Mississippi Medical Reserve Corps: Moving Mississippi From Emergency Planning to Response Ready.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify factors that might impact a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteer's decision to respond to an emergency event. The 2 primary goals of this survey were to (1) establish realistic planning assumptions regarding the use of volunteers in health care emergency responses, and (2) determine whether barriers to volunteer participation could be addressed by MRC units to improve volunteer response rates. DESIGN: An anonymous online survey instrument was made available via Qualtrics through a customized URL. For the purpose of distribution, the Mississippi State Department of Health sent an electronic message that included the survey link to all MRC volunteers who were registered with the Mississippi Responder Management System (MRMS) as of September 2014. RESULTS: Approximately 15% of those surveyed indicated they would be available and able to deploy within 24 hours. The most common factors reported in terms of respondent decisions to deploy included risk to personal health (61.2%), length of deployment (58.8%), and the security of the deployment area (55.3%). In addition, 67% of respondents indicated that extended periods of deployment would have a negative financial impact on their lives. Respondents who have had training or previous deployment experience reported having greater knowledge of potential response roles, increased comfort in their ability to respond with the MRC, and increased confidence in responding to differing public health emergencies. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to MRC volunteers being able to deploy should be addressed by each MRC unit. Issues such as risk to personal safety while on deployment, site security, and length of deployment should be considered by planners and those solutions communicated to MRC members during trainings. Emergency plans utilizing MRC volunteers will require significant evaluation to assess the risk of relying on an expected resource that could be severely limited during an actual emergency.

The effects of the April 2011 tornado outbreak on personal preparedness in Jefferson County, Alabama.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a tornado disaster on the personal preparedness of local residents to determine (1) to what extent the tornado outbreak experience had altered preparedness awareness, willingness to act, and levels of personal preparedness of residents as measured by possession of a preparedness kit; and (2) what effect this experience had on the variables associated with having a complete disaster preparedness kit. DESIGN: Two random digit-dialed surveys were completed following the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System protocols. The pre-tornado survey was conducted between October and December 2010 and the post-tornado survey was conducted between January and March 2012. RESULTS: After the April 2011 tornado outbreak, 86.08% of the respondents (n = 1364) reported that they had thought more about personal or family preparedness and 59.65% (n = 907) reported that they had taken actions to increase their level of preparedness. Overall, general awareness of preparedness media campaigns increased significantly (almost 24%; P < .0001), as did the percentage of those having a complete disaster preparedness kit (a 66% increase, not quite doubled from 2010 to 2012; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study indicate that the disaster had a significant impact on the local residents' (1) awareness of preparedness campaigns, (2) awareness of the need to be prepared, (3) willingness to become better prepared, and (4) possession of a disaster and emergency preparedness kit and its associated items.

Radiological emergency preparedness: a survey of nuclear medicine technologists in the United States.

UNLABELLED: Because of the increasing risk of radiological emergencies, public health agencies and first-response organizations are working to increase their capability of responding. Nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs) have expertise in certain areas, such as radiation safety, radiobiology, decontamination, and the use of radiation detection and monitoring equipment, that could be useful during the response to events that involve radiological materials. METHODS: To better understand the potential role that NMTs may have in response efforts, a cross-sectional survey was conducted. The survey was sent electronically to the 7,000 members of the Technology Section of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. Eight hundred fifty NMTs responded to the survey, for a response rate of 12.14%. The study queried NMTs across the United States on their knowledge of using radiation detection and monitoring equipment, such as a scintillation γ-cameras, Geiger counters, thyroid probes, well counters, and portal monitors; willingness to participate in response efforts during a nuclear reactor accident, nuclear weapon detonation, or dirty bomb detonation; access to radiation detection and monitoring equipment within their work setting; familiarity with current preparedness guidance and tools provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and registration in volunteer initiatives such as the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals, Metropolitan Medical Response System, and Medical Reserve Corps. RESULTS: Survey results suggest that NMTs are knowledgeable and willing to respond to radiological emergencies, regardless of number of years of work experience. Radiological preparedness training within the last 5 y significantly increases NMTs' willingness to respond and familiarity with current guidance and tools provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Department of Health and Human Services. Respondents reported a low participation level in volunteer programs, and most agreed that continuing education should include radiological emergency preparedness. CONCLUSION: NMTs should be considered an untapped resource and should be strategically recruited for involvement in radiological emergency preparedness planning and training. NMTs should also consider becoming involved in local volunteer initiatives because they have the knowledge and willingness to provide assistance during a radiological emergency.

Measuring levels of citizen public health emergency preparedness, Jefferson County, Alabama.

CONTEXT: Recent disaster experiences in Alabama have highlighted the state's public health vulnerabilities to natural disasters. To respond to the need of building better prepared and more resilient communities, the Alabama Department of Public Health developed and launched a mass media campaign, Get10, to promote personal preparedness. This study evaluates the level of preparedness of the residents in Jefferson County, Alabama, using Get10 recommendations of Alabama Department of Public Health as a guideline. This study also examines the level of personal preparedness of the at-risk population including those older than 65 years and those younger than 65 years with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, poor perceived health status, and a physical, mental, or emotional activity limitation disability. OBJECTIVE: To assess (1) awareness of multimedia preparedness campaigns; (2) the levels of personal preparedness in Jefferson County residents; and (3) the levels of personal preparedness within different sectors of the vulnerable or "at-risk" populations. DESIGN: A random-digit-dialed survey was conducted following the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System protocols in the fall of 2010. The survey included a subset of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System questions and additional questions based on Get10 recommendations. RESULTS: More than 38% of the residents of Jefferson County have a complete disaster kit. Those representing the vulnerable (at-risk) populations are not more likely to have preparedness kits than the general population (P = .6646). Marital status was the only variable that was consistently significant in determining whether someone had a complete disaster kit (P = .0140); however, bivariate analysis indicated annual household income as significant (P = .0109). No association was found between having a complete preparedness kit and familiarity with general family preparedness campaigns (P = .0976) or Get10 campaign of Alabama Department of Public Health (P = .3227). CONCLUSIONS: Vulnerable populations were no more likely to have a complete disaster preparedness kit than the general population. Therefore, future marketing should target those at risk of adverse health effects following a disaster as well as the unmarried and those with household incomes under $25 000 per year. Future disaster preparedness campaigns should monitor and evaluate their efforts in reaching these populations and include strategies for acquiring and maintaining disaster kit items.

Patterns of blunt use among rural young adult African-American men.

BACKGROUND: Blunts are hollowed-out cigars or leaf tobacco filled with marijuana. Use of blunts has increased since the 1990s and, in 2005, 3.5% of all American youth were estimated to have used blunts in the past month. Blunt smokers may have greater odds of cannabis and tobacco dependency and are at risk of smoking-related diseases. Previous studies have suggested that blunt use is more common among blacks, older teens, and men. However, data pertaining to blunt use in non-adolescent African-American populations are scarce. PURPOSE: To assess patterns of blunt use among young adult African-American men aged 19-30 years residing in five rural Black Belt counties in Alabama and to compare these data with those from tobacco cigarette smokers within the same study population. METHODS: Verbal, face-to-face interviewer-administered survey of 415 participants collected and analyzed between December 2008 and February 2011. RESULTS: 159 respondents (38.3%) smoked cigarettes and 45 smoked blunts (10.8%). Of blunt smokers, 33 also smoked cigarettes (73.3%). Use of blunts was prevalent among unemployed, single men, and occupational blunt use was uncommon. Factors important in the initiation, maintenance, and cessation of product use were similar for blunt and cigarette smokers, especially product use and acceptance by friends. Legal concerns were an important factor facilitating blunt cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Blunt use is relatively common among male African Americans aged 19-30 years and is frequently associated with concomitant cigarette use. Tobacco control efforts in this male African-American population should also address blunt usage.

Radiological preparedness-awareness and attitudes: a cross-sectional survey of emergency medicine residents and physicians at three academic institutions in the United States.

CONTEXT: Emergency preparedness has been increasingly recognized as important. Research shows many medical personnel feel unprepared to respond to radiation incidents. Knowledge and attitudes of emergency medicine residents and faculty are largely unstudied, regarding their abilities to provide care for radiation disaster victims. It is unknown whether receiving training in radiological emergency preparedness improves knowledge and attitudes. OBJECTIVES: (1) Assess the attitudes of emergency medicine residents and faculty toward a radiological disaster; (2) Assess knowledge gaps of emergency medicine residents and faculty regarding radiological emergency preparedness; (3) Assess the attitudes of emergency medicine residents and faculty toward different educational strategies. METHODS: An electronic survey was sent to 309 emergency medicine residents and faculty at three U.S. academic institutions. Analyses were performed using SAS 9.0 software. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 36.6%. Only 37% and 28% of respondents had attended radiological preparedness training in the preceding 5 years or any training in radiation detection, respectively. Higher proportions of trained physicians were: (1) more familiar with DTPA and Prussian blue; (2) more comfortable assessing, decontaminating, and managing victims of radiation incidents; and (3) more comfortable using radiation detectors than their untrained counterparts. Many respondents were unable to differentiate between contamination with and exposure to radiological material. Classroom teaching at the workplace and prepackaged educational materials were most frequently rated as the preferred educational method for radiation preparedness training. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results suggest a need for additional radiological-nuclear preparedness training for emergency medicine residents and faculty. Training should include radiation detection, decontamination, explaining differences between radiation exposure and contamination, and teaching patient management, including DTPA and Prussian blue.