Disease Prevention & Control

Planning for Public Heath Emergencies
Narragansett Emergency Management coordinates the Town's preparedness for public health emergencies. Part of this planning is working closely with partners such as the RI Department of Health to have plans, policies and procedures for protecting the community and first responders from these evolving threats.
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Preparing for the threat of Ebola Virus Disease:
The Narragansett Fire Department has been working closely with the RI Department of Health to ensure that citizens and first responders in the Town of Narragansett are prepared for the possibility of the Ebola Virus Disease to appear somewhere in the State of Rhode Island. Among the many preparedness scenarios we have been working with we have also been taking the following actions:

  • Following the latest guidance on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Procedures for Dispatch, Treatment and Transport of patients with a risk of being exposed to Ebola.
  • Participating in full-scale exercises with our local medical facility, South County Hospital to handle the transfer of patients safely to medical care.
  • Collecting the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to provide our first responders the protection they need to handle a suspected Ebola case.
  • Informing the dispatch center of screening questions to ask callers about their travel history or exposure to persons with Ebola.
  • Guidance for Non-Healthcare/Non-Laboratory Settings
    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed guidance called “Cleaning and Decontamination of Ebola on Surfaces: Guidance for Workers and Employers in Non-Healthcare/Non-Laboratory Settings.” OSHA is overseen by the U.S. Department of Labor.

For more information about the latest on the Ebola Virus Disease please visit the RI Department of Health Website at http://health.ri.gov/diseases/ebola/ or at 401-222-8022.

Medical Emergency Distribution System:
In the event that Narragansett was asked to provide medication or vaccine to the entire population of the Town, the Narragansett EMA would activate the Medical Emergency Distribution System (MEDS) Point of Dispensing (POD) plan. The MEDS-POD plan has been created with technical assistance from the RI Department of Health to provide assistance from the Federal Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to the population of Narragansett in the event of a public health emergency such as an anthrax attack or other disease outbreak.

For more information about the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) visit: http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/stockpile/stockpile.htm

Volunteer to Help in a Disaster:
Narragansett EMA is seeking interested citizens and community members who would like to volunteer to help during emergencies or disasters.  There are lots of opportunities for training, drills and exercises all the time and volunteers are often able to participate.  Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should contact EMA Director Scott Partington at spartington@narragansettri.gov.