HHS Says It Has a Plan to Protect First Responders

A new report from the Government Accountability Office says the US Department of Health and Human Services lacks a coordinated plan to protect the health and safety of first responders. But HHS says the report is all wrong.

In an article on the Government Computer News website, Louis Chunovic says the report, released by a bipartisan quartet from the House of Representatives, also sets out five key lessons from the federal response to 9/11 that could better protect first responders.

Chunovic says the report says HSS “lacks a coordinated, department-wide plan to protect the health and safety of Americans who respond to public health disasters,” according to a joint statement from Reps. Vito Fossella, Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Christopher Shays.

However, Chunovic says that contention was disputed by Rear Admiral Craig Vanderwagon, HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, who said, “HHS protects responders and has a detailed plan in place to do so.”

According to Vanderwagon, “we follow a specific public health emergency response plan known as emergency support function number eight of the National Response Framework. Through this plan, HHS coordinates not only within the department but also with other federal and state agencies. Force protection is a major element. Under this plan, all federal responders are rostered and well identified. States and localities also roster their responders, providing a comprehensive view of those who are at risk.”

To read the full article, click here: http://www.gsnmagazine.com/cms/resources/congress-budget/1109.html