Birdflu Mailing List: Re: UUA Congregations' work toward Avian Flu Emergency Preparedness

[William Weir (weirwilliam]

Erika, here is a planning overview from FUS member Pete Raynor for our ad hoc 
Task Force on Emergency Preparedness on Avian Flu.  I'll send an update after 
we work on this draft some more.
Bill Weir
cell 512-751-0445
home 952-285-1272

Pandemic Flu Planning Overview
For First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, ad hoc Task Force on Emergency 
Preparedness

by Peter Raynor, Assistant Professor, Division of Environmental Health Sciences

                            School of Public Health, University of Minnesota    
                 DRAFT - 2/4/06

 

 

Phase 1: Prepandemic

 

Continue normal operations

Establish contacts with local health department

Plan with nearby churches and other UUA congregations

Develop staffing plan in case services and meetings are cancelled

Make plans with Child Garden pre-school (leasing our building)

Identify ways to continue services electronically

Identify ways to help members quarantined in-home or with other needs if 
pandemic occurs

Develop plans for limiting costs and continuing collections in event of pandemic

Monitor local and national media

Inform congregation and pandemic flu plans

 

Phase 2: Circulating animal virus with potential human risk

 

Continue normal operations

Maintain contact with local health department

Stay in contact with other churches about levels of preparedness

Review plans

Test software for continuing on-line services in the event of a pandemic

Begin assembling supplies to serve members in case of pandemic

Develop list of members willing to assist Caring Circles

Continue financial planning in event of pandemic

Increased local media monitoring

Frequent updates at services and on website

Initiate education of congregation on effective hygiene to prevent transmission 
of viruses

 

Phase 3: Single or limited cases in humans, with no human-to-human transmission

 

Continue normal operations in concert with guidance from local and state 
officials

Maintain contact with local health department

Stay in contact with other churches about levels of preparedness

Review plans

Continue testing software for on-line services in the event of a pandemic

Assemble supplies to serve members in case of pandemic

Settle on financial plan in event of pandemic

Frequent updates at services and on website

Educate congregation on effective hygiene to prevent transmission of viruses

 

Phase 4: Single or limited cases in humans, with low human-to-human transmission

 

Continue services and RE program in concert with guidance from local and state 
officials

Request members and their children stay away from services if they feel ill or 
have cough or sneezing

Reduce face-to-face meetings

Cancel meals in building

Maintain contact with health department

Maintain frequent contact with other churches about levels of preparedness

Collaborate with other churches on joint activities

Assemble supplies to serve members in case of pandemic

Cutback expenses as needed

Frequent updates at services and on website

 

Phase 5: Widespread cases, with high human-to-human transmission

 

Close building

Cancel services and meetings

Initiate on-line services

Assist members requiring help with expanded Caring Circles

Maintain frequent contact with health department

Maintain contact and collaborate with other churches on joint activities 
serving members and community at large

Continue purchasing of supplies to serve members requiring help

Cutback expenses as needed

Ensure continuation of collections to support operations

Frequent updates on website


The chart format used by the Minnesota Department of Health 
that we looked over at the last meeting did not work well for me as I 
tried to fill in blanks for FUS, so I drafted more of a list, as you 
will see.  I used 5 levels of planning ranging from Prepandemic 
(where we are now) to a full-blown pandemic.

This list is just my first cut at ideas.  I'm sure I haven't captured 
everything we should be thinking about and maybe we will need to move 
some activities to different levels upon discussion.  Hopefully it 
will be a useful starting point, however.  Please feel free to edit 
as you choose at the meeting.

Pete

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter C. Raynor, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota, School of Public Health
Division of Environmental Health Sciences
Mayo Mail Code 807, 420 Delaware St. SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455
Phone: (612) 625-7135
Fax: (612) 626-4837
Email: praynor [at] umn.edu<mailto:praynor [at] umn.edu>
http://enhs.umn.edu/files/facultypages/raynor.html<http://enhs.umn.edu/files/facultypages/raynor.html>
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Erika Nonken<mailto:ENonken [at] uua.org> 
  To: William Weir<mailto:weirwilliam [at] msn.com> 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 2:46 PM
  Subject: RE: UUA Congregations' work toward Avian Flu Emergency Preparedness


  Dear Bill,

  Thank you very much for sharing your ideas and impetus on Avian Flu emergency 
preparedness.  The UUA does not currently have the resources to act on this 
issue. We have not heard of any other congregations or denominations that have 
acted on preparing their communities against the flu.

  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a great deal of information 
on their website: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/<http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/>. 
 The National Institute of Health and the National Library of Medicine have 
teamed up to put accurate information on the web on this issue: 
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birdflu.html<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/birdflu.html>.
  

  If you and/or your congregation have any further suggestions or resources to 
share with the larger UU community, I encourage you to send them along to me.  
I will then be able to share your ideas with anyone else with similar questions 
or concerns, and will be able to share it with the UUA leadership if necessary. 
 As the UUA is a grassroots organization, we need the enthusiasm and leadership 
of people such as you to work on projects outside the reach of our daily work.  

  Thank you for your help!


  In Faith,
  Erika Nonken 
  Public Information Assistant 
  Unitarian Universalist Association 
  "affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person" 


   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: William Weir [mailto:weirwilliam [at] msn.com] 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 10:16 AM
  To: info
  Subject: UUA Congregations' work toward Avian Flu Emergency Preparedness


  To UUA President William Sinkford and others in UUA leadership:

  What leadership can you give us in UUA congregations' work toward Avian Flu 
Emergency Preparedness?

  At First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis (FUS), Rev. Dr. Kendyl Gibbons and 
I have discussed briefly what may best be the first steps by our congregation 
toward what some of us see as urgently needed preparedness.

  She has encouraged me to form an ad hoc Task Force for Avian Flu Emergency 
Preparedness within FUS.
  (My education includes BD from Meadville/UChicago and MHA from UMn, and, 
though I worked in UUA ministry and later in health care planning and 
administration, now at age 71 I'm looking for someone better able to take the 
lead on this work.)

  Is anyone within UUA working on this concern?

  Are you aware of any other congregations that have embarked on an effort to 
develop emergency preparedness for what may soon become a disaster?

  Are you aware of any other denomination or religious leaders who have done so?

  Do you know of any publications besides Mike Davis's book The Monster At Our 
Door: The Global Threat Of Avian Flu (The New Press, 2005, $21.95) to help task 
force members get a common base of understanding?

  It may be, as I currently see it, that FUS emergency preparedness for avian 
flu would include setting guidelines and mobilizing support for
  1>    Providing food and other support to those who are quarantined in their 
homes 
  2>    Canceling assemblies and classes
  3>    Enhancing use of telecommunications responsive to members' needs
  4>    Providing virus-proof respirators to our members' caregivers working in 
physical contact with them
  5>    Providing space in our building for a field hospital, perhaps even 
enlisting and funding the staff
  6>    Securing vaccine (if any) to improve members' immunity
  7>    Providing for administration of vaccine
  etc.

  Looking forward to your response,

  Bill Weir
  Member, First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
  5241 Halifax Ave. S.    
  Minneapolis, MN 55424-1402
  952-285-1272
  cel 612-751-0445
  weirwilliam [at] msn.com<mailto:weirwilliam [at] msn.com>