Emergency Preparedness & Response Planner

Performs public health response planning work in the planning, design, and implementation of public health preparedness and response activities and programs including assisting with response and capacity assessments, training and exercise development, and program evaluation in the ACHD jurisdiction and in coordination with partners in the North Central Region and around the state. Works independently or may work at the direction of senior staff in the planning and evaluation of public health preparedness activities. Also serves as a consultant to other divisions within the department and with community agencies.

The anticipated hiring range for this role is $68,082.87 - $78,295.30. The full range for this position is $68,082.87 - $98,720.17.

• Assist in evaluating plans, procedures, protocols, and agreements through the development and implementation of discussion-based and functional exercises. This includes developing Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) compliant after-action reports and improvement plans and assisting in the coordination and completion of improvement activities.
• Help to coordinate and facilitate planning groups to complete plans related, but not limited, to mass dispensing, medical surge, mass fatality, communications, and logistics.
• Assisting and facilitating planning groups including internal and external partners to complete plans included in the Emergency Operations Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan related, but not limited, to mass dispensing, medical surge, mass fatality, communications, and logistics.
• Assist in the development of a comprehensive training and exercise plan to prepare agency staff and regional partners for designated emergency response duties and use of response equipment and supplies.
• Tracking participation in training and exercise activities as part of the EPR and agency comprehensive training and exercise program.
• Developing training curricula and delivering the trainings to the appropriate audiences.
• Operating in command and general staff positions or advisory roles during responses to real world incidents. Works closely with process improvement staff at ACHD to develop and implement methods for continuous process improvement and program accountability metrics.
• Develops and conducts training programs, with assistance from EPR supervisor or EPR senior planner for ACHD staff and educational programs for the community related to public health EPR functions.
• Collaborates with and represents ACHD as a technical consultant to foster, promote and develop emergency preparedness activities with Adams County OEM, other divisions of ACHD, local, state, and federal agencies, the medical community, and other allied agencies and groups.
• Assists in the identification, procurement, and management of emergency preparedness equipment and supplies. 
• May be responsible for staffing the Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF8) position in the county and jurisdictional Emergency Operations Centers during incidents and functional exercises.
• Works directly with ACHD staff and designated partners to plan exercises and develop response plans based on needs assessments.
• Provides complete administrative support for the EPR program staff providing a wide range of word processing, data entry, file management, case report form filing, and administrative functions. 
• Assists in maintaining accurate program records needed for budget management, tracking, evaluation, and reporting.
• Coordinates Health Alert Network activities including providing training and leadership to HAN support staff, along with maintenance of the HAN data, testing, and updating data. 
• Coordinates the ACHD staff responder data, ACHD Emergency Notification System, associated training and exercise data and exercises a high level of confidentiality and attention to detail in collecting and maintaining data for these systems.
• Manages/supports the integration of ACHD EPR activation needs with the Adams County Office of Emergency Management and provides overall support to the ACHD Public Health Incident Management Team. 
• Serves as a liaison to designated partners, which may include military installations, animal response teams and/or city/county agencies. 
• Provides ongoing review of program specific web pages and gathers updated content, as appropriate, to update and maintain current program specific web pages.
• Assist with administrative emergency preparedness tasks as needed by senior EPR staff.

  Community Engagement:

• Serves as a liaison to other response partners, including but not limited to offices of emergency management, hospitals, behavioral health, fire, law enforcement, fatalities management, emergency medical services agencies and military installations to ensure and that the public health needs of the community are met during incident planning, response, and recovery.
• Develops partnerships with the community, other local health departments, and OEMs to coordinate emergency response plans.
• Builds and maintains relationships with community, government, healthcare partners, business leaders and partner organizations to support EPR plans.
• Supports diverse perspectives in developing, implementing, and evaluating EPR planning efforts.

 Additional duties:

• Serves as part of an on-call rotation for urgent business hours/after-hours calls related to emergency preparedness and response/incident management.
• Performs other duties as assigned and required.

• Principles, practices, techniques, and procedures as related to emergency preparedness and response in a public health program.
• Understand the roles of Environmental Health, Communicable Disease, Nursing, and Data Science programs in the development and integration into EPR planning efforts.
• Cultural humility and experience working in multicultural environments, including the ability to work with diverse staff and partners from community-based organizations, government staff, and elected officials.
• Outstanding skills and abilities in verbal and written communications; ability to adapt a style to fit audiences of varying technical levels, and at various levels within an organization, in groups and individual settings.
• Have working knowledge of the principles of health equity and how it is applied, including an understanding of oppression, privilege, and social justice.
• Knowledge of current conditions influencing health in Adams County communities
• Use professional concepts and agency objectives to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways.
• Routinely demonstrate a collaborative leadership style that embraces a diversity of opinion that will lead to clear outcomes.
• Have a strong track record of working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds from both within and outside the organization.
• Ability to problem solve and provide exceptional customer service.
• Determination to achieve outcomes, complete tasks, and deliver on professional commitments.
• Ability to work in a complex political environment.

A portion of the experience and/or education requirements may be met through relevant personal, family, or other lived experience dealing with inequitable economic, social, health, and educational systems and environments.

Requires a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in public health, management, emergency preparedness, or a related field and one (1) year experience in working in a local public health department emergency preparedness program 

Up to 6 months of required experience may be substituted with relevant personal, family, or other lived experience dealing with inequitable economic, social, health, and educational systems and environments.

• If you would like your lived experience considered for Qualifications for Success, please respond to the prompts in the Questions section.

Other qualifications:

• Must be in possession of valid driver's license and have access to dependable transportation readily available for business use. 
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Office tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook as well as Teams online meeting platform. 
• Proficiency in project management and facilitation software is preferred.
• Masters Degree desirable. 

 WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work is primarily conducted indoors with occasional time spent in an outside environment. Incumbent will experience routine exposure to hazards of a typical office environment. Requires travel between Adams County offices and to locations in the surrounding community for investigations and meetings. May be required to work outside regular hours to attend meetings or events.

• Occasional moderate lifting and carrying objects up to 15 pounds.
• Occasional use of automobile, usually no more than one hour at a time.
• Requires sufficient hearing and speech ability to communicate verbally in response to inquiries, to conduct needs assessments and evaluations, and to speak to groups of people in presentations.
• Requires sufficient writing ability to communicate needs fluidly and accurately in grants and program development

Salary : $68,083 - $98,720