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Pre-Deployment – ERHMS										Related Pages
										Pre-Deployment Phase
blue circle - PRE-DEPLOYMENT
Rostering and Credentialing of Emergency Response and Recovery Workers

a man collecting credentials recovery workers
A basic principle of safety and health in emergency response is to maintain accountability for all emergency responders. The registration and credentialing system for emergency response and recovery workers should support four functions designed to operate with one another:
**Registration** – Recording basic and credential information on the worker.
**Emergency credentialing** – Assigning a credential level based on responder certification and education.
**Re-verification** – Periodically confirming responder information.
**Emergency badging** – Assigning an identification badge in accordance with the credential level.Since the information requirements of each function are interdependent, these four functions should be integrated within a single database.
Tools & Resources
DHHS Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals
ERHMS Basic Rostering and Credentialing Example [PDF – 265 KB]
ERHMS Fact Sheet: Rostering and Credentialing of Emergency Response and Recovery Workers
NIOSH – Guidance for Protecting Emergency RespondersPre-deployment Health Screening for Emergency Responders
woman conducting a health screening
Within the framework of an ERHMS program, pre-deployment health screening is intended to establish a baseline physical and emotional health status. Such information may be found from an entrance physical examination to determine fitness for duty, or from subsequent fitness-for-duty examinations. This baseline information allows for more informed interpretation of possible post-deployment adverse effects and is potentially valuable when exposure information is difficult to obtain or interpret or is absent. Baseline health assessment should address the responder’s physical health, emotional health, and immunization status. In addition to providing baseline health information, the pre-deployment screening can serve as an opportunity to assess whether the response has persons with the appropriate education, training, and experience to perform in the assigned response capacities.
Tools & Resources
CDC Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, the Pink Book
CDC Frequently Asked Questions About Small Pox Vaccine
CDC Immunization Recommendations for Disaster Responders
CDC Interim Guidance for Pre-Exposure Medical Screening of Workers Deployed for Hurricane Disaster Work
CDC Medical Pre-Placement Evaluation for Workers Engaged in the Deepwater Horizon Response
CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report – Interventions to Prevent Infection with Hepatitis B Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and Tetanus in Persons Wounded During Bombings and Similar Mass-Casualty Events
CDC Vaccine Recommendations of the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP)
DHCC Pre-Deployment Health Assessment Form
ERHMS Comprehensive Pre-Deployment Evaluation Principles
ERHMS Fact Sheet: Pre-Deployment Health Screening for Emergency Responders
ERHMS Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance: Implementation Training Worksheet
ERHMS Enhanced Pre-Deployment Evaluation
ERHMS Pre-deployment Health Screening for Emergency Responders
Flight Crew Medical Screening
NFPA Catalog 1582: Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments, 2022 Edition
OSHA Personal Protective Equipment – Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire
USCG Directives, Commandant Instruction Manuals – Medical Manual CIM 6000.1CHealth and Safety Training
Health training
Training is critical for the preparedness of the responder. The responder is required to be fully prepared to perform duty-specific tasks, which may have federal, state, or locally mandated training requirements. The ability of the responder to recognize and avoid possible health and safety incidents will affect the responder’s performance, survivability, and resilience during and after the disaster response. Regardless of the training a responder has received prior to a disaster, there will be a need for training focused on site-specific hazards, operating procedures, and available resources.
Ongoing analysis of ERHMS data during the response must identify training needs and changes in procedures that could reduce injuries, illnesses, and near misses. Additionally, the ERHMS program can provide valuable post-disaster data to evaluate the impact of responder training, including site-specific training on overall injury and illness rates for responders and specific illnesses and injuries.
Tools & Resources
CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response – Training and Education
Citizen Corps – Uniting Communities and Preparing the Nation
ERHMS Fact Sheet: Health and Safety Training
FEMA Center for Domestic Preparedness
FEMA National Preparedness Directorate – National Training and Education
FEMA National Training Program
NIH National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training
NIH HAZMAT and Safety Training
NIOSH Deep Water Horizon Response Incident Specific Training
OSHA Emergency Preparedness and Response
OSHA Safety and Health Topics
Department of Labor
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Preparedness and ResponseData Management and Information Security

one man talking on the telephone and another working at a computer
Computer databases provide an excellent format for management of emergency responders’ information throughout all phases of disaster preparedness and response. However, this information includes private and personally identifiable information that may be collected and reported in a variety of formats. To maintain privacy required by law and to facilitate efficient communication between responding agencies, stored information must be secure and computer systems must be compatible. As agencies begin ERHMS-related activities for their employees, addressing these issues in the pre-deployment phase will ensure accurate management of responders during deployment and enable reliable, comprehensive monitoring and surveillance post-deployment.
There are six steps recommended for developing an effective pre-deployment information system security plan for use in the field:
**Step 1 – Form an information security structure.** This can be one individual, such as the Information Security Officer, whose responsibility is to lead the development and implementation of all information security policies and procedures.
**Step 2 – Perform a baseline assessment of security needs**. Identify and evaluate any pre-existing internal policies and procedures, mutual contracts or obligations, and all security-related assets.
**Step 3 – Identify relevant laws, regulations, and statutes applicable to the agency and information collected.**
**Step 4 – Develop a work plan.** Outline the necessary steps and responsibilities based on the baseline assessment and the applicable regulations.
**Step 5 – Acquire and implement necessary security procedures.**
**Step 6 – Begin to manage risk through incremental changes.**These steps can significantly improve information confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Tools & Resources
ERHMS Fact Sheet: Data Management and Information Security
ERHMS Data Management and Information Security Checklist
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standards Catalog 27002
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  February 9, 2022						Source: 	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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