Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Response Volunteer

We need volunteers, doctors, nurses, and medical professionals to help out with our COVID-19 response! Sign up with the Medical Reserve Corps!

The New Haven MRC is open to medical and non-medical volunteers 18 years of age and older. Whether you are retired, active in your profession, a community member, or a student, we need your assistance in the New Haven MRC.

There is a growing need for volunteers with medical experience and its a role each of you can serve. You could be asked to volunteer on weekends, late at night, or first thing in the morning. New Haven volunteers may be deployed to a shelter or a public health site.

We need our New Haven MRC volunteers to assist in the following tasks:

Provide medical screening and support in mass care settings.
Assist with patient tracking at planned events.
Support medical countermeasures (MCM) distribution and dispensing activities.
Assist with planned and unplanned public health activities

By signing up to be a New Haven MRC volunteer, you will gain valuable emergency preparedness knowledge and experience through training, exercises, and real-world events. You will train and work alongside government agencies, federal partners, non-governmental agencies, and community partners. Fill out an MRC application here

Click below to sign-up or login:

The City of New Haven is seeking Contact Tracers

The City of New Haven is seeking Contact Tracers to support the New Haven Health Department to perform COVID-19 contact tracing. The aim of this will be to call every person diagnosed with COVID-19, gather their contacts, and proceed to call every contact. This is in tandem with the City’s efforts to increase testing, improve communication and implementation of isolation and quarantine. This will fortify efforts to control the pandemic in New Haven.

The Contact Tracer will use a web-based management platform to call all contacts of anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 to document a symptom check, refer them for testing according to established protocols, and provide them with instructions for quarantine. Contact Tracers are required to follow all scripts, policies, and procedures and comply with the training regarding confidential information related to personal information.

Responsibilities

Call contacts of newly diagnosed patients.
Communicate with contacts in a professional and empathetic manner.
Collect and record information on symptoms into the web-based platform
Provide contacts with approved information about New Haven’s quarantine procedures, and if appropriate, refer them to testing according to protocol and/or to a COVID-19 Care Resource Coordinator for social resources.
Contact tracers will follow the script to inform contacts about the importance of quarantine and what to do if symptoms develop. They are not permitted to deviate from the script or provide information that is not included in the script.
Contact tracers will be required to use their own telephone, computer, and electronic equipment.
Maintain daily contact with a supervisor.

Qualifications

Ability to exhibit a professional, positive attitude and work ethic
Excellent interpersonal skills required and ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse individuals during a time of crisis and distress
Ability to show empathy to distressed individuals
Register Nursing, Clinical Background or Higher
Excellent organizational and communication skills
Ability to speak, read, and write English
Second or multiple languages a plus
Critical thinking and sound judgment required
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism
Proficiency with computers
Technology requirements: PC with Windows 10, Antivirus Protection: Windows Defender and Windows Firewall; or Mac with Apple OS X 10.13, Antivirus Protection: Sophos; and personal mobile device to use for this job. A headset is preferred

Print/Complete the Confidentiality Agreement: https://bit.ly/AgreementNHV
Apply Here: https://ctresponds.ct.gov/

Mission
The Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response works to ensure the City of New Haven responds effectively to natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other emergencies that could affect the public’s health. This mission is achieved through planning, training, educating, and collaborating with local, regional, state, and community stakeholders.

The Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response is part of a Citywide Emergency Response Team. Information about the City Office of Emergency Management can be found here.

General Emergency Preparedness
A disaster can strike quickly and without warning. You may have to evacuate your community or may be confined to your home. It is also possible that electricity, water, gas or telephone service is disrupted. Being prepared for these situations is important for the health and wellbeing of everyone, especially older adults, people who have a disability or functional limitation, and pet owners. Preparation, planning and staying informed are steps that will help to ensure safety in an emergency situation.

Step 1: Build a Kit
Putting together a disaster supplies kit will help you and your family be prepared for an emergency. A disaster supply kit is a basic collection of items that you may need in the event of an emergency. You can find out more information on how to build and effective disaster kit and what to include in your kit here.

Step 2: Make a Plan
Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes so it is important to plan in advance: how you will get to a safe place; how you will contact one another; how you will get back together; and what you will do in different situations. It is important to include all family members in this process, including children.

Step 3: Be Informed
Most communities may be impacted by several types of hazards during a lifetime. Americans also travel more than ever before; to areas impacted by hazards they may not be at risk of near their homes. Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count.

For more information about general emergency preparedness, click here to go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) website.

Helpful Resources

Bioterrorism, Disease and Other Threats

Seasonal Influenza

Severe Weather Preparedness and Other Information

Floods
Winter Weather
Power Outages
Hurricane
NOAA National Weather Service
Extreme Heat

Contact
Maritza Bond
Director Department of Health
mbond@newhavenct.gov

New Haven Health Department
54 Meadow St. - 9th Fl.
New Haven, CT 06519

P: (203) 946-8457
F: (203) 946-7234

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