1027) in response to the overwhelming need for emergency poison information in the state. The Network, incorporates three poison centers located in Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa, and currently receives approximately 500 calls each day from Floridians and residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Florida’s three Poison Control Centers provide an invaluable service to the citizens of Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands by offering poison prevention and confidential management information through a nationwide, toll-free 1-800-222-1222 hotline. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, calls are answered by specially trained physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, toxicology fellows, and board-certified toxicologists who have immediate access to the latest, in-depth poison assessment and prevention techniques.
Please add the Poison Help line (1-800-222-1222) as a contact in your phone.
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Poisoning in Florida
Poisoning Data
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Educational Resources
Family Reunification Toolkit – School Districts
Download Here
This toolkit serves as a template to further family reunification activities and has applicability to School Districts.
Find more resources like this one thanks to the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition here: https://www.centralfladisaster.org/familyassistance
Family Reunification Toolkit: A template to support regional family reunification
Download Here
These toolkits serves as a template to further family reunification activities and has applicability to Emergency Operations Centers, School Districts and Healthcare systems/hospitals.
Agency Specific Plans:
- School District Family Reunification Plan Template
- Hospital Family Reunification & Assistance Center Plan Template
- County EOC Family Reunification & Assistance Center Plan Guide
- Family Reunification TTX SitMan
- Process for Managing Calls from Embassies and Consulates
Find more resources like this one thanks to the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition here: https://www.centralfladisaster.org/familyassistance
NERVE AGENT INFORMATION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AND HOSPITALS
**Meticulous attention to standard protocols for personal protection, recognizing toxidromes, and treating patients continues to be the best way to prepare for and respond to chemical agent exposures**
Purpose
This document provides a quick refresher on standard protocols for recognizing, treating, and protecting yourself from nerve agent exposures. Comprehensive follow-up guidance for Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS, HazMat, and Hospital-Based First Receivers incorporating lessons learned and best practices from the recent United Kingdom incidents will be forthcoming.
Background
Nerve agents are extremely toxic chemical warfare agents. Several nerve agents exist and are generally categorized as either “high volatility” or “low volatility” chemicals, a measure of how likely they are to disperse in air. A high volatility nerve agent (easily dispersed in air) means that the exposure is likely to occur from breathing in its vapors resulting in the rapid onset of symptoms.
A low volatility nerve agent (not easily dispersed in air) typically gets absorbed through the skin and has a delayed onset of signs and symptoms. An example of a high volatility nerve agent is sarin, whereas VX is a low volatility agent. In the body, a nerve agent exerts its effects by inhibiting an enzyme (acetylcholinesterase), resulting in acute illness – specifically, cholinergic crisis.
Organophosphorus or carbamate pesticides produce similar effects to nerve agents.
FULL DOCUMENT CAN BE FOUND HERE
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF NERVE AGENT POISONING
Caveat: Poisoned patients may not demonstrate all of these symptoms
- Mouth/Skin: Drooling (Salivation), foaming at the mouth, and excessive sweating
- Nose/Eyes: Runny nose and watery eyes (Lacrimation) with small (often pinpoint) pupils (Miosis)
- Chest: Cough, chest tightness, difficulty in breathing, wheezing, respiratory failure, “wet” fluid filled lungs
- Abdominal: Urination, Diarrhea, abdominal (Gastrointestinal) cramps, belching, nausea, and/or vomiting (Emesis)
- Mental Status: Confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech, ataxia, unconsciousness, coma
- Muscle/Neurological: Fatigue, weakness, twitching, tremors, cramps, absent reflexes, seizure
- Underlined findings = “SLUDGE”- Salivation, Lacrimation, Urination, Diarrhea, Gastrointestinal cramps, Emesis
- Other mnemonic used = “DUMBBELS” – Diarrhea, Urination, Miosis/Muscle weakness, Bronchospasm/Bronchorrhea, Bradycardia, Emesis, Lacrimation, Salivation/Sweating
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Public Safety Agencies, such as Law Enforcement, are in the best position to deter, detect, and investigate unauthorized or unsafe UAS operations. While drones can serve as a useful tool, these agencies also have an important role in protecting the public from unsafe and unauthorized drone operations. This information will help law enforcement and public safety professionals understand safe drone operations and their authority.
Operate a Drone, Start a Drone Program
Understand Your Authority: Handling Sightings and Reports
Access Our Public Safety Toolkit
FAA Contacts for Law Enforcement
Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft System Resource Guide
Volunteer Florida – Emergency Management
Volunteer Florida is the state’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters. In partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Volunteer Florida:
- Coordinates with Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and local and state government emergency management agencies to meet volunteer and donation needs
- Provides staffing during activation of the State Emergency Operations Center
- Provides training and presentations on the roles of government and nongovernmental organizations in disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation
- Provides fiscal and program management for federal, state, and privately funded programs
- Provides training for government, non-government, and private sector organizations on disaster volunteer and donations management
- Mobilizes and deploys resources to assist communities responding to and recovering from disaster
- Operates the ESF (Emergency Support Function) 15 and deploys trained Volunteer Florida staff to assist the Florida Division of Emergency Management if necessary
- Operates the Volunteer and Donations Hotline and the Florida Donations Portal
Emergency Management Resources
G 489 – Management of Spontaneous Volunteers in Disasters – Student Manual
O2 To Go Cylinder Duration Web Calculator
Easy to use online calculator and mobile App for oxygen cylinder duration estimation. The free calculator & app is ideal for technicians, therapists, patients and caregivers to easily calculate the approximate available oxygen remaining in an oxygen cylinder, based on the patient’s device and cylinders size & contents.
O2 To Go Cylinder Duration Web Calculator & App
Emergency Preparedness
Hospitals are required to conduct and annually review their Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA). The HVA provides a systematic approach to recognizing hazards that may affect demand for the hospitals services or its ability to provide those services. The risks associated with each hazard are analyzed to prioritize planning, mitigation, response and recovery activities. The HVA serves as a needs assessment for the Emergency Management program. This process should involve community partners and be communicated to community emergency response agencies.
Hazard Vulnerability Analysis (HVA) – California Hospital Assoc.
HPH Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit 1.0
Emergency Management Glossary of Terms
emPOWER Map
Over 2.7 million Medicare beneficiaries rely on electricity-dependent durable medical and assistive equipment and devices, such as ventilators, to live independently in their homes. Severe weather and other emergencies, especially those with prolonged power outages, can be life-threatening for these individuals. The HHS emPOWER Map is updated monthly and displays the total number of at-risk electricity-dependent Medicare beneficiaries in a geographic area (i.e., state, territory, county, or ZIP Code), as well as near real-time natural hazard data.
Map users can select different geographies, as needed, to identify at-risk populations and download selected data results to inform emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation public health activities. Users can also access near real-time natural hazard data layers to anticipate and address the needs of at-risk community members in emergencies. For more information, review the job aids in the top right corner.
Special Needs Shelters
In Florida, there are two types of shelters – general population shelters and special needs shelters. It is important to note that not every person with a disability is eligible to evacuate to a special needs shelter. The best place to shelter for every Floridian is outside the evacuation area, in a safe and secure structure, with family and friends
Job Action Sheets for Special Needs Shelters in Florida
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