Miami-Dade County Residential Health Care Facility Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) Website

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

Florida Statute 429.41 requires health care facilities to prepare and annually update a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP) in the event facility residents must be evacuated due to an emergency. Among other things, the plan must address evacuation transportation, alternative sheltering and provisions for emergency power, food and water. The law also requires that the CEMPs be reviewed and approved by the local Office of Emergency Management (OEM). In the past, Residential Health Care Facilities (RHCF) submitted their CEMPs to OEM in hardcopy format which were manually reviewed by OEM staff. Emergency Management (OEM) was in need of a website to allow facility owners to submit their CEMPs online in order to streamline the approval process. Additionally, OEM wanted a method to automatically maintain spatial datasets of the different types of facilities with addresses, contacts, number of beds and other pertinent information. These datasets are stored in a centralized Geographic Information System (GIS) and are available in case of any emergency or disaster incident. The development of this all-in-one application enhanced the RHCF program and resulted in an efficient assistance to our medically vulnerable populations during any disaster. This innovative website has the proficiencies of one technological/GIS platform in collaborating with multiple government agencies; public safety; and private businesses (owners of the RHCF); in compliance with the State/ACHA requirements and GIS capabilities. Miami-Dade OEM is not only responsible for reviewing and approving the RHCF CEMPs but is also responsible for assisting/evacuating these medically vulnerable clients during any emergency such as hurricane, nuclear plant release, fire, chemical spill, etc. GIS plays an important role in mapping where these critical facilities are located; whom to contact 24/7; and the number of clients is currently in each facility. In order for the RHCF program to be a success, the RHCF owners must know their responsibilities during an emergency or disaster incident; therefore, the OEM staff conducts bi-monthly trainings for all new RHCFs. In a team effort between OEM and ITD, the project was planned, designed, developed, and implemented. The website is dynamic, user-friendly, and the data collection is utilized in coordination with other GIS applications that are centralized for emergency managers and multiple public safety entities.