Someone Get Alabama Governor Kay Ivey's Attention

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
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334-790-1729
Date: Mar 27 2020 6:31 PM

DOTHAN:    One issue causing treatment concerns across the United States in the treatment of COVID-19 is the homeless population.

The seeking of medical treatment and what is in place for quarintine of these men and women.

While not a problem yet, and not saying there will be a problem, but the homeless population is larger in Dothan then you think.

This is a area east of the Dothan Civic Center behind the Wiregrass Museum and the car wash on East Main six lane. Yes, a area in downtown Dothan.

But, each person there is a human being. SomeonWhoe who has needs and someone who has the same aches and pains everyone else has.

Yes, some are on drugs and some with mental issues. The current treatment places can not handle day to day patients as it is, much less as this situation grows.

The Alabama Department of Public Health is doing a great job. However they are stretched and not equipped to handle a large scale crisis management. 

Let me explain:  what about the people in the tent cities and homeless shelters? Where are they going to be placed if the need arises if tested and positive. See the Alabama Department of Public Health investigates the history of the person but not the management of resources.

What happens when the hospitals are full? Where are people housed? What is in place for emergency hospitals? Do you have ambulances assigned for response to and transport of patients who the information provide exhibit the signs and symptoms, rather than multiple ambulances assigned. If the patient is positive then decon has to be done on the ambulance before other patients can be transported. And medical emergencies, car wrecks and other issues other than COVID-19 do not stop.

Who is keeping management of all of the information? Yes the Alabama Department of Public Health is on the positive/negative tests and pending tests. But this is a major crisis and resources have to be managed.

Emergency Management is both a responder and resource manager. They manage the Joint Information Center. They manage information for multiple agencies. They manage data. Example - what is the base line for suicide attempts and successful suicides for the past 12 months. So then who is managing is day to day now to make sure no spikes in the base line? 

As this is written a self inflicted gunshot death scene is being worked. It is for real.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey is not making the right decision in not making this a Alabama Emergency Management managed event along with the local Emergency Management Offices across this state. When a Joint Command Center is set up, managed jointly with Alabama Department of Health and resources in place. Where EVERYTHING is managed through one data base and command structure and no fragmented management.

There is a National Incident Management System plan in place of which is not being followed. A plan for supplies, management of supplies, shipment of those and distribution. While no specific plan for this COVID-19, there is a plan in place with the concept of operations and assignment responsibilities. The plan details Command - Operations - Planning - Logisitics - Finance/Administration.

The plan manages data and emergency service functions with plans made 24/48/72 hours ahead of the current state of operation.

So whoever is advising the Governor and her not implementing the Joint Unified Command System through Alabama Emergency Management is giving her bad advise. Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth has been absolutely on target with his message.

There is for more to consider then the individual patient. A lot of components to run hand in hand with the patient management.

Someone with the ability to contact Governor Kay Ivey directly needs to wake her up and get the command and control management in place with Alabama Emergency Management. 

While Dothan - Houston County Emergency Management has been proactive and pre-planning with agencies, there is a lot to do. Someone needs to get Governor Ivey's attention.

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