Colorado Division of Emergency Management Weekly Information Report

Annual Colorado Volunteers Active in Disaster (VOAD/COAD) Conference
November 18, 2008
St Francis Retreat Center at Mount St Francis
7740 Deer Hill Grove
Colorado Springs, Co 80919
8:00 AM—5:30 PM

Join others from across Colorado who are active in disaster preparedness. Learn about:

Best Practices
Donations Management (Aid Matrix)
Government Partners
Host State Evacuation & Sheltering
Spontaneous Volunteer Management

Register at http://dola.colorado.gov/dem/ Click on Training and complete the 75EZ form. Registration fee: $25.00. Make check payable to COVOAD. Payment will be collected at the conference.

Contact Tracy Hays for additional information at (970) 407-7051.

November 12, 2008
Cortez Police Department Training Room
608 North Park
Cortez , CO 81321
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

November 14, 2008
Alamosa County Building/Service Center
Herry Andrews Training Room/EOC
8900 Independence Way
Alamosa, CO 81101
8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This one day course teaches the handling of donations during a disaster. Course materials will explore the role that local leaders must play in an effective donations management system. The goal for this workshop is to raise the level of awareness of coordinating donations management efforts between State and local officials.

Directions provided upon registration. Lodging can be arranged for participants traveling over 50 miles.

Target Audience: Local government officials or state and local leaders of key voluntary organizations.

Recommended Prerequisites IS-288 – The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management.

For more information contact: Robyn Knappe 720-852-6617 or Patricia Gavelda 970-247-7674

Colorado Governor's Emergency Management Conference
"The Evolution of a Disaster"
The Inverness Hotel and Conference Center – Englewood, Colorado
February 24 – 26, 2009

Colorado events over the last year have provided us with an opportunity to reassess how and when communities respond and recover in disaster situations. The annual conference is an opportunity to improve the capability of the emergency management community through networking and education! The theme for the 2009 Governor’s Conference will be “The Evolution of a Disaster.” Using the variety of disasters and planned events over the past year, the flow of the conference will highlight lessons learned in response and recovery. Emergency management and response agencies will present workshops from real field experiences for all to share.

Days 1 and 2 will be scheduled with breakout sessions and the CEMA annual business meeting. Day 3 will be in general session format dedicated to the recovery processes in your communities.

For more information, contact the Division of Emergency Management at 720-852-6600.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Management and Operations (G-775)
Nov. 13-14, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Lamar Community Building
610 S. 6th St .
Lamar, CO 81052

This 2 day course provides participants with the knowledge and skills to effectively manage and operate an emergency operations center (EOC) during crisis situations. The course covers locating and designing an EOC, how to staff, train, and brief EOC personnel, and how to operate an EOC during various situations. Attendance both days is required.

Target Audience: State and local individuals responsible for developing, staffing, managing, and operating an EOC. Other EOC staff is encouraged to attend.

For more information contact: Robyn Knappe or Cindy VonFeldt: 720-852-6600. Sponsored by: Colorado Division of Emergency Management and hosted by Prowers County Office of Emergency Management

The Colorado BNICE (Biological, Nuclear, Incendiary, Chemical, & Explosives) Training Center Announces Upcoming Courses

Decontamination Methods/PPE for Healthcare Providers (Hospital Decon/PPE)
Thursday, November 13th, 2008
Lower Level Conference Room, Community Hospital, Grand Junction, CO
Register online at www.bnice.org
FREE!

This 8-hour course combines didactic and hands-on training focusing on the principles/standards of patient decontamination. Course objectives include a practical understanding of decontamination, personal protective equipment (PPE), and proper donning and doffing techniques.

At the completion of this course the student will understand the risksof exposure, contamination, secondary contamination, and basic treatment of decontaminated patients. We will also familiarize students with their respective decontamination equipment, to include setting up the facility's decon tent and determining the proper location of the tent set-up.

Target Audience: Hospital personnel, prehospital personnel, allied health professionals

Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS(r)) is targeted to multiple disciplines including emergency medical service (EMS) personnel,
hazardous materials personnel, public health personnel, and health care providers. The goal of teaching multiple disciplines simultaneously is to develop a commonality of approach and language in the health care community, improving the care and coordination of response in Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD) disasters and public health emergencies.

The BDLS(r) course is a review of the all-hazards topics including the DISASTER paradigm, natural and accidental man made events, traumatic and explosive events, nuclear and radiological events, biological events, and chemical events. Also included is information on the health care professional's role in the public health and incident management systems, community mental health, and special needs of underserved and vulnerable populations.

Mental Health Disaster Field Training
Saturday, November 15th, 2008
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Nikola Tesla Education Opportunity Center is at 2560 International Cir.,
Colorado Springs, CO 80910, Room 129.
Register online at www.bnice.org
FREE!

Course Description: Mental Health Disaster Field Training is for those interested in immediate mental health response issues following a natural or man-made disaster. This course was developed by the Division of Mental Health, State of Colorado is designed to focus on the initial response that can be performed by the mental health professional and the paraprofessional. Mental Health Disaster Field Training will cover the following:

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Disaster Training
Saturday, December 6th, 2008
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Nikola Tesla Education Opportunity Center is at 2560 International Cir.,
Colorado Springs, CO 80910, Room 112 and 113.
Register online at www.bnice.org
FREE!

Course Description: This class will ready mental health para-professional and professional responders to intervene with children
and adolescents immediately following a disaster or mass-catastrophe incident. Didactic and experiential class components include:

Hospital Incident Command System (HICS)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Rita Bass Trauma and EMS Education Institute, 190 W. 6th Ave., Denver, CO 80204
FREE!

Course Description: Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) is a 3 hour course designed to give participants an understanding of HICS structure;an understanding of various positions and responsibilities within HICS; understand the process for expanding or contracting the HICS structure; understand the process for transferring command under the HICS structure; understand the structure and importance of the Unified Command system; and gain familiarity with HICS documentation.

The target audience includes: Allied health, dentists, public health, physicians, mental health, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, health care administrators, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists,
and lab workers.

Approved for 3.0 contact hours of continuing education for RNs, LPNs, LVNs and NPs. This program is cosponsored with The Colorado BNICE Training Center and Denver Health medical Center. Denver Health is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission of Accreditation.

Register online at www.bnice.org
Colorado BNICE Training Center
Email: info@bnice.org
Phone: 303-436-5075
Fax: 303-436-5034

These classes are cosponsored by the BNICE Training Center, the Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Colorado Springs District 11 Safe and Drug Free Schools.

Incident Command System Forms, Plans & Position Checklists – One Day Workshop
November 22nd, 2008
Hosted by the Eagle County Regional Airport
219 Eldon Wilson Drive Gypsum, CO 81637
Registration and networking 7:30 a.m. Session will Begin at 8:00 a.m.

This workshop allows participants to work through a single custom all hazards scenario based on the official DHS national planning scenarios. The workshop immerses participants in the process of using, communicating and understanding the ICS forms, plans and, position checklists. Instructors in this workshop use real case studies and personal experiences using ICS on real teams in Type I, II and III incidents to convey learning lessons.

This workshop addresses some of the critical challenges outlined in the NIMS Five Year Plan. Position specific training and understanding of the ICS Forms and the creation of a professional and accurate written Incident Action Plan is truly a missing link in the all hazards ICS world. Unlike many courses that have been produced and delivered since the inception of the Homeland Security Presidential Directives, this workshop is about performance opposed to simple compliance and grant money eligibility.

Creating Vigilant, Prepared, and Resilient Communities for Homeland Security:
A Community Outreach Approach to Homeland Security
November 13 – 14, 2008
Westwood Community College
North Campus
7350 N. Broadway
Denver , CO 80221

What is this training about?
Utilizing adult-learning principles and the problem-based learning method, this training provides an opportunity for community members to work in cross-disciplinary teams, to draw on collective skills, knowledge, and resources, to address existing or potential homeland security threats at the community level. Course topics include: Problem-Based Learning, Group Dynamics, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Community Policing, Homeland Security, Impact of Fear, Community Responsibility, Ethics, Action Planning, and Group Presentation.

Who should attend?
Everyone interested in building partnerships and working collaboratively to make their community Vigilant, Prepared, and Resilient, including: Community Members; Local Businesses; Faith-Based Organizations, Public Safety Professionals and First Responders; State and Local Emergency Management Agencies; Citizen Corps Councils and CERT, VIPS, Medical Reserve Corps, Fire Corps, and Neighborhood Watch Teams; Crime Prevention Practitioners; Nonprofits, Volunteers, School Groups, Government Agency Representatives; and Elected Officials.

Cost: This no-cost training is supported and certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Grants and Training, Course #AWR182. Meals and lodging are the responsibility of attendees.

The Colorado Division of Emergency Management is recruiting for an Emergency Management Field Manager to serve Summit, Grand, Jackson, Routt, Eagle, Pitkin, Mesa, Garfield, Rio Blanco, and Moffat counties. This position coordinates with and provides emergency management technical assistance to local government emergency management organizations in Northwest Colorado prior to, during, and following a major emergency or natural disaster. With an emphasis on preparedness actions to improve local and state response and recovery to all hazards emergencies, the position strengthens local and regional capability through development and validation of emergency plans, policies, training and exercises with first responders and local elected/appointed officials; fosters interagency and inter-jurisdictional mutual aid cooperation; and implements public emergency preparedness education programs and awareness. In addition, position provides technical assistance with grant administration and ensures compliance with contract and reporting requirements by conducting on-site visits with assigned jurisdictions; assists local governments with hazard analyses, supports local and regional efforts to assess all hazards threats and risks; assists in presentations and provides training courses for emergency management personnel and first responders.

The salary range $4733-6828/mo. plus benefits. The position requires a bachelor's degree (or substitute work experience) from an accredited college or university in a related field AND three years of professional experience in emergency response planning including at least one year of emergency response operations. A valid Colorado drivers’ license is also required.

For employment application and full job announcement including Important Information About Your Application and Appeal Rights please go to our employment website at http://dola.colorado.gov/employment.html. Application and resume must be received no later than Friday, October 24, 5pm.

The response to requests for Prepared newsletter articles was....well....dismal. There were a few folks who helped with the push, but not enough to complete a full newsletter issue. So please, take a moment to share your experience with exercises, events, disasters, lessons learned throughout the year, or any other story which might be of interest to our readers. This is YOUR newsletter!