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California unveils hospital surge plan, cabinet-level volunteer agency

Emergency Management Alert, March 11, 2008

Here's a roundup of recent emergency management developments in California, scene of many disasters this year:

Creation of a cabinet-level post to manage emergency volunteers. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order last week to create a cabinet-level office for volunteerism. Its purpose, according to a Web site statement, is to raise the profile of service in the Golden State to a national level; improve coordination of vital volunteer activities statewide and support local service efforts; encourage more Californians to become involved with service and volunteerism; help California respond to natural disasters and emergencies; and give California's volunteers a voice at the highest levels of state government. Here's a news story offering a slightly different perspective.

New hospital surge plan.
State officials have released what they call "the nation's first comprehensive guidance" for how hospitals, non-hospital healthcare facilities, and local health departments will deal with surge. Standards and Guidelines for Healthcare Surge During Emergencies was released in mid-February. Its goals are similar to those of the volunteer program mentioned above in that it is meant to help California's citizens help themselves during a disaster. Read more about the plan on Be Prepared, a Web site maintained by the California Department of Public Health.

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