Emergency Preparedness and Response

All agencies are required to prepare and respond to emergencies with a public health or environmental health implication in coordination with local, state and federal agencies and public and private sector partners.

We serve Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma and San Juan counties and provide support to the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes.

All Hazards

We participate in All-Hazards planning, training, exercises, and response activities within the local jurisdiction.

  • Our Regional Emergency Preparedness & Response (EPR) Coordinator, Claire Macpherson, participates in the HazMat regional meetings that involve other community members such as the Office of Emergency Management, the City of Durango, all local fire departments, etc.
  • All SJBH staff are trained in Incident Command System (ICS) 100 and National Incident Management System (NIMS) 700 courses concerning a standardized system of command used to integrate with other emergency management personnel, with management staff pursuing further training.
Emergency Support Function 8 – Public Health

We serve as or support the “Emergency Support Function 8 -Public Health” lead for the county, region, or jurisdiction.

  • Our Regional Emergency Preparedness & Response (EPR) Coordinator, Claire Macpherson, participates in the Regional EPR meetings that involve members of Public Heath throughout the Southwest Region.
Emergency Public Information Officer

We implement an emergency communication strategy to inform the community and to activate emergency response personnel in the event of a public health crisis.

  • Our Regional Emergency Preparedness & Response (EPR) Coordinator, Claire Macpherson, is the lead for Emergency PIO functions working in tandem with our Communications Specialist, our Epidemiologist, Environmental Health Director, and Health Services Division Director.
Emergency Management

We coordinate with county Emergency Managers and other first responders.

Preparedness and Planning

We promote community preparedness by communicating steps that can be taken before, during, or after a disaster.

  • In conjunction with Mercy Regional Medical Center, our Regional Emergency Preparedness & Response (EPR) Coordinator, Claire Macpherson, Co-chairs the La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, and Southern Ute (LASST) Healthcare Coalition, a quarterly meeting of diverse members of the community who cooperatively plan for a community response to public health emergencies.