The Board of Health and municipal government are working on plans to assist our community in the event of a flu pandemic or other emergency. A well-informed public is more able to care of themselves and their families in the event of an emergency as well as assist in the preparedness of our community. It is our goal to raise awareness of what we, as individuals, and as a community need to do to be prepared. The quality of our community’s response will rely on the hard work and dedication of our public servants and the plans we are working on to protect all it citizens. Equally as important is the preparedness of our citizens and their willingness to serve our community.
The best way to protect our community is for us all to be prepared, stay informed and get involved.
How can you help your community?
Local governments have been told that in the initial stages of a pandemic or emergency they need to be prepared to provide for their communities. A successful local response will depend not only on the work of public servants but on the willingness of its citizens to volunteer their time and skills. Our community is currently putting together a database of those citizens who are willing to be called upon in the event they are needed. We can not begin to stress the importance of having a robust supply of volunteers with a variety of skills. Please see below for a list of volunteers needed. Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Please download and complete the volunteer registration form and return it to the Board of Health.
Emergency Dispensing Site- Job Descriptions
- Greeters/Special Needs Helper: Greet and conduct initial orientation of potential treatment recipients upon their arrival; provide basic information (verbally or with video presentation) about the treatment and treatment process; distribute informational materials and clinic documents; explain how to complete the documents and answer questions. Must be able to assist handicapped individuals by providing walkers and/or wheelchairs as well as providing any assistance that is necessary.
- Float Staff-Educators: Must be able to explain the purpose of receiving the treatment, outline the clinic process and distribute and explain the clinic documents to treatment recipients individually or as a group. Translators: Will assist participants with all aspects of the clinic procedures.
- Photo Identification Check: Inspect photo identification to ensure proper residency and qualifications.
- Clinic Flow Directors: Direct treatment recipients through the clinic process and monitor clinic flow. Will be stationed at various points throughout the clinic. Clinic flow directors are responsible for continuously monitoring and directing participant activity throughout the facility. They must be able to calmly manage and assist people who may be anxious and unable to follow directions. When congestion is noted, they will redirect staff as necessary to help with congestion.
- Timers: Accurately time and document specific components of the clinic including but not limited to: the timing of the specific participant movements throughout the clinic, the timing of registration, the timing of treatment administration and the timing of data entry. Timing materials will be provided on-site.
- Forms Reviewers: Review each person’s form for completeness and accuracy. Assist participants with completing forms if necessary. Need to be familiar with forms. They must be able to follow instruction on how to respond to unusual or exceptional situations such as non-English speaking participants or participants who are anxious, hostile or disoriented. Need to be able to assist with completing and correcting forms improperly completed. They should be able to read forms to illiterate or semiliterate people needing their assistance. Ensure that participant has received and read treatment information statement sheet.
- Forms Check: Ensure that the participants have the proper stamped approval at each checkpoint.
- Data Entry: Will enter clinic data into computers on-site. Must have technical skills and computer knowledge.
- Triage: Medical Personnel (Nurses, EMT’s Physicians) Must be able to respond to medical emergencies, including treatment reactions from minor to anaphylactic shock as well as serious medical emergencies that are incidental and unrelated to treatment but can be expected to occur whenever large groups of people congregate.
- Medical Screeners: Assess participants for contraindications to the treatment. Medical Screener should be nurses, physicians or physician’s assistants who have good interviewing skill and are well-versed in the technical information regarding exposure risks, medical contraindications to the treatment, risks to the treatment and risk benefit analysis. Medical screeners will review the list of normal or expected reactions to the treatment with each treatment recipients. If necessary they will consult with a physician to assist in the final determination of whether or not a person will be treated. They will review the forms for completeness and accuracy.
- Physician Evaluators: Evaluates participants at the request of both Triage and the Medical Screeners in the final determination of whether or not the participants will receive prophylaxis.
- Mental Health Counselors: Assess and assist clinic participants with mental health issues.
- Treatment Assistants: Assist the Treatment Administrator with all aspects of pre and post treatment activities; ensure that treatment stations maintain adequate supplies; instruct recipients on location of treatment; assist treatment recipient in preparing method of treatment delivery; apply dressings, instruct participants about care and changing dressing. Treatment assistants must have a thorough understanding of the treatment process and the necessary supplies, proper care and handling of the treatment material in the clinic, how to disinfect contaminated surfaces and dispose of soiled materials. Treatment assistants are also responsible for entering the treatment identification (i.e. vaccine and diluents lot numbers) on the patients consent form and clinic record. Should be able to assume the role of Treatment Administrator, if necessary.
- Treatment Administrators: Oversee the treatment process; administer the treatment; sign the clinic record; observe treatment recipient for immediate reaction or complications. Treatment administrator can be nurses, physicians, etc. who are licensed by the State of Massachusetts and have received technical training in the administration of the treatment. Administrators must have the ability to treat large numbers of participants. They must have in-depth understanding of proper treatment techniques, methods to prevent contamination of the treatment materials, exposure risks, the medical conditions that constitute contraindications for the treated, the risk of the treatment, preparation of the participant for treatment, normal and abnormal post treatment responses. Administrators must also be prepared to respond to medical emergencies that may occur within the treatment area.
- Exit Reviewers: Collects registration forms, checks to ensure that the registration forms are complete and accurate. Asks participants if they would be willing to complete a survey questionnaire regarding their overall experience at the clinic. The data entry volunteers then enter the complete registrations forms into the computers.
- Housekeeping/Clean-up: Assist the Director of Building Services at each site with the maintenance and clean-up of the site before, during and after the clinic.
- Parking: Assist with traffic control, which will include directing people in and out of the different parking lots during the day of the clinic.
- Transportation: Drive participants to and from onsite and /or offsite location. Must have appropriate and valid license(s) for the following vehicles; cars, buses, vans, trucks etc.
- Security: Ensure orderly flow of traffic and parking at staging area(s) as well as clinic site(s); assist in maintaining orderly movement of people throughout the clinic(s); provide necessary control if people become unruly.
- Food Service: Distribute food and beverages to all of the volunteers and or workers during the clinic in the designated food service area.
- Daycare: Provide on-site supervision of the children of the clinic workers to allow them work at the clinic site.
