Below is a list of Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources for NENA members. chapters, and the greater 9-1-1 community. This page will be updated as new materials become available. Do you have or know of other resources that should be posted? If so, you can contact NENA's PSAP Operations Director, April Heinze. Page last updated 07.08.21. National First Responder COVID-19 Grant Relief Program Now Available The National Police Foundation, with support from The Starbucks Foundation and The Motorola Solutions Foundation, is pleased to announce the National First Responder COVID-19 Grant Relief Program. This program will allow first responders and survivors of first responders in underserved communities an opportunity to request a grant to reimburse select COVID-19 related expenses, such as mental health and wellness costs, (i.e. counseling services, suicide prevention), unanticipated dependent care, disinfecting services, and similar costs. These micro-grants may be awarded in an amount up to $1,000. Applications will be reviewed by the National Police Foundation, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), NENA, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE). The National Police Foundation will be distributing the grants directly to the recipient. First responders or family members interested in applying for a grant can review eligibility and apply here. Discounted Cleaning Supplies Available From AvKARE NENA members are telling us they’re in dire need of cleaning and disinfecting supplies to keep themselves safe from COVID-19, and NENA put the word out looking for help. Within hours of our appeal, AvKARE, a Tennessee-based distributor of infection-control products, offered PSAPs a free supply of hand sanitizer and a 25% discount on their product Waltz D - which is used widely in healthcare, food service, education, and commercial settings - by using promo code EMERGENCY. Thank you, AvKARE for stepping up so quickly in support of North America’s 9-1-1 professionals! 9-1-1 & COVID-19 Report Series - On May 8, NENA published How 9-1-1 Is Changing in a COVID-19 World, the second paper in NENA’s 9-1-1 & COVID-19 report series. This report, based on 500 survey responses from 9-1-1 professionals across 44 states and territories, builds upon insights from our initial report, available below. For example, the first survey asked respondents whether overall call and dispatch volumes had changed, while this survey asked specifically which types of calls and dispatches had changed. The survey responses reflected in this report were collected from April 20 to 24, almost a month after our initial survey and well into nationwide efforts to stem the pandemic.
- On April 3, NENA published Initial Impacts of COVID-19 on 9-1-1 Centers, the first paper in our 9-1-1 & COVID-19 report series. This report, based on 500 survey responses from 9-1-1 professionals across 46 U.S. states and territories, provides the 9-1-1 community with an initial view into how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting PSAP operations, as well as what actions PSAPs and local authorities are taking to protect telecommunicators.
Webinars Stress, Wellness, & Resiliency Preparedness & Continuity of Operations - The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) resource page that provides guidance on pandemic planning, staffing and operating procedures, and cleaning and disinfecting for 9-1-1 centers
- COVID-19 Pandemic Continuity of Operations Response Plan for Resurgence of Pandemic developed by NENA, the National 911 Program, APCO, IAED, NASNA, and PowerPhone Inc
- Disinfection and Reuse of Personal Protective Equipment report detailing some of the recommended methods of disinfection and reuse for personal protective equipment (PPE), developed by the US Department of Homeland Security
- Considerations for State Emergency Medical Service Offices in Response to COVID-19, developed by the Healthcare Resilience Task Force Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Prehospital Team
- CISA's Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response (v4.0)
- Customizable COVID-19 Pandemic Continuity of Operations Response Plan Outline consistent with best practices from NENA, NFPA, FEMA, CDC, EEOC, and OSHA
- Pandemic Planning Checklist from the Department of Health and Human Services
- FEMA's Pandemic Influenza Continuity of Operation Guide
- The CDC's Interim Guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 911 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for COVID-19 in the United States
- Continuity of Operations Plans from Charleston County (SC) and DuPage (IL) Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM)
- From 2007, DOT/NHTSA's Preparing for Pandemic Influenza: Recommendations for Protocol Development for 9-1-1 Personnel and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)
PSAP Policy Development & Guidance - **NEW 06.09** A white paper, 911 Caller COVID-19 Disclosure, released by the Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law and Policy Clinic at Colorado Law, a part of the University of Colorado, discusses the role of HIPAA in the 9-1-1 community as it relates to 9-1-1 callers sharing information regarding their COVID-19 status.
- COVID-19 Policy Guidance Checklist for EMS Agencies from the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) and the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC)
- From the CDC, Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19
- NENA's Recommendations for PSAPS & Emergency-Services Organizations During the COVID-19 Outbreak (v2)
- NENA's COVID-19 PSAP Checklist (v3), covering best practices for social distancing, policies, health procedures, public information, and cleaning
- NENA's Essential Employee Designation Letter template
- Employee Expose & Response Guidelines to aid in COVID-19 containment and mitigation inside the 9-1-1 center, courtesy Charleston County (SC)
Human Resources - Guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on mandatory COVID-19 vaccines, excerpted from What you should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws
- Department of Labor poster of employee rights under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Sections 3105 and 5102 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) allow employers of emergency responders or health care providers to choose to exclude those employees from the Paid Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave provisions of the Act. Official guidance from the Department of Labor defines "911 operators" as emergency responders who may be excluded by their employer from being able to take paid sick leave, expanded family leave, and/or medical leave under the act. Before making any decision on whether or not the provisions of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act apply to your center, you should contact your legal counsel.
- An overview of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201) from Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) COVID-19 and HIPAA: Disclosures to law enforcement, paramedics, other first responders and public health authorities document
- Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act information from the EEOC
- The Department of Labor's Coronavirus Resources page, dedicated to helping workers and employers
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