“Building Legal Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies”

“Building Legal Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies”
Remarks by Joe D. Whitley
General Counsel
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
National Association of Attorneys General
East Lansing, MI
April 19, 2005
1
Introduction
 Vision Statement
 Preserving our freedom, protecting America . . . we secure our
homeland.
 Mission Statement
 We will lead the unified national effort to secure America. We
will prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and
respond to threats and hazards to the nation. We will ensure
safe and secure borders, welcome lawful immigrants and
visitors, and promote the free-flow of commerce.
2
DHS Critical Missions
(A)
Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States;
(B)
Reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
(C)
Minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks
that do occur within the United States;
(D)
Carry out all functions of entities transferred to the Department, including
by acting as a focal point regarding natural and manmade crises and
emergency planning;
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Critical Missions (cont)
(E)
Ensure that the functions of the agencies and subdivisions within the
Department that are not related directly to securing the homeland are not
diminished or neglected except by a specific explicit Act of Congress;
(F)
Ensure that the overall economic security of the United States is not
diminished by efforts, activities, and programs aimed at securing the
homeland; and
(G)
Monitor connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism,
coordinate efforts to sever such connections, and otherwise contribute to
efforts to interdict illegal drug trafficking.
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DHS Organization

Budget of $40.2 billion ($7 billion in fees); employs 180,000 people.

Over 22 legacy agencies; largest reorganization in over 50 years.

5 Under Secretaries appointed by the President subject to advice and
consent of Senate—
Directorates
1) Border and Transportation Security.
2) Emergency Preparedness and Response.
3) Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.
4) Science and Technology.
_______________________________________________
5) Management.
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DHS Organization (cont)
Secretary
&
Deputy Secretary
Information
Analysis &
Infrastructure
Protection
Science &
Technology
• Coast Guard
• Secret Service
• Citizenship & Immigration & Ombudsman
• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
• Legislative Affairs
• General Counsel
• Inspector General
• State & Local Coordination
• Private Sector Coordination
• International Affairs
• National Capital Region Coordination
• Counter-narcotics
• Small and Disadvantaged Business
• Privacy Officer
• Chief of Staff
Border &
Transportation
Security
Emergency
Preparedness
& Emergency
Response
Management
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Origin of DHS Components
Border and Transportation Security
Directorate of Information Analysis & Infrastructure Protection
U.S. Customs Service (Treasury)
Immigration & Naturalization Service (DoJ)
Federal Protective Services (GSA)
Transportation Security Administration (DoT)
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (Treasury)
Animal & Plant Health Inspection Services (DoA)
Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (Commerce)
Federal Computer Incident Response Center (GSA)
National Communications System (DoD)
National Infrastructure Protection Center (FBI)
National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center and Energy Security
and Assurance Program (DoE)
Non-Directorate Components
U.S. Coast Guard (DoT)
U.S. Secret Service (Treasury)
Office for Domestic Preparedness (DoJ)
Directorate of Emergency Preparedness & Response
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Directorate of Science and Technology
National Disaster Medical System (HHS)
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Countermeasures Programs
(DoE)
Nuclear Incident Response Team (DoE)
Domestic Emergency Support Teams (DoJ)
National Domestic Preparedness Office (FBI)
Environmental Measurements Laboratory (DoE)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s advanced scientific
computing research program and activities (DoE)
National Bioweapons Defense Analysis Center (DoD)
Plum Island Animal Disease Center (DoA)
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Medical Preparedness/Protection
•
NDMS (National Disaster Medical System)
•
MMRS (Metropolitan Medical Response System)
•
Biodefense
•
University Centers of Excellence
•
Resources
8
National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
Concept:
•
NDMS was established by the U.S. Public Heath Services (USPHS) to
create a single integrated national medical response capability through
specialized teams to support State and local health care agencies that are
overwhelmed during a major disaster or emergency.
•
NDMS is comprised of 8,000 personnel (mostly volunteers) and 108
specialized teams.
•
The NDMS teams are activated and deployed for high-threat events, such
as National Security Special Events, major transportation accidents, acts
of terrorism, technological disasters, and an overseas conventional
conflict.
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National Disaster Medical System
Partners:
The NDMS, by the direction of the Department of Homeland Security, is a
partnership between Federal, State, and local government as well as the
private sector and volunteer organizations.
Federal Partners:
• U.S. Department of Defense,
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the
• Federal Emergency Management Agency
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National Disaster Medical System
Primary Components of the System:
• Medical Response
• Patient Evacuation
• Definitive Medical Care
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National Disaster Medical System
Medical Response
Medical Response Teams:
 Management Support Team (MST)
 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT)
 International Medical and Surgical Response Team (IMSRT)
 Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT)
 National Medical Response Team (NMRT)
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National Disaster Medical System
Management Support Teams (MST):
The MST are the first NDMS teams to be deployed within the first 4 hours
of a disaster notification to the disaster area.
Responsibilities:





Gauge the scope of the disaster
Provide management support to the other NDMS deployed teams
Use the Incident Command System (ICS)
Meet with local authorities to determine the needed resources
Assist in the integration of Federal assets into the overall disaster
response
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National Disaster Medical System
Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMAT):
The DMAT are deployed within 4 to 8 hours of a disaster notification to provide
on-site medical care during a disaster. The DMAT is a 35 person team of
volunteers, which include physicians, nurses, paramedics, emergency medical
technicians, pharmacists, mental health specialists, dentists, therapists,
laboratory and environmental health specialists, logisticians, and administrative
support.
Services Provided:
 Triage
 Medical and Surgical stabilization
 Advance life support
 Acute primary care
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National Disaster Medical System
International Medical and Surgical Response Teams
(IMSRT):
The IMSRT will deploy to an international disaster site and foreign
hospitals within 4 hours of notification to provide health, medical, and
evacuation services to U.S. citizens abroad that have become a victim
of a disaster.
Teams are highly specialized, trained, and equipped to establish a fully
functioning field surgical facility anywhere in the world.
Services Provided:
 Triage
 Initial stabilization
 Surgical and Critical Care
 Evacuation
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National Disaster Medical System
Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORT):
The DMORT provide on-site mortuary services for mass casualty events, such as natural
disasters, terrorist attacks, and transportation accidents.
The teams receive specialized Weapons of Mass Destruction response training, which
allows them to provide services to contaminated fatalities and work in contaminated
environments.
Services Provided:





Victim recovery
Identification and processing
Family assistance
Data collection and matching
Chemical, nuclear, biological decontamination of remains
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National Disaster Medical System
National Medical Response Teams (NMRT): Weapons of
Mass
Destruction (WMD):
The NMRT: WMD will deploy to a contaminated environment within 4 to 6
hours of notification to provide emergency medical, agent detection, and
decontaminated services to victims of a Weapons of Mass Destruction or
hazardous materials incident.
The team is comprised of trained and specialized volunteer health, medical,
and hazardous materials professionals.
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National Disaster Medical System
Patient Evacuation
Patient evacuation from a disaster area is led by the U.S. Department of Defense Federal
Coordinating Center and Global Patients Movement Requirement Center (GPMRC).
Federal Coordinating Centers (FCCs) Responsibilities:
 Develops patient reception, transportation, and communication plans
 Recruits, trains, and supports response teams
 Facilitates local emergency planning
 Coordinates the reception and distribution of patients during system activation
Global Patients Movement Requirements Center (GPMRC) Responsibilities:
 Coordinates patient movement
 Determine which FCCs will receive patients based on needs, available beds, and
 Transportation at the disaster site.
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National Disaster Medical System
Definitive Medical Care
The NDMS works with accredited hospitals and other medical facilities that
volunteer to be part of a coordinated rapid response to a disaster and major
emergencies.
The facilities agree to commit a self-determined number of beds for acute
care of NDMS patients.
Reimbursement of member hospitals that accept NDMS patients is guaranteed
by the Federal government.
19
Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS)
Concept:
The MMRS helps to ensure communities are equipped and trained for a rapid
and comprehensive response to emergencies by using local resources.
MMRS in Action:
In an emergency each communities MMRS plan is put into action initiating an
integrated emergency response.
The Incident Commander requests local emergency response assets and any
needed Federal and State support.
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Biodefense
•
Interagency effort
•
DHS Directorates directly involved
•
IA and IP (Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection)
•
S&T (Science and Technology)
•
Mission: To prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of
bioterrorism against the American people
•
IA and IP: Assesses intelligence and information about threats
and vulnerabilities
•
S&T: Focuses on research, development, testing, and evaluation
of methods to protect and prevent bio terrorist acts
21
Biological Countermeasures
•
BioWatch (Generations 1, 2, 3)
•
Environmental sensor system
•
Autonomous pathogen detection system
•
National Bio Surveillance Integration System
•
Interagency process
•
Biodefense Knowledge Center
•
National Bioforensic Analysis Countermeasure Center (NBACC)
22
University Centers of Excellence
•
Mission: Stimulate, coordinate, leverage and utilize the unique intellectual
capital in the academic community to address current and future homeland
security challenges, and to educate and inspire the next generation of
scientists and engineers dedicated to homeland security.
•
Examples:
•
Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events
•
National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease
Defense
•
National Center for Food Protection and Defense
• Georgia Institute of Technology (partner with University of
Minnesota)
•
Center of Excellence for Behavioral and Social Research on
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
•
Center for High Consequence Event Preparedness and
Response
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Resources
National Contact Information:
•
Department of Homeland Security
National Disaster Medical System Section
500 C Street SW, Suite 713
Washington, DC 20472
Phone: 1-800-USA-NDMS (800-872-6367) Fax: (202) 646-4618
Regional Contact Information:
•
Georgia Hospital Association (770-249-4500) (www.gha.org)
•
Georgia Division of Public Health (404-657-2700) (http://health.state.ga.us)
•
State of Georgia Office of Homeland Security (404-635-7030)
(http://www.gahomelandsecurity.com)
•
Local FEMA POC:
•
Don Wetter (770-220-5665)
•
Joe Whitley, General Counsel, DHS (202-692-4232)
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