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About ESF-8South Central Kansas Emergency Support Function (ESF) 8 provides the mechanism for coordinated regional assistance to supplement local resources during a potential or actual response to public health and medical disasters in Kansas.
ESF-8 includes the following agencies:
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To find out more information about each agency and what their roles and responsibilities are in a disaster, scroll down.
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ESF-8 Partners at our regional Hospitals primary mission in a disaster is the treatment of the citizens of our communities. Hospitals vary greatly in size and resources throughout South Central Kansas. Through partnerships in the region, Hospitals can call on their partners to best serve their citizens in times of crisis.
Hospitals utilize a variation of the Incident Command System (ICS) during a disaster. Although it is specific to hospitals, the language will be familiar to all ESF-8 partners. Hospitals are also able to communicate with other ESF-8 Partner agencies via radio and also utilize a program called EMSystem to publish the number of available beds, which can provide critical information during a disaster. |
The South Central Kansas Hospital Preparedness Committee meets regularly with ESF-8 partners to network, share information, and develop plans to ensure the South Central Kansas ESF-8 know who to call in a disaster.
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ESF-8 Partner Emergency Medical Services (EMS) serves as the front-line agency in a disaster. EMS is responsible for locating, evaluating, treating, and transporting the sick and injured.
Kansas EMS agencies are supported in a disaster by MERGe, a state-wide mutual aid group, which can help coordinate regional assistance to help when local EMS resources are taxed. Two specialty Disaster Medical Support Units (DMSUs) reside within our region and are capable of supporting EMS agencies during a disaster. EMS plays a vital role in the mitigation, planning, response, and on-going aspects of public health and medical disasters in Kansas. |
EMS personnel are highly-trained healthcare professionals that work with other ESF-8 Partners to serve their communities not just during a disaster, but every day of the year.
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Public Health is the lead agency when it comes to connecting all ESF-8 Partners for planning, training, and exercises. Public Health agencies promote and protect the health of the community as a whole through education, prevention, surveillance, and response.
The response portion varies depending on the disaster and can range from mass immunizations, to pill dispensing, to medical materials management, lab testing, and disease surveillance. Public Health is also vital when it comes to community recovery. A large disaster, such as a flood or a tornado, can create a large amount of debris that puts at risk the health of the population. |
Public Health is the lead agency with coordinating the recovery of the community following a disaster.
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Environmental Health is a valued ESF-8 Partner that is involved in all aspects of a disaster. Environmental Health personnel may be employees of the Public Health Department, Sanitation Department, or a stand-alone agency.
These professionals are invaluable during a disaster. Imagine a chemical spill, water supply pollution, food contamination, mold, or airborne contaminants – these hazards fall to Environmental Health. During a response, Environmental Health inspects food, water, and shelters to ensure proper quality and sanitation. They also manage the cleanup of household hazardous materials. |
Environmental Health also continuously monitors the environment following an event to assess the environment and the potential impact on the population.
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The ESF-8 partners that deal with Fatality Management are often misunderstood. These agencies and organizations have to be nimble as their scope varies with the size and type of incident.
A community’s Medical Examiner or Coroner has complete jurisdiction over the deceased and are responsible for many vital tasks such as: recovery efforts, setting up temporary morgues, identifying victims, and collecting postmortem data. These partners are also tasked with notifying families and assisting those families with final arrangements. The Kansas Funeral Directors Association Disaster Team is available in our region when the medical examiner’s office resources are taxed. This team is made up of funeral directors from all over the state that volunteer to assist in the vital mission of managing fatalities. |
When local, regional, & state resources are stretched thin, the Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) is a federal resource that can be called in.
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ESF-8 includes those partners that assist in the management of animals when a disaster occurs. Kansas State Animal Response Team (KS SART) is a non-profit organization that trains and organizes local/regional Animal Response Teams whose primary mission is the search/recovery, treatment, and sheltering of animals in a disaster.
Evidence has shown that both humans and animals fare better during a disaster when allowed to have access to their pets. The realization that human lives have been lost in disasters because of a lack to account for the bond between people animals and their pets makes animal response an integral part of disaster response. Animal Response Teams initially set up a temporary animal shelter to house displaced animals. |
These shelters are placed as close as possible to shelters for citizens. They also help control the spread of disease during disasters by controlling stray animals and treating sick animals.
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Disasters have profound emotional and psychological effects on both the community and its responders. This is where ESF-8 Partners in Behavioral Health find their mission. Behavioral Health professionals are able to provide care for the community that other healthcare professional cannot offer.
These professionals and volunteers will be available where need is high at shelters, treatment areas, meeting places, and hospitals for example. Psychological First Aid is a nationally developed course available to anyone to train people to provide emotional support in those crucial first few moments following a Disaster. |
Behavioral Health agencies in our region, such as Sedgwick County COMCARE, are actively involved in disaster preparedness, so that if the time comes they are ready to support our communities.
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VOADs are Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. These ESF-8 partners are tasked with supporting their communities in a multitude of ways. VOADs as a group are made up of non-profit organizations, community groups, and government groups that utilize their resources to assist during all phases of a disaster. Whether it is providing food or shelter or supplies, these organizations are vital to assisting a community or region during a disaster. VOADs rely on their numbers of trained volunteers to fulfill their mission.
In our region, the United Way of the Plains has taken the lead in managing unaffiliated volunteers and setting up the Volunteer Reception Center during a disaster. The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and the United Way are among the organizations that can provide resources in our region. VOADs are highly active in the support of communities after the initial emergency responders have left. |
Disaster relief is supported by multiple organizations in our region. The true recovery of a community is dependent on these ESF-8 partners.
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