Every year, the County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department coordinates and conducts exercises to test the medical and health system’s ability to respond to disasters.
Statewide Medical and Health Exercise (SWMHE)
We are resuming this exercise requirement in 23-24. This exercise is designed to test participating agencies’ ability to respond to an emergency specifically:
- Test and validate policies, plans, procedures, training, equipment, and agreements
- Clarify and train personnel in roles and responsibilities in emergency response and recovery
- Improve interagency coordination
- Identify gaps in resources and response plans
- Strengthen relationships among all participating agencies
- Meet various requirements from regulatory and accreditation agencies
Click here to view and download the 2019 Statewide Medical and Health Exercise Documents
Click here to go to the California Statewide & Health Exercise Website
Medical Response & Surge Exercise (MRSE)
The 23-24 MRSE will likely take place alongside the 23-24 SWMHE. Please contact Maya Craig-Lauer ([email protected]) for more information on this exercise. All HPP and HCPWG members are invited to join.
The purpose of the MRSE is to provide HCCs and their members with an opportunity to test their surge response and preparedness capabilities. The scenario used in the MRSE is defined by the HCC, but all exercises will test an HCC and its members’ capacity to accommodate a surge of patients equal to at least 20% of its staffed-bed capacity. The MRSE aims to assist HCCs:
- Validate all applicable response plans and identify gaps which remain unaddressed.
- Prepare to respond to a large-scale surge of inpatients.
- Improve member capacity to assess the availability of and secure access to key resources such as staffed beds, personnel, supplies and equipment, and patient transport during a large-scale community incident.
- Strengthen information, situational awareness, and coordination during a large-scale community incident.