Information for First Responders 

on Maintaining Operational 

Capabilities During a Pandemic

Revised March 2020 

Information for First 

Responders on Maintaining 

Operational Capabilities During 

a Pandemic

March 2020 

Mission Statement

We support and strengthen fi re and emergency medical 

services and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate 

and respond to all hazards.

Table of Contents iii

Table of Contents

Disclaimer............................................................................................................................. v

Executive Summary............................................................................................................. vii

Protecting First Responder Workforces and Their Families.......................................... 1

Layered defense ................................................................................................................ 1

Adjusting Operations to Maintain Readiness and Response........................................ 3

Leadership actions during a pandemic .......................................................................... 3

Staffing .......................................................................................................................4

Training.......................................................................................................................5

Workforce protection...............................................................................................5

Sustainability .............................................................................................................7

Resource sharing.......................................................................................................7

Public communication and education ...................................................................7

Quick Reference Sheets...................................................................................................... 9

Disclaimer ........................................................................................................................... 9

Fire service.......................................................................................................................... 10

Law enforcement............................................................................................................... 14

Emergency medical services............................................................................................ 18

911 telecommunications and emergency management.............................................. 21

Tools ...................................................................................................................................... 23

Staff planning tool ............................................................................................................. 23

Activity to identify gaps in planning................................................................................ 23

Background Information.................................................................................................... 29

Continuity of operations during a pandemic................................................................. 29

Planning for a pandemic................................................................................................... 30

Potential impacts of a pandemic..................................................................................... 31

Appendix A: Acknowledgments......................................................................................... 33

Appendix B: Bibliography................................................................................................... 35
iv Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Disclaimer v

Disclaimer

This 2009 document has had some editorial changes to reflect pandemics in general and 

to reflect more current information.

Original Disclaimer

This document, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

“Pandemic Influenza: Best Practices and Model Protocols” (2007), is intended to support 

the first responders’ efforts to provide the best possible service to their team and their 

community. In the midst of a pandemic, first responder leaders and operators should 

integrate this information with their existing planning efforts, knowledge, experience and 

training and apply it to their specific situation when appropriate.
vi Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Executive Summary vii

“America’s first responders stand at the front lines of all 

emergencies.”

— Former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano

Executive Summary

First responders have a critical role in prehospital emergency care and must continue to 

provide this essential service and fill the many emergency response roles in a community. 

The first responder community includes: fire, emergency medical services (EMS), law 

enforcement, emergency management and 911 telecommunications.

During a severe pandemic, workloads will increase, and staff sizes will diminish as 

employees and their families become ill or are quarantined. Contingency planning can 

help reduce the worst impacts; smart planning can save lives.

To help with planning for the impacts of a severe pandemic, this document provides the 

following kinds of information for first responders:

ĵ Potential ways to adjust operations to maintain readiness and response.

ĵ Potential ways for leaders in the first responder community to plan at the local level; 

including a planning tool for these efforts. 

ĵ Present out-of-the-box planning and operations concepts to drive thought and 

discussion.

ĵ Reference sheets with discipline-specific potential action steps.

This document originally was published in 2009 as a joint effort by the DHS’s former 

Office of Health Affairs and U.S. Fire Administration with major contributions from a 

working group of first responders. It provides supplemental information to “Pandemic 

Influenza: Best Practices and Model Protocols” (April 2007) and to the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency online courses “IS-520: Introduction to Continuity of Operations 

Planning for Pandemic Influenzas” (October 2013) and “IS-522: Exercising Continuity Plans 

for Pandemics” (August 2010).

While background information about pandemics is provided, updated infectious disease 

information should be gathered regularly. Current information about circulating viruses, 

including important guidance, is provided by the Department of Health and Human Services 

at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/ as well as at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/

pandemic-preparedness-resources.html. Your state, local, tribal and territorial public 

health agencies will have the most current information regarding the status of potential 

or actual pandemics in your jurisdiction. Communication and coordination with these 

entities is an essential part of planning as well as actual operations.

Better-protected first responders can better protect their communities. We hope this 

information contributes to a safer and healthier first responder workforce.
viii Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Protecting First Responder Workforces and Their Families 1

Protecting First Responder Workforces 

and Their Families

Protecting first responder workforces and their families contributes to the safety and 

security of a community during a pandemic. As a component of the nation’s critical 

infrastructure, emergency services play a vital role in responding to requests for assistance, 

triaging patients, and providing emergency treatment and transport to impacted patients. 

Coordination among public safety answering points, emergency medical services (EMS), 

health care facilities (such as emergency departments), emergency operations centers 

(EOCs) and the public health system is important for a coordinated response to a pandemic.

Layered defense

A common security concept is that of layered defense or layered protection. The goal is 

to create multiple layers of protective measures against exposure to the virus for the first 

responder. The more layers of protection, the better protected a person will be. For first 

responders, the goal is to protect the emergency service or function that is performed 

by the emergency service responder. The responders, in turn, protect their families, their 

workplaces and the community at large. Better-protected first responders are thereby 

better able to protect their communities.

Infection control

 Vaccination and antiviral treatment.

 Hand-washing and sanitizer use.

 Cover your cough.

 Social distancing.

Fire, 911, EMS,

emergency

management

law enforcement

Workplace protection

 Encourage sick employees to 

stay at home.

 Keep work surfaces and equipment 

disinfected.

 Consider telework and use technology for 

updates and information exchange.

 Limit family visits.

 Personal protective equipment (PPE) use.

 Identify existing barrier or partitions in 

vehicles and offices.

 Increase ventilation in police cruisers and 

ambulances by operating the system in 

non-recirculation mode and bringing in 

as much outdoor air as possible.

Community mitigation

 Isolation, treatment, voluntary home 

quarantine of those with confirmed or 

potential pandemic influenza.

 Voluntary or mandatory closure of 

nonessential businesses.

 Cancel public gatherings.

 Cancel school-based activities.
2 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Adjusting Operations to Maintain Readiness and Response 3

Adjusting Operations to Maintain 

Readiness and Response

As incidents change in size, scope and complexity, first responders must adapt to meet 

requirements. End-to-end operational planning for a pandemic event includes scaling up 

preparedness efforts to meet the acute workload surge. This will include reaching out to 

former employees and others in the community who can serve as volunteers according 

to state and local law, etc. Conversely, scaling down is equally important as the workload 

demand subsides and conditions return to normal operating tempo.

Scaling up can be done vertically and horizontally: vertically by adding more resources to 

a single capability or service; horizontally by adding more capabilities or services to one 

first responder system. A suggested model is shown below that shows leadership actions 

to be implemented as the pandemic situation increases in intensity and severity.

Plan

On your mark...

Begin deliberate 

planning for carrying out 

mission essential 

functions under reduced 

staffing patterns and 

increased workload.

Know your capabilities — 

know your limits.

Prepare

Get set...

Start active 

preparations: talk with 

your staff, potential 

volunteers, public 

health representatives, 

community leaders, etc.

Check your supplies 

and reevaluate your 

capabilities.

Implement

Go...

Put your plans and 

team into action.

Augment and adjust as 

necessary.

Maintain situational 

awareness.

As the urgency and intensity of the pandemic situation subsides, leaders must closely 

monitor the reentry of regular paid staff back to the workforce and begin the process of 

appropriately dismissing volunteers. Additionally, other urgent or nontraditional measures 

that were implemented in the beginning of the pandemic event to manage the workload 

intensity can be adjusted to meet the changing situation.

Leadership actions during a pandemic

Employee risks of occupational exposure to viruses during a pandemic may vary widely. 

The level of risk depends in part on the severity of the virus, whether jobs require 

proximity to people actually or potentially infected with the pandemic virus, or whether 

the employees are required to have either repeated or extended contact with known 
4 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

or suspected virus sources such as co-workers, the general public, outpatients, school 

children or other similar individuals or groups.

ĵ Employers of first responders “may consider upgrading protective measures for these 

employees beyond what would be suggested by their exposure risk due to the necessity 

of such services for the functioning of society as well as the potential difficulties in 

replacing them during a pandemic.”1

ĵ “Employees in high risk occupations may have heightened concern about their own 

safety and possible implications for their families. Such workplaces may experience 

greater employee absenteeism than other lower risk workplaces. Talk to your employees 

about resources that can help them in the event of a pandemic crisis.”2

While each first responder and first responder organization will need to consider resources 

and work through options together, consider the following ideas when planning:

Staffing

During a pandemic, a major challenge could be the reduction in the workforce due to 

absenteeism. It is important to identify and plan for alternate or nontraditional resources 

for use during a pandemic before there are severe impacts in your community. Responding 

to a pandemic is a shared community responsibility. Consider some of the following ideas:

ĵ Establish relationships with local Medical Reserve Corps, Community Emergency 

Response Teams (CERTs), high schools, junior colleges, faith-based organizations and 

local industry.

Ý Train and use those people with transferable skills, such as school bus drivers and 

truck drivers, as ambulance drivers if allowable under state and local law.

ĵ Develop procedures and plans to bring in retired or previously active members to 

assist. Check with retirees or previously active members on their availability for duty 

if needed.

ĵ Post up-to-date pandemic information in all facilities and where workers can access the 

information any time (via social media, agency websites, text messages, etc.). Maintain 

joint rumor control system and provide information to staff and citizens.

ĵ Work with your community to create adult day care centers for sick families so that 

employees are confident that their families are cared for while they are at work.

ĵ Track your sick employees and plan for replacements.

ĵ Repurpose or reassign available employees to the most mission-essential jobs: Use available 

employees for mission-essential jobs; use unskilled volunteers for nonessential work.

ĵ Ensure that all mission-essential tasks, rosters, training and proficiency are maintained 

to ensure coverage is as robust as possible.

1

OSHA. (2009). Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic, p. 12. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/Publications/

OSHA3327pandemic.pdf

2OSHA. (2009). Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic, p. 33. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/

Publications/OSHA3327pandemic.pdf
Adjusting Operations to Maintain Readiness and Response 5

Training

ĵ Identify core skills that may be able to be taught quickly to new volunteers (for example, 

how to pull fire hoses, provide basic care, check meters, and handle incoming phone 

calls and route to the appropriate person).

ĵ Put aside nonessential routine training in favor of specific pandemic virus-related training.

ĵ Cross-train first responders to perform different duties.

ĵ Training and distribution/access to current and updated guidance for response personnel 

on the pandemic disease.

Ý “Interim Guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 911 Public 

Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for COVID-19 in the United States” (https://www.

cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-for-ems.html).

Workforce protection

ĵ If vaccine is available and in agencies where vaccinations are not required, strongly 

encourage staff and family vaccinations. If not already legal in your state, work with 

your state leadership to authorize appropriate level EMS staff, dentists, pharmacists, 

etc., to provide vaccines to your workforce and the community at large.

Ý Provide incentives to employees to get vaccinated.

ĵ Active monitoring: screen your employees for virus symptoms at the beginning of 

and during their shift (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines).

ĵ Provide telecommuting tools for appropriate employees and leadership. Ensure that 

they have the appropriate technology to do so (cell and/or landline phone, internet 

access, home or work computer, etc.).

ĵ Provide/utilize videoconferencing for first responders and families to maintain daily 

contact.

ĵ Watch for fatigue and stress: Ensure that employees are taking care of themselves 

with proper nutrition, breaks, hydration, etc.

ĵ Provide emotional support and consider:

Ý Aggressively engaging peer support.

Ý Telephone use for counseling to reduce exposure.

ĵ Limit workplace visits by nonessential personnel.

ĵ Offer longer-term, on-site housing (if appropriate) for your employees during the 

height of the pandemic.

ĵ Plan for and use basic hygiene precautions and workplace policies.

ĵ Plan for and use social distancing precautions.

ĵ Provide and use PPE and administrative controls.

Ý When indicated, the use of a respirator is likely to be of most benefit when a 

properly fitted respirator is used consistently. Note that most viruses are droplet 

spread and the science is not always clear.
6 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

ĵ Implement support services to address stresses to worker behavioral and physical 

health as well as family support.

ĵ Communicate exposure risk and selection of controls to workers.

ĵ Install sneeze guards and windows at intake areas, and utilize other barriers between 

workers and the general public.

ĵ Rearrange or reorient service areas and workspaces so that workers are separated 

from co- workers, patients, visitors and the general public by at least 6 feet or as 

determined by CDC guidance, etc.

Potential volunteers in your 

community

What duties can supplemental 

volunteers be considered to 

contribute?

ĵ CERTs.

ĵ Medical Reserve Corps.

ĵ Retired professionals: police, 

fire, EMS, dispatchers, 

telecommunicators/dispatchers, 

emergency managers.

ĵ Security Officers.

ĵ Other adults in the community: 

teachers, school parent teacher 

association members, ski patrols.

ĵ Available government employees.

ĵ Faith-based organization 

members; church groups.

ĵ Youth groups, such as Scouts.

ĵ High school and college students.

ĵ Bus and school bus drivers and 

truck drivers.

ĵ Answer telephones; refer public 

inquiries.

ĵ Shop for and prepare meals.

ĵ Triage calls.

ĵ Relay public information 

messages to local media outlets.

ĵ Resupply fire trucks and 

ambulances.

ĵ Decontaminate gear, fire trucks 

and ambulances.

ĵ Maintain nonessential services, 

such as fire hydrant inspection.

ĵ Drive emergency vehicles.

ĵ Assist with transporting patients 

to and from medical facilities.

ĵ Provide temporary staffing if they 

have similar skill sets.

ĵ Direct traffic, manage crowds, 

check meters.

ĵ Identify existing barriers or partitions in vehicles and offices. Determine ways to 

modify service areas to increase space between workers, co-workers and the public 

(e.g., install partitions, use standoff distance per CDC guidance).

ĵ Increase ventilation in all emergency vehicles by operating the system in non-recirculation 

mode and bringing in as much outdoor air as possible by opening windows.

ĵ Try not to use other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment.

ĵ For more detailed information, see Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA) guidance at: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3327pandemic.pdf and 

CDC interim guidance at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/mask

guidance.htm.
Adjusting Operations to Maintain Readiness and Response 7

Sustainability

ĵ Plan as far ahead of time as possible for alternative sources of food and water during 

a pandemic.

Ý Store a supply of dry, nonperishable food and potable water on-site.

ĵ Include local private-sector companies (big-box retail stores, supermarkets, department 

stores, local medical supply stores, local restaurants, etc.) in your planning. This 

should be done preevent and on a recurring basis. During the event, these locations 

may already be out of stock on these items. Check with your local or state health or 

emergency management agencies for possible logistical assistance during an event.

ĵ Discuss (preevent or as early as possible) with local or chain private-sector companies 

who can provide goods and services in an emergency, with reimbursement coming 

later (i.e., purchase order or preapproved lines of credit).

Resource sharing

ĵ Do not assume business as usual. Current mutual-aid agreements may not be reliable 

during a pandemic.

Ý Communicate daily with your mutual-aid coordinators or partners to understand 

their situation and how you can help one another.

ĵ Consider regional response: Work with agencies in your region or community and take 

turns standing down if too many employees from one station are out ill.

Public communication and education

ĵ Coordinate with your local or state department of health on any public health messaging. 

They already should have plans and may have premade messages, posters, etc. There 

must be a single message for public health issues so as not to provide messaging at 

cross purposes or inaccurate information.

ĵ Provide information to the general population on basic first aid, pandemic symptoms 

and other forms of self-care, as well as the difference between emergency and 

nonemergency care in order to reduce reliance on emergency services:

Ý https://www.ready.gov/

Ý https://community.fema.gov/until-help-arrives

Ý https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/media/

ĵ Teach families basic strategies to care for ill family members in their own homes (using 

local public health vetted info). https://www.ready.gov/pandemic

ĵ Explain change in service levels due to the pandemic in order to adjust public 

expectations of provision of emergency services.

Ý Tell the public what to anticipate: that they may not get the service they need 

when they need it.

ĵ Prepare to support community on fatality management.

ĵ Support state or local public health pandemic hotline and social media presence for 

the general public to obtain the most current information.

ĵ Contact local businesses to provide support and basic preparedness materials for 

needy families.
8 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Quick Reference Sheets 9

Quick Reference Sheets

The set of potential action steps in this section is provided as a quick reference that can 

be used when preparing for a pandemic. The reference sheets are divided into disciplinespecific sections (Fire, EMS, Law Enforcement, 911 Telecommunications and Emergency 

Management). Users should cross-reference each section since many emergency service 

organizations handle multiple components of service delivery.

The following pages provide simple, practical and useful steps every person in an 

organization can adopt to help better protect themselves, their co-workers and their 

families. They are grouped by “mottos.” They can be tailored as necessary to suit the needs 

of each service based on its unique circumstances (e.g., workload, staffing, location, area 

of responsibility, etc.).

The potential action steps are the result of a workshop from members of the first 

responder disciplines. A complete list of the participating departments and agencies is 

included in Appendix A: Acknowledgments.

Disclaimer

The potential action steps listed here are not all inclusive and do not represent the 

official position of the federal government. The user should understand that laws, rules, 

regulations, standard operating procedures and standard operating guidelines, as well as 

limited resources, may exist, precluding emergency service organizations and providers 

from implementing some of the following ideas. Each emergency service organization must 

reference its own pandemic response plan and needs accordingly and seek applicable 

workaround alternatives for their respective jurisdiction. The possible consequences of a 

pandemic warrant attention to the possibilities associated with workforce depletion.
10 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Fire service

Motto Potential action steps for fire service

“Put the wet 

stuff on the 

red stuff”

ĵ Stop all nonemergency tasks, such as hydrant inspection, 

code inspection, outreach and drills.

ĵ Reassign personnel from nonemergency tasks to field 

operations.

ĵ Backfill less-essential functions with supplemental volunteers 

and personnel from other departments and agencies.

“Manage 

expectations”

ĵ Keep government officials and leadership informed of 

potential impacts on response times caused by loss of 

personnel.

ĵ Include labor and other municipal components in planning.

ĵ Inform the public.

ĵ Maintain coordination with your local public health officials: 

Be informed.

ĵ Ensure that everyone is on the same page.

“Keep your 

distance”

ĵ Assess patients at a distance — 6 feet away at first (or as 

determined by CDC) — in order to determine the presence of 

a respiratory or other contagious illness.

ĵ If possible, meet patients in open air.

ĵ If you must enter a home, assess the patient from the 

doorway first.

ĵ Do not have your entire crew exposed when only one or two 

could conduct initial patient assessment.

ĵ Follow guidance from CDC, state and local public health, and 

EMS officials.

“Fresh air is 

your friend”

ĵ Ventilate vehicles during transport.

ĵ Ventilate vehicles after transport.

“Wipe it down, 

wipe it out”

ĵ Use wipes — not sprays — to decontaminate equipment 

and exposed surfaces in vehicles post-response. Wipes are 

recommended to avoid re-aerosolizing the germs or bacteria 

on contact.

ĵ Place alcohol-based sanitizer in easily accessible locations.

ĵ Do not touch your face with gloved or unwashed hands.

ĵ Wash hands after cleaning equipment.

ĵ Ensure that the cab areas of the ambulance and fire 

apparatus are also decontaminated.

“Train the way 

you fight”

ĵ Postpone routine training or conduct training specific to the 

pandemic instead.

ĵ Train your volunteer force.
Quick Reference Sheets 11

Motto Potential action steps for fire service

“Cleanliness is 

nonnegotiable”

ĵ Establish a location away from the firehouse where patients 

can come to you for assessment.

ĵ Plan for receiving patients if they are walk-ins at facilities.

ĵ Control the living and working environment (ventilation, 

contamination and patient flow).

ĵ Decontaminate! Decontaminate! Decontaminate!

ĵ Ensure that facilities are available for individuals to wash their 

hands and provide hand sanitizer in vehicles and facilities per 

CDC guidance.

ĵ Shower and change clothes before leaving work: Go home 

clean!

“Assume the 

worst — hope 

for the best”

ĵ Assume that patients with respiratory symptoms have a viral 

infection.

ĵ Always don recommended PPE before entering the 

environment of a patient with respiratory symptoms.

ĵ If possible, place a mask on patients with respiratory 

symptoms.

ĵ Wash hands, wash hands, wash hands.

ĵ Change bunk bedding daily or after each use and clean linens 

and surfaces per CDC guidance.

ĵ Follow guidance from CDC, state and local public health, and 

EMS officials.

“Green is not 

always clean”

ĵ Do not recycle or reuse anything that could be contaminated.

ĵ If you cannot clean it adequately, dispose of it.

ĵ Do not reuse any disposables, particularly masks and gloves.

“Mobilize your 

reserves”

ĵ Identify potential volunteers now such as nontraditional 

volunteer firefighting forces (e.g., CERTs, Medical Reserve 

Corps, Red Cross members).

ĵ Call up volunteers (firefighters, support personnel).

ĵ Identify tasks for volunteers (for example, decontaminating 

vehicles and protective clothing (if trained and provided with 

PPE)).

ĵ Provide only the essential training needed for their role.

ĵ As time allows, provide additional training for volunteers.

“Rise to the 

occasion”

ĵ Reduce the number of shifts and lengthen shifts (for 

example, “12 on, 12 off”).

ĵ Consider special shift for two-earner families so one can stay 

home to care for sick children.

ĵ Require overtime when needed to manage adequate staffing 

levels.

ĵ If people have had the virus and returned to work, if cleared, 

ask more of them.

ĵ Identify who is double-booked (for example, “I work in 

one community, but I serve as a volunteer in another 

community”).
12 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Motto Potential action steps for fire service

“Let’s work 

together”

ĵ Cross-train with EMS, law enforcement and 911.

ĵ Know what you can expect from your partners and do not 

assume business as usual.

ĵ Do not assume that mutual-aid will be there. Contact 

mutual-aid coordinators and partners to maintain situational 

awareness.

Ý Your first responders may be sick while someone else’s in 

the next county may not be so hard hit.

ĵ If your region is unaffected, surge (if approved by the 

authority having jurisdiction) to help those regions that are 

affected.

“Fireproof your 

family”

ĵ Recognize that personnel have to take care of their families 

and plan accordingly.

ĵ Consider allowing appropriate personnel to take the 

equipment home and possibly even respond from home 

depending on the situation and providing for proper infection 

control procedures.

ĵ Encourage personnel at the firehouse to communicate with 

their families when possible to relieve stress.

ĵ Encourage availability of webcams to enable firefighters to 

keep in touch with their families.

“Stock up”

ĵ You have to have food, water and supplies for your station.

ĵ Stockpile the right things as soon as possible prior to or 

during the event.

ĵ Purchase and store nutritious emergency food, such as beans 

and rice.

ĵ Make contingency plans for water in case the city water 

supply is compromised or if bottled water is no longer 

delivered.
Quick Reference Sheets 13

Motto Potential action steps for fire service

“Business as 

un-usual”

ĵ Acknowledge the acceptance of increased risk (depleted 

workforce and increased call volume).

ĵ Anticipate that the situation will last for a long time.

ĵ Fill fuel tanks more often.

ĵ Use recommended PPE.

ĵ Minimize size and deployment of response teams to minimize 

exposure.

ĵ Reduce alarm responses. Consider alternatives to initial 

automatic alarms reporting hazardous materials incidents. 

Initial response could be a single unit or hazmat company 

unless there are other indicators that a larger response is 

needed.

ĵ Limited staff may mean reduced crews on apparatus. 

Consider doubling apparatus response, or other options, to 

meet staffing needs.

ĵ Cross-train other municipal workers or applicable volunteers 

to drive apparatus if allowable under the law (e.g., plow truck 

operators may be able to operate a fire engine, but you may 

need to provide basic pump operations training).

“Two in, two out”

ĵ Watch for fatigue and stress.

ĵ Increase hydration.

ĵ Aggressively engage peer support.

ĵ Augment peer support with auxiliaries.

ĵ Use the telephone for counseling to reduce exposure.

ĵ Provide counseling and support for firefighters’ families.

ĵ Provide respite breaks for on-duty responders as needed.

“We are all in 

this together”

ĵ If not already required, encourage 100% vaccination for all 

personnel.

ĵ If a vaccine is developed, vaccinate families if the vaccine is 

available for them.

ĵ If a vaccine is developed, vaccinate at the station while on 

shift. (Contact your local public health director or agency to 

provide vaccines to the station.)

ĵ If EMS personnel have authority to vaccinate in your state, 

coordinate with your EMS medical director to have them do so.

ĵ Develop local incentives for rewarding those who get 

vaccinated and strongly encouraging those who do not.

ĵ Maintain joint rumor control system and provide information.

ĵ Lead by example: Leaders get vaccinated first.
14 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Law enforcement

Motto Potential action steps for law enforcement

“Brief early, 

brief often”

ĵ Inform the force of pandemic plans.

ĵ Brief on the status of operations: staffing, equipment and 

support.

ĵ Brief on the status of the pandemic: geography, virulence, 

numbers, etc.

ĵ Review emergency health and operational policies. Modify if 

needed.

“Call for 

backup”

ĵ Alert volunteers, reserves, retirees and others for potential 

use.

ĵ Recall retirees or previously employed sworn personnel if 

provisions are made to legally use them.

ĵ Integrate trained volunteers and retired officers into the 

workforce if provisions are made to legally use them.

ĵ Allow probationary officers to work individually when 

approved by the field training officer.

ĵ Accelerate the movement of any academy cadets to field 

positions as possible.

ĵ Transfer cross-trained employees to backfill staff vacancies.

ĵ Cancel all out-of-town training and work-related travel.

ĵ Cancel all in-service and other nonessential training.

ĵ Cancel vacation and leave.

ĵ Begin staggered shifts and increased flex time among civilian 

employees.

ĵ Expand shifts to 12 hours (or another increment as 

determined by the local jurisdiction).

ĵ Staff high-priority functions first.

ĵ Include labor and other municipal components in planning.

ĵ Encourage overtime.

ĵ Expand flex time.

ĵ Implement a work-at-home policy wherever technically 

feasible.

ĵ Implement extended sick leave with pay where permissible.

“Triage your 

workload”

ĵ Do what is important to protect and serve the community.

Ý Delay or do not respond to lower priority calls for service.

Ý Limit law enforcement officer response to lesser nonviolent crimes.

Ý Law enforcement may issue citations in lieu of arrest 

whenever possible per law and policy.

ĵ Establish an alternative call center for minor crimes, offenses 

and issues.

ĵ Use a telephone reporting unit for reporting of select 

nonviolent or less-serious crimes.

Ý Expand the telephone reporting unit to the fullest extent 

practicable where solvability factors are limited.
Quick Reference Sheets 15

Motto Potential action steps for law enforcement

“Keep your 

distance”

ĵ Implement all department-wide sanitation and personal 

hygiene measures.

ĵ Provide added distance between workstations, and erect 

environmental controls.

ĵ Implement a mandatory stay-at-home policy for symptomatic 

employees.

ĵ Close the community service desk, or implement engineering 

controls to minimize employee exposure.

ĵ Stockpile PPE preevent or as early as possible.

“Come out with 

your hands 

clean!”

ĵ Wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer as recommended 

by the CDC.

ĵ Wear a face mask and gloves when working within an isolated 

law enforcement facility.

ĵ Use only recommended PPE. https://www.cdc.gov/hai/

prevent/ppe.html

“Dress the 

part”

ĵ Shower and change clothes before leaving work: Go home 

clean!

ĵ Bag your uniform for cleaning.

ĵ Wipe down all leather and shoes, including soles, with 

antibacterial wipes.

ĵ Wear a clean uniform every day. Clean uniforms and clothing 

frequently.

“Fresh air is 

your friend”

ĵ Wipe down all equipment used during apprehensions (such 

as handcuffs and batons) with antibacterial wipes, not sprays. 

Wipes are recommended over sprays to avoid re-aerosolizing 

the germs or bacteria on contact.

ĵ Provide just in time mask refresher training and fitting for law 

enforcement officers.

ĵ Don an N95 mask if engaging a person with noticeable 

virus-like symptoms.

ĵ Frequently ventilate facilities.

ĵ Frequently ventilate police vehicles.

“Radio talk”

ĵ Substitute teleconferencing or group email for group 

meetings.

ĵ Conduct roll call or patrol briefings by phone, digital status 

unit or internet.

ĵ Expand use of a telephone reporting unit and implement 

work-at-home complaint-taking capabilities.

“Neighborhood 

roll call”

ĵ Alert the community to departmental contingency plans that 

may affect them if the virus spreads.

ĵ Coordinate with the media and city/county health care and 

governmental agencies.

ĵ Alert neighborhood watches to reduced response to calls for 

service.

ĵ Encourage more vigilant neighborhood watch activities with 

appropriate situational precautions.
16 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Motto Potential action steps for law enforcement

Prisoner 

transportation

ĵ Develop special procedures to separate and isolate prisoners.

ĵ Develop special procedures to reduce the number of 

prisoners required to be in court.

ĵ Ventilate the vehicle cab when transporting prisoners.

Prisoner 

housing

ĵ Establish special units for potentially contaminated prisoners.

ĵ Reduce the number of prisoners, reducing the number of 

officers needed.

Prisoner 

isolation and 

distancing

ĵ Assume prisoners with respiratory symptoms have the virus.

ĵ Develop special procedures to separate prisoners awaiting 

court appearances.

ĵ Establish videoconferencing and video testimony capability.

ĵ Hold court by video teleconferencing.

Staffing and 

posting court 

security 

officers

ĵ Cross-train road officers, deputies and investigators as court 

security officers.

ĵ Cross-train with EMS, fire and 911.

ĵ Modify court calendars to reduce the number of 

simultaneous court proceedings, reducing the number of 

officers needed.

ĵ Recall retired court security officers or deputies.

Protection of 

court security 

officers

ĵ Implement mandatory sanitary precautions.

ĵ Adjust work schedules.

ĵ Modify workstations to reduce exposure.

ĵ Redeploy staff to minimize contact with the public.

Alternative 

facilities

ĵ Establish agreements with owners to use local buildings.

ĵ Use alternative facilities during decontamination or for 

overflow of detainees, etc.

“Access denied”

ĵ Deny access to facilities for unauthorized or nonessential 

personnel.

ĵ Establish videoconferencing capability for regular 

nonessentials:

Ý Clergy, public defenders, family visitors, others (as determined by jurisdiction).

Temporary 

morgue

ĵ Coordinate with public health or medical examiner’s office to 

locate and provide security for temporary morgue facilities.

“Business as 

un-usual”

ĵ Acknowledge the acceptance of increased risk (depleted 

workforce and increased call volume).

ĵ Anticipate that the situation will last for a long time.

ĵ Fill fuel tanks more often.

ĵ Minimize response teams to minimize exposure.
Quick Reference Sheets 17

Motto Potential action steps for law enforcement

“Fireproof your 

family”

ĵ Recognize that personnel have to take care of their families 

and plan accordingly.

ĵ Allow personnel to take the equipment home and possibly 

even respond from home.

ĵ Encourage personnel at the precinct to communicate with 

their families when possible to relieve stress.

ĵ Encourage and expand webcams to enable officers to keep in 

touch with their families.

“We are all in 

this together”

ĵ If not required by the agency and a vaccine is developed, 

encourage 100% vaccination for all personnel.

ĵ Vaccinate families if the vaccine is available for them.

ĵ If a vaccine is developed, vaccinate at the station while on 

shift. (Contact your local public health director or agency to 

provide vaccines to the station.)

ĵ If EMS personnel have authority to vaccinate in your state, 

coordinate with your EMS medical director to have them do so.

ĵ Develop local incentives for rewarding those who get 

vaccinated and strongly encouraging those who do not.

ĵ Maintain rumor control system and provide staff and public 

information.

ĵ Lead by example: Leaders get vaccinated first.
18 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Emergency medical services

Motto Potential action steps for EMS

“Manage 

expectations”

ĵ Leadership should make decisions about the level of service 

to provide with diminished staff (e.g., basic life support versus 

advanced life support (ALS); only respond on ALS incidents): 

Involve medical direction and state office of EMS.

ĵ Communicate daily with health partners and the public to 

manage expectations about EMS capabilities with lower 

staffing levels.

ĵ Leadership should have a clear plan.

Ý Leadership should preplan a clear chain of command (i.e., 

who is in charge when the chief and/or supervisors are ill).

Ý Leadership decisions about changing services should be 

made and communicated through the established chain 

of command.

ĵ Assist with planning and support for nontraditional patient 

reception points to assist with hospital overcrowding.

ĵ Redirect calls to the pandemic hotline.

ĵ Where available use designated vehicles (e.g., respiratory 

emergency response units).

ĵ Keep government officials and leadership informed of potential 

impact on response times caused by loss of personnel.

ĵ Inform the public.

ĵ Coordinate with your local public health officials: Stay informed.

ĵ Ensure everyone is on the same page.

“Support your 

troops”

ĵ Keep track of colleagues who are sick.

ĵ Include labor and other municipal components in planning.

ĵ Actively engage in peer support.

ĵ Clarify policy for pay during sick leave.

ĵ Reach out to other professionals online.

ĵ Change bunk bedding daily or after each use and clean linens 

and surfaces per CDC guidance.

“Keep your 

distance”

ĵ Request more information from dispatch when sent to 

respiratory, sick person and fever-related calls.

ĵ Assess patients at a distance: 6 feet away or as determined 

by the CDC, etc. (Determine respiratory illness signs/

symptoms then don appropriate PPE prior to physical contact 

with patient.)

ĵ Do not have your entire crew exposed when only one or two 

could conduct initial patient assessment.

ĵ Place a mask on the patient if it is tolerated.

ĵ Use recommended PPE. Follow guidance from the CDC, state 

and local public health officials, and EMS officials.

ĵ Alert the receiving hospital/facility to the possibility of an 

infectious patient.

ĵ Participate in alternative screening processes coordinated 

with local public health.
Quick Reference Sheets 19

Motto Potential action steps for EMS

“Fresh air is your 

friend”

ĵ Ventilate vehicles.

ĵ Ensure good ventilation at all times.

“Wipe it down, 

wipe it out”

ĵ Use wipes — not sprays — to decontaminate equipment 

and exposed surfaces in vehicle post-response. Wipes are 

recommended over sprays to avoid re-aerosolizing the germs 

or bacteria on contact.

ĵ Place alcohol-based sanitizer in easily accessible locations.

ĵ Do not touch your face with gloved or unwashed hands.

ĵ Wash hands after cleaning equipment.

“Cleanliness is 

nonnegotiable”

ĵ Assist with planning and support for nontraditional patient 

reception points to assist with hospital overcrowding.

ĵ Control living and working environment (ventilation, 

contamination and patient flow).

ĵ Decontaminate! Decontaminate! Decontaminate!

ĵ Shower and change clothes before leaving work: Go home 

clean.

“Assume the 

worst — hope for 

the best”

ĵ Assume patients with respiratory symptoms have the virus.

ĵ Don approved PPE before entering the environment of a 

patient with respiratory symptoms.

ĵ If they will tolerate it, place a mask on a patient with 

respiratory symptoms.

ĵ Follow guidance from CDC, state and local public health 

officials, and EMS officials.

“Green is not 

always clean”

ĵ Do not recycle/reuse anything that could be contaminated.

ĵ If you cannot clean it adequately, dispose of it.

ĵ Do not reuse any disposables, particularly gloves!

“Rise to the 

occasion”

ĵ Reduce number of shifts and lengthen shifts, e.g., “12 on, 12 

off.”

ĵ Consider special shift for two-earner families so one can stay 

home to care for sick children.

ĵ Require overtime.

ĵ If someone has had the virus and returned to work, ask more 

of them.

ĵ Identify who is “double-booked” (e.g., “I work in one 

community, but I serve as a volunteer in another 

community”).

“Stock up”

ĵ You have to have food, water and supplies for your station(s).

ĵ Stockpile the right things as soon as the potential for a 

pandemic becomes known.

ĵ Purchase and store nutritious emergency food (e.g., beans, 

rice).

ĵ Make contingency plans for water in case the city water 

supply is compromised or if bottled water is no longer 

delivered.
20 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Motto Potential action steps for EMS

“Two in, two out”

ĵ Watch for fatigue and stress.

ĵ Increase hydration.

ĵ Aggressively engage peer support.

ĵ Augment peer support with auxiliaries.

ĵ Use telephone for counseling to reduce exposure.

ĵ Provide counseling/support for EMS provider families.

ĵ Provide respite breaks for responders as needed.

“We are all in this 

together”

ĵ If not already required, 100% vaccination should be 

encouraged for all personnel.

ĵ Vaccinate families if the vaccine is available for families.

ĵ Vaccinate at the station while on shift. (Contact your local 

public health director/agency to provide vaccines to the 

station).

ĵ If EMS personnel have authority to vaccinate in your state, 

coordinate with your EMS medical director to have them do 

so.

ĵ Develop local incentives for rewarding those who get 

vaccinated and strongly encouraging those who do not.

ĵ Utilize a rumor control system and provide education.

ĵ Lead by example: Leaders get vaccinated first.

“Mobilize the 

reserves”

ĵ Identify volunteers (e.g., personnel with basic first-aid and 

CPR skills, CERTs, Red Cross, Medical Reserve Corp, stay-athome parents).

ĵ Identify tasks for volunteers (first aid, vitals, driving and 

transporting patients to vehicles).

ĵ Identify potential conflicts with state and local regulations.

“Come out with 

your hands 

clean!”

ĵ Cover your coughs.

ĵ Wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer frequently per 

CDC guidance.

ĵ Wear appropriate PPE when working within an isolated area.

ĵ Use only recommended PPE.

“Train the way 

you fight”

ĵ Cancel routine training or do pandemic training instead.

ĵ Train the volunteer force.

“Business as 

un-usual”

ĵ Acknowledge the acceptance of increased risk (depleted 

workforce and increased call volume).

ĵ Anticipate that the situation will last for a long time.

ĵ Cross-train staff.

ĵ Cross-train with fire, law enforcement and 911.

ĵ Familiarize neighboring EMS personnel with your equipment 

and vice versa.

ĵ Cross-train alternative drivers to drive ambulances if 

permissible under the law (e.g., bus drivers, security officers).

ĵ Fill fuel tanks more often.

ĵ Check with hospitals about disposal of excess biohazard 

material.

ĵ Use recommended PPE.

ĵ Review fatality management plans.

ĵ Minimize response teams to minimize exposure (i.e., send 

limited number of units to incidents).
Quick Reference Sheets 21

911 telecommunications and emergency management

Motto Potential action steps for 911 telecommunications and 

emergency management

“Manning and 

planning”

ĵ Keep your staff in the loop; listen to all their ideas and opinions.

ĵ Define the triggers for calling up volunteers.

ĵ Identify sources for your volunteer workforce.

ĵ Identify potential volunteer assignments and tasks.

ĵ What’s your action plan? Plan for getting the word out that 

you need volunteers.

ĵ Train your volunteers now. 

ĵ If not required, encourage 100% vaccination for all personnel.

ĵ Vaccinate families if the vaccine is available for them.

ĵ Vaccinate at the station while on shift (contact your local public 

health director or agency to provide vaccines to the station).

ĵ Develop local incentives for rewarding those who get 

vaccinated and strongly encouraging those who do not.

ĵ Maintain joint rumor control system and provide information 

to staff and citizens.

ĵ Lead by example: Leaders get vaccinated first.

“Manage 

expectations”

ĵ Coordinate with key government officials for public health 

and emergency response.

Ý Maintain current or establish new relationships early.

Ý Review operation plans for call centers and information lines.

Ý Plan to educate the community; decrease expectations for 

care.

Ý Consult with other state and local call center officials.

Ý Plan for a single point of service in your community.

Ý Consider multicommunity aid.

Ý Combine police, fire and EMS into one public safety 

answering point.

ĵ Consult with local hospital and public health officials.

ĵ Consult with telecommunications providers to plan for 

telephone trees, hotlines, information lines, additional trunk 

lines and potential lines for dispatchers telecommuting.

ĵ Review 911 pandemic protocols from national professional 

organizations.

“Business as 

un-usual”

ĵ Acknowledge the acceptance of increased risk (depleted 

workforce and increased call volume).

ĵ Review state and local regulations and emergency orders to:

Ý Determine who receives service (visits to home or office 

by EMS).

Ý Determine who does not receive service.

Ý Determine how the “worried well” will be referred.

Ý Determine who is marginal to receive services.
22 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Motto Potential action steps for 911 telecommunications and 

emergency management

“Working from 

home — The 

‘what if’ 

model...”

ĵ Define who is eligible to work from home.

ĵ 911 dispatcher/call center manager recovering from virus or 

staying at home as caretakers.

ĵ If possible, work toward an all-911 dispatch home-based 

workforce to reduce exposure.

“Calls come 

in — calls go 

out”

ĵ Prepare a series of statements and be prepared to blast out 

informational messages to the community via the reverse 

911 call system, traditional media, blogs, email lists, social 

networks, text messaging, etc.

“Prepare for 

the next wave”

ĵ Host or participate in a virtual stakeholders’ roundtable 

meeting and discuss lessons learned.

ĵ Contact officials in surrounding communities to coordinate 

efforts and compare notes.

ĵ Continue searching for key partners to bolster infrastructure 

and resource needs.

ĵ Develop a coordinated call center system if one is not 

currently available.

“Come out with 

your hands 

clean!”

ĵ Train staff on infection control.

ĵ Cover your coughs.

ĵ Wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer frequently per 

CDC guidance.

ĵ Disinfect consoles and related surfaces.

ĵ Use only recommended PPE.

“Fireproof your 

family”

ĵ Recognize that personnel have to take care of their families 

and plan accordingly.

ĵ Allow appropriate personnel to take the equipment home 

and possibly even respond from home.

ĵ Encourage personnel at the operations center to communicate 

with their families when possible to relieve stress.

ĵ Encourage and expand webcam use to enable staff to keep in 

touch with their families.

“We are all in 

this together”

ĵ If not already required, encourage 100% vaccination for all 

personnel.

ĵ Vaccinate families if the vaccine is available for them.

ĵ Vaccinate at the dispatch center, EOC or other agency facility 

while on shift (contact your local public health director or 

agency to provide vaccines to the station).

ĵ If EMS personnel have authority to vaccinate in your state, 

coordinate with your EMS medical director to have them do so.

ĵ Develop local incentives for rewarding those who get 

vaccinated and strongly encouraging those who do not.
Tools 23

Tools

Two tools are provided to help the first responder community plan for a pandemic.

Staff planning tool

First is a tool to help an organization think about how it will continue to provide its 

essential functions during a pandemic and what functions may need to be deferred. It 

may help first responders identify their essential activities, staffing and needed skills.

The columns for “Reduction in Workforce” are for planning for the impact of a pandemic:

ĵ What changes in operations will be needed to continue to perform the essential activity?

ĵ What skills are necessary?

Table 1 is a form providing instructions for completion of the tool.

Table 2 is a sample form using information from a police department. Organizations may 

have different priorities, terms and skill sets, depending on the needs of the communities 

they serve.

Table 3 is a blank form for a planner to use as a template, either to write in organizationspecific information or to use as a Word document.

Activity to identify gaps in planning

An activity to identify gaps in planning is provided in a scenario format with a timeline of 

events designed to help first responders think through what they would do if faced with 

a pandemic scenario. It is designed with some specific dates, but those dates are fictional. 

A pandemic could affect a community at any time.
24 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic Table 1: Staff planning tool Sample: Adapted from the critical issues in policing series3 Current personnel on staff Scenario 1: Anticipate a 25% reduction in workforce Scenario 2: Anticipate a 40% reduction in workforce List your core/ essential tasks Unit to support or deliver task Officers Staff List any necessary changes in operations to continue performing this task Standard of delivery acceptable? yes/no List any necessary change in operations to continue performing this task Standard of delivery acceptable? yes/no Minimum number of people required Specific skills necessary Other activities Other “must do” Other “should do” Discretionary

Total force

Enter your organization’s core tasks in this column.

List the team or group that performs this task.

List the total number of staff (including volunteers) that typically perform or support this core task.

If 25% of your staff are absent, write down what operational changes will allow your organization to perform this core task.

If 40% of your staff are absent, write down what operational changes will allow your organization to perform this core task.

List the fewest number of people you need to perform this core task.

List one to three essential skills that are necessary to perform this core task.

3Luna, Andrea M., Corina Sole Brito, & Elizabeth A. Sanberg. (2007, October). Critical issues in policing series, police planning for an influenza pandemic: Case studies and recommendations from the field. Washington, DC: Police Executive Research Forum, October 2007.
Tools 25

Table 2: Staff planning tool (example)

Current 

personnel on 

staff

Scenario 1: 

Anticipate a 25% reduction in

workforce

Scenario 2: 

Anticipate a 40% reduction in

workforce

List your 

core/

essential 

tasks

Unit to 

support or 

deliver task Officers Staff

List any necessary 

changes in 

operations 

to continue 

performing this 

task

Standard 

of delivery 

acceptable?

yes/no

List any 

necessary 

change in 

operations 

to continue 

performing this 

task

Standard 

of delivery 

acceptable?

yes/no

Minimum 

number 

of people 

required

Specific 

skills 

necessary

Command and control. CAD room. 8 12

Require staff to work on rest days and/or longer shifts. 

As for Scenario 1. Also, take officers from response teams.

yes 12 CAD-training staff only.

Response to 9-1-1 calls.

IBO and response teams.

240

Require staff to work on rest days and/or longer shifts.

yes

As for Scenario 1. Also, use PCSOs for low grade calls.

yes 84

2 advanced and 4 basic drivers on each TDY.

Crime investigation.

CID, crime desk, telephone reporting bureau.

60 25

Require staff to work on rest days and/or longer shifts.

yes

As for Scenario 1. Also, prioritize cases.

yes 27

Accredited investigators for certain roles.

Other activities

Other 

“must do”

Critical incident gold groups, respond to PQs, process pay, briefings.

11 30

Staff required to work on rest days and/or longer shifts.

yes

As for Scenario 1. Also, take officers from response teams.

yes 7

Other 

“should do”

Crime pattern analysis, pay invoices, man front counters.

12 18

Staff required to work on rest days and/or longer shifts.

yes

As for Scenario 1. Also, open front counters only 7 am - 7 pm.

yes 15

Discretionary

Schools liaison, local recruiting, open days.

4 3

Continue with activities at a reduced capacity.

yes

Cease activities: move resources to essential.

no 2

Total force 400 120
26 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic Table 3: Staff planning tool (template) Current personnel on staff Scenario 1: Anticipate a 25% reduction in workforce Scenario 2: Anticipate a 40% reduction in workforce List your core/ essential tasks Unit to support or deliver task Officers Staff List any necessary changes in operations to continue performing this task Standard of delivery acceptable? yes/no List any necessary change in operations to continue performing this task Standard of delivery acceptable? yes/no Minimum number of people required Specific skills necessary Other activities Other “must do” Other “should do” Discretionary

Total force
Tools 27

Activity to identify gaps in planning

The following activity is designed 

to generate discussion among 

your senior leadership about 

how to effectively respond to the 

range of impacts of a pandemic. 

It is a notional scenario designed 

t o a l l o w c o m m u n i t i e s t o 

consider what resources they 

have and plan accordingly.

Consider the events in this box, 

and take the time to ask these 

questions:

ĵ How would you adjust the 

performance of your missionessential functions while 

dealing with these scenarios?

ĵ How would you protect the 

workforce and their families?

ĵ Can you continue to provide 

t h e e x p e c t e d l e v e l o f 

services within your area of 

responsibility?

ĵ How many days of supplies 

and equipment do you have 

now?

ĵ What are your capabilities 

for communicating with 

your community to manage 

the large numbers of people 

seeking care?

ĵ What is the best way to 

deal with union rules and 

regulations? Deal with them 

now rather than later?

ĵ Who is in charge when 

the usual leaders are not 

available?

ĵ How and where may I get the 

vaccine?

ĵ W h a t i s t h e c o n t a c t 

information for the state 

or local public health office 

that will be distributing the 

vaccine?

First responders pandemic activity: 

A notional scenario

Imagine if...

Day 1. Local and national media outlets begin running stories 

on pandemic cases throughout the nation, increasing public 

concerns.

Day 14. Your state health department confirms five deaths 

within your state.

Day 15. The federal government reports that it has begun 

vaccine production for the novel pandemic strain.

Day 20. Local public school officials report increased 

absenteeism. Public health officials cannot conclude to what 

degree this is self-quarantining or the result of actual infection.

Day 23. Your state health department confirms the first case in 

your region. Local public schools close as a precaution.

Day 28. A number of staff members call out of work as a result 

of childcare issues due to the closure of their children’s schools.

Day 30. Local hospitals and clinics report a large increase in 

patients presenting flu-like symptoms. Large numbers of 

“worried well” are clogging the medical system due to media 

coverage of the situation.

Day 33. Seven employees arrive at work with flu-like symptoms.

Day 34. You receive a call from a staff member asking whether 

they should come to work, as their child is ill with flu-like 

symptoms.

Day 35. The union official calls asking for documentation of 

personal protection, sick leave and health insurance issues. Will 

persons who are out of sick leave still be paid if they stay home 

or should they report to work ill?

Day 40. Several key managers and administrators stay home 

from work to care for ill family members (no day care is 

available).

Day 44. Human resources reports that 15% of your workforce 

that has direct interaction with the public is on leave. 

Additionally, over 40% of one division is on leave.

Day 49. Your PPE supplier is unable for at least two months to 

provide you with the N95 masks and hand gel you ordered.

Day 54. Human resources reports that 25% of your total 

workforce is on leave. Over 10% of your workforce is on leave 

without pay because they have exhausted their sick leave.

Day 60. A key staff member is in critical condition at the local 

hospital with a confirmed case of the novel virus.

Day 65. You receive a request to provide assistance to a 

neighboring jurisdiction due to its diminished workforce.
28 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Background Information 29

Background Information

This “Information for First Responders” is designed to help first responders identify 

potential actions to maintain operations and ensure workforce protection in a pandemic 

environment. This document was developed as a result of a joint effort by the Department 

of Homeland Security’s Office of Health Affairs and U.S. Fire Administration with major 

contributions from a working group of first responders (see Appendix A). It provides 

supplemental information to “Pandemic Influenza: Best Practices and Model Protocols” 

(April 2007) and to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “IS-520: 

Introduction to Continuity of Operations Planning for Pandemic Influenzas” online course 

(October 2013) and “IS-522: Exercising Continuity Plans for Pandemics” (August 2010).

First responders have a critical role in prehospital emergency care and must continue 

to provide this essential service as well as the many emergency response roles in a 

community. The first responder community includes the following services: fire, EMS, law 

enforcement, emergency management and 911 call centers. For many of these services, 

volunteers make up a significant portion of the workforce.

During a pandemic, workloads will increase and staff sizes will diminish as employees and 

their families become ill. Contingency planning now can help reduce the worst impacts: 

smart planning can save lives.

As incidents change in size, scope and complexity, first responders must adapt to meet 

requirements. The number, type and sources of resources must be able to expand rapidly 

to meet needs associated with a given incident. For the duration of a response, and as 

needs grow and change, responders must remain nimble and adaptable. Equally, the overall 

response should be flexible as it transitions 

from the response effort to recovery.

Continuity of operations during a 

pandemic4

A pandemic threatens to disrupt the 

essential services and operations within 

and across our nation. Whenever national 

disease containment strategies fail, first 

responders may find themselves thrust to 

the frontlines in this public health battle.

While the severity of any particular 

d i s e a s e o u t b r e a k m a y v a r y, t h e 

potentially catastrophic impact of a 

pandemic demands that organizations 

engage in contingency planning and 

preparedness ef for t s. Traditional 

business contingency planning requires 

identif ying essential functions and 

people. Pandemic planning recommends 

that organizations refine their definition 

of “essential” if they are to continue 

providing critical goods and services.

Continuity of Operations

K e y o b j e c t i v e s o f C o n t i n u i t y o f 

Operations (COOP) are:

ĵ Ensure the per formance of an 

agency’s essential functions.

ĵ Reduce loss of life by minimizing 

damage and losses.

ĵ Ensure successful succession for 

leadership positions.

ĵ Reduce or mitigate disruptions to 

operations.

ĵ Ensure that agencies have alternative 

facilities from which to operate.

ĵ Protect essential facilities, equipment, 

vital records and other assets.

ĵ Achieve a timely and orderly recovery 

and resume normal full services.

For more information on COOP, go to 

https://www.fema.gov/policy-plansevaluations.

4Department of Homeland Security. (September 2006). Pandemic influenza: Preparedness, response, and recovery: 

Guide for critical infrastructure and key resources. www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/cikrpandemic

influenzaguide.pdf
30 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

Planning for a pandemic5

Seasonal influenza in the United States results in approximately 36,000 deaths and 

226,000 hospitalizations each year. A pandemic occurs when a new strain of influenza 

or another virus (e.g., Ebola, coronavirus, SARS, MERS, etc.) emerges that is able to infect 

humans and be passed among them.

Three human influenza pandemics have occurred in the past 100 years. Each resulted 

in illness in approximately 30% of the world population and death in between 0.2% and 

2% of those infected. It is projected that a modern pandemic could lead to the deaths of 

between 200,000 and 2 million U.S. citizens.

Planning principles

The challenge of developing an all-hazards plan for protecting lives, property and the 

environment is made easier if the emergency planners apply the following principles to 

the planning process:

ĵ Planning is an orderly, analytical, problem-solving process. It follows a set 

of logical steps from plan initiation to analysis of objectives, to development and 

comparison of ways to achieve the objectives, and to selection of the best solution.

ĵ Plans guide preparedness activities. They provide a common framework to 

guide preparedness by establishing the desired end state and the tasks required to 

accomplish it. This process identifies the capabilities required.

ĵ Planning helps deal with complexity. Homeland security problems are most often a 

complex set of interrelated problems. The “National Strategy for Homeland Security” 

attaches special emphasis to planning for catastrophic events with “the greatest risk 

of mass casualties, massive property loss, and immense social disruption.”6

ĵ Emergency planning addresses all hazards. The causes of emergencies can vary 

greatly, but many of the effects do not. This means planners can address emergency 

functions common to all hazards in the basic plan instead of having unique plans 

for every type of hazard.

ĵ Emergency planning does not need to start from scratch. Planners should 

take advantage of others’ experience. The state is a valuable resource for the local 

jurisdiction. Many states publish their own standards and guidance for emergency 

planning, conduct workshops and training courses, and assign their planners to 

work with local planners.

ĵ Planning depicts the anticipated environment for action. This promotes early 

understanding and agreement on planning assumptions and risks, and it provides 

the context for interaction. Effective planning identifies clear tasks and purposes, 

promotes frequent interaction among stakeholders, guides preparedness activities, 

establishes procedures for implementation, provides measures to synchronize 

actions, and allocates or reallocates resources. It can also serve, at least in part, as 

a substitute for experience.

ĵ Planning must involve all partners. Just as a coordinated emergency response 

depends on teamwork, good emergency planning requires a team effort. The most 

realistic and complete plans are prepared by a team that includes representatives of 

the departments, agencies, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations 

that will have to execute the plan.

5Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, June 15). National pandemic strategy. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/

flu/pandemic-resources/national-strategy/

6U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2002 July). National strategy for homeland security. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.

gov/sites/default/files/publications/nat-strat-hls-2002.pdf
Background Information 31

The U.S. federal government recommends that government entities and the private sector 

plan with the assumption that there will be substantial absenteeism among staff during 

a severe pandemic. Absenteeism will increase due to personal illness or incapacitation, 

quarantine, and because employees may be caring for ill family members, caring for 

children dismissed from school, following public health guidance, or simply staying at 

home out of safety concerns.

During a pandemic, the appropriate and thorough application of infection control 

measures in health care facilities, the workplace, the community and for individuals at 

home can limit transmission and delay the spread of the virus.

State, territorial, tribal and local officials should be prepared to face challenges in the 

availability of essential commodities, demands for health care services that exceed 

existing capacity, and public pressure to enforce infection control measures in ways that 

may hinder the delivery of emergency services and supplies and exacerbate the economic 

repercussions of the pandemic.

For the most up-to-date, accurate information and guidance on a current pandemic, 

agencies shall utilize CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 

and OSHA online resources, as well as state, local, tribal or territorial departments of 

health, departments of labor or equivalents. The World Health Organization (WHO) also 

provides worldwide information on pandemics.

CDC https://www.cdc.gov/

NIOSH https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/index.htm

OSHA https://www.osha.gov/

WHO https://www.who.int/

Potential impacts of a pandemic

No area of the United States is likely to be spared. In terms of its scope, the impact of a 

severe pandemic may be more comparable to that of a war or a widespread economic 

crisis than to a hurricane, earthquake or act of terrorism. A pandemic presents significant 

challenges to public-service response organizations and the communities they serve.

Typical approaches to obtaining or providing mutual-aid assistance across jurisdictions 

will be hindered by an anticipated substantial absenteeism of the local workforce as well 

as that of neighboring communities. All sector planning groups should work together to 

implement effective preparedness and protective strategies.

Plans and procedures must be developed, tested and refined to ensure that public-service 

responders remain healthy and that essential capabilities to protect communities remain 

viable and available in the event of a pandemic.

Potential impacts of a pandemic include:7

ĵ Workforce absenteeism. In a pandemic, absenteeism rates may be substantial.

ĵ Global reach and rapid spread. Typical disaster response mechanisms and methods 

(e.g., shifting available resources from safe areas to affected areas) may prove impossible 

when all areas are affected.

7U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2006, September 19). Pandemic influenza: Preparedness, response, and recovery: Guide for 

critical infrastructure and key resources. Retrieved from www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/cikrpandemicinfluenzaguide.pdf
32 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

ĵ Duration and “waves.” A pandemic wave may linger in a community for six to eight 

weeks, and several waves can occur in the same community.

ĵ Supply chain and delivery networks. Anticipate the loss of critical services and 

delivery of essential commodities, such as chlorine (for water purification), gasoline, 

food and medical supplies. Develop contingency plans.

ĵ Health care delivery and public health. Each pandemic virus has a different percentage 

of those infected who may need medical intervention. Use CDC information to guide 

your planning, etc. https://www.cdc.gov/

FEMA also has continuity planning information for pandemics:

Ready.gov 

https://www.ready.gov/pandemic

FEMA Pandemic Influenza Template

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/93250
Appendix A: Acknowledgments 33

Appendix A: Acknowledgments

We wish to express our gratitude to the following agencies, offices and organizations 

whose contributions to the work described in this report were so valuable:

ĵ American Ambulance Association

ĵ American Medical Response

ĵ Central Jackson Fire Protection District (MO)

ĵ City of Owasso Fire Department (OK)

ĵ Delaware Office of Emergency Medical Services

ĵ Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Preparedness and Response

ĵ Department of Homeland Security, Office of Health Affairs

ĵ Department of Homeland Security, Office of State and Local Law Enforcement

ĵ Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Fire Administration

ĵ Department of Transportation: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office 

of EMS

ĵ Farmington Hills Fire Department (MI)

ĵ Grand Rapids Fire Department (MI)

ĵ International Association of Emergency Managers

ĵ International Association of EMS Chiefs

ĵ International Association of Fire Chiefs

ĵ International Association of Fire Chiefs: EMS Section

ĵ International Association of Fire Fighters

ĵ Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue (WA)

ĵ Lamar County Fire Coordinator (MS)

ĵ National Academies of Emergency Dispatch

ĵ National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians

ĵ National Association of EMS Physicians

ĵ National Association of Police Organizations

ĵ National Association of State Emergency Medical System Officials

ĵ National Center for Emergency Preparedness at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

ĵ National EMS Management Association

ĵ National Sheriffs’ Association

ĵ National Volunteer Fire Council

ĵ Police Foundation

ĵ Virginia Information Technologies Agency: Public Safety
34 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic
Appendix B: Bibliography 35

Appendix B: Bibliography

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Knebel, A. & Phillips, S. J. (eds.). (2007, February). Mass medical care with scarce resources: 

A community planning guide (AHRQ Publication No. 07-0001). Retrieved from https://

www.calhospitalprepare.org/sites/main/files/resources/Mass%20Medical%20Care%20

with%20Scarce%20Resources.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2006, March 1). Emergency medical service and non-emergent (medical) 

transport organizations pandemic influenza planning checklist. Retrieved from https://

www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/pdf/emschecklist.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2007, September 4). Law enforcement pandemic influenza planning checklist.

Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/pdf/lawenforcement.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (n.d.). Interim guidance for cleaning emergency medical service (EMS) 

transport vehicles during an influenza pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.michigan.

gov/documents/mdch/Interim_Guidance_for_Cleaning_Emergency_Medical_

Service_276634_7.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2007, February). Interim pre-pandemic planning guidance: Community 

strategy for pandemic influenza mitigation in the united states — Early, targeted, layered 

use of nonpharmaceutical interventions. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/flu/

pandemic-resources/pdf/community_mitigation-sm.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2007, September). Medical surge capacity and capability: A management 

system for integrating medical and health resources during large-scale emergencies (2nd 

ed.). Retrieved from https://www.phe.gov/preparedness/planning/mscc/handbook/

documents/mscc080626.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2009, May 8). Interim guidance on infection control measures for 2009 H1N1 

influenza in healthcare settings, including protection of healthcare personnel. Retrieved 

from https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidelines_infection_control.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2009, August 5). Interim guidance for emergency medical services (EMS) 

systems and 9-1-1 public safety answering points (PSAPs) for management of patients with 

confirmed or suspected swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) infection. Retrieved from https://

www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_ems.htm
36 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2009, September 24). Interim recommendations for facemask and respirator 

use to reduce 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus transmission. Retrieved from https://www.

cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

(2009, July 30). Managing calls and call centers during a large-scale influenza outbreak: 

Implementation tool. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/callcenters.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. (2020, March 4) What Law Enforcement Personnel Need to Know about 

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

community/guidance-law-enforcement.html

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2007, April). Pandemic influenza: Best practices and 

model protocols. Retrieved from https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=475702

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2006, September 19). Pandemic influenza: 

Preparedness, response, and recovery: Guide for critical infrastructure and key 

resources. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/

cikrpandemicinfluenzaguide.pdf

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2009, 

January 21). Continuity guidance circular 1 (CGC 1): Continuity guidance for non-federal 

entities (states, territories, tribal, and local government jurisdictions and private sector 

organizations). Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/coop/

continuity_guidance_circular.pdf

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). 

Fact sheet: Determined accord tabletop exercise. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/

pdf/media/factsheets/2009/ncp_da_table_exer.pdf

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). 

Pandemic influenza continuity of operations annex template. Retrieved from https://www.

fema.gov/pdf/about/org/ncp/pandemic_influenza.pdf

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January 31). National continuity programs. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/

national-continuity-programs

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). 

Continuity of operations (COOP) awareness training. Slide presentation. Retrieved from 

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

Emergency Management Institute. (2019, November 1). IS-1300: Introduction to continuity 

of operations. Retrieved from https://emilms.fema.gov/is1300_/curriculum/1.html

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 

Emergency Management Institute. (2013, October 31). IS-520: Introduction to continuity 

of operations planning for pandemic influenzas. Retrieved from https://emilms.fema.gov/

IS520/index.htm
Appendix B: Bibliography 37

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U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2009). 

Pandemic influenza preparedness and response guidance for healthcare workers and 

healthcare employers (OSHA 3328-05R). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/

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U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2008, May 12). 

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U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2009). 

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U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (2007, 

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Report commissioned by the federal government

Hodge, James G., Jr., Bhattacharya, D., & Gray, J. (2008, April). Legal preparedness for school 

closures in response to pandemic influenza and other emergencies. Retrieved from https://

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Denver sheriff. (2009, April 28). Operational plan: Swine flu pandemic incident (draft).

Morgan, G. & Robarge-Silkiner, S. A. (n.d.). Continuity of operations planning for public health 

and medical services. Slide presentation.
38 Information for First Responders on Maintaining Operational Capabilities During a Pandemic

First responder professional organization references

Clawson, J. (2009, May 5). Clarification on why, when, and how to use protocol 36 – Pandemic flu 

(officially announced). Retrieved from International Academies of Emergency Dispatch 

website: https://www.emergencydispatch.org/sites/default/files/downloads/flu/

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Clawson, J. (2009, August 4). New update to protocol 36 – Pandemic/epidemic/outbreak 

(officially enacted triage). Retrieved from International Academies of Emergency 

Dispatch website: https://www.emergencydispatch.org/sites/default/files/downloads/

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EMS1. (2009, May 1). [National association of emergency medical technicians] releases 

new information on the influenza outbreak. Retrieved from https://www.ems1.com/

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International Association of Chiefs of Police National Law Enforcement Policy Center 

Board. (2007, August). Considerations for pandemic flu planning and response. The 

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Luna, L. M., Brito, C. S., & Sanberg, E. A. (2007, October). Critical issues in policing series: Police 

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naccho.org/programs/community-health/infectious-disease/influenza

National Association of State EMS Officials. (2009, June). COVID-19 web page. https://

nasemso.org/resources/covid-19/

National Association of State EMS Officials. (2010, November). The National EMS 

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Index. https://nasemso.org/wp-content/uploads/

NASEMSOPandemicFluMonograph2010.pdf

Reports commissioned by professional organizations

National Sheriffs’ Association. (n.d.). Continuity of operations planning for sheriffs: Final 

report. Retrieved from https://www.sheriffs.org/sites/default/files/tb/images/benefits/

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Patrick, W. J., Jr. (2008, January). Developing an EMS continuity of operations plan for the 

city of Wilmington Delaware executive leadership. Retrieved from https://www.hsdl.

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Other professional organization, university and journal references

American Health Lawyers Association. (2008). Community pan-flu preparedness: A 

checklist of key legal issues for healthcare providers. Health Lawyers’ Public Information 

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Appendix B: Bibliography 39

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emergencies. Slide presentation. Retrieved from http://www.ehcca.com/presentations/

emsummit2/hodge_1.pdf

Prior, S., Armstrong, R., Rowan, F., & Hill-Harmon, M. B. (2012, June 26). Weathering the 

storm: Leading your organization through a pandemic. Washington, DC: National Defense 

University Center for Technology and National Security Policy.

Levi, J., Inglesby, T. V., Segal, L. M., & Vinter, S. (2009, June). Pandemic flu preparedness: 

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Weiss, D. C. (2009, April 27). Will swine flu merit quarantines? If so, new laws give states 

authority. ABA Journal. Retrieved from https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/

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Weiss, D. C. (2009, April 29). Swine flu requires look at workplace disaster policies. ABA 

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to_consider_disaster_policies_now

Additional Resources

Center for Law and the Public’s Health. (2009, June 29). 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) legal 

preparedness and response. Retrieved from www.publichealthlaw.net/Projects/

swinefluphl.php
16825 South Seton Ave.

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

www.usfa.fema.gov

Revised March 2020