Infectious Disease Preparation and Response Procedures

MITIGATION/PREVENTION is important for infectious disease situations. This phase recommends thinking ahead with
the understanding that infectious diseases may, at some point, be an issue. By taking a few preliminary steps
and activities, when it comes time to act, your school/site will be ready to respond.
The following guidelines will assist you in this phase:
 Keep abreast of news related to any infectious disease outbreaks – includes local, national and
international outbreaks. News media reports are a good starting point, but accessing the public health
department sites (e.g., CDC, state and local sites) is recommended.
 Assign a staff member to be the infectious disease coordinator for your school/site. No special training
or qualifications are needed at this point – just an understanding of the basic principles of
communication, general disease control procedures and the willingness to be a proactive member of
the team is all that is required.
 Obtain and keep a stock of supplies to combat infectious diseases (e.g., tissues, hand sanitizing soap,
sanitizing sprays/wipes to clean surfaces, face masks, etc.).
 Train staff on general cleanliness and disease control activities and methods (e.g., washing hands often
and properly, use of tissues for sneezing – along with proper disposal, disinfecting surfaces, etc.).
 Your “GO BOX” is supplied and in place in the event a move is required.
 First aid kits are properly supplied.
 You have identified areas of the school/site that can be used as isolation areas, if segregation of
students/staff becomes necessary.
In addition, the following checklist – Staged Actions for Communicable Disease Outbreak – is an excellent
starting tool for your plans.
Staged Actions for Communicable Disease Outbreak

Outbreak Stage School Actions Area Actions District Actions

Sporadic – Communicable
disease identified in
isolated schools at no more
than usual rate of illness
absence
Local – Communicable
disease present in some
schools at higher than
normal absence rates
Regional – Communicable
disease present in many
schools at or above usual
absence rates for illness
Widespread –
Communicable disease
present in virtually all
schools at higher than
normal absence rates
Increase hand washing
protocols, cough & sneeze
coverage reinforcement.
Notify parents of current and
future actions.
Desks, tables, and other
common-use fixtures and
supplies to be wiped with
disinfectant between
students.
Limit student contact:
No large groups, cancel class-
changing, no common-area
exposures i.e. cafeteria.
School bus handrails and
seats to be wiped with
disinfectant between routes.
Report epidemiology
numbers at beginning of day
and after noon to Area
Offices.
Watch for cluster
outbreaks in students and
staff.
Confer with Department Watch for reports of cluster
of Health in Pinellas outbreaks in Food Services,
County Epidemiology. Bus Drivers, Teachers &
Notify parents of current Administrators.
and future actions.
Provide logistical support Confer with Department of
to affected schools, Health in Pinellas County
including hand sanitizer, on criteria for closing
surface disinfectant schools.
supplies, and disposable Notify parents of current
face masks for staff with and future actions.
close person-to-person
contact.
Gather final Some or all schools and
epidemiological numbers other public venues closed
from schools. at direction of FL Dept. of
Health.
In the MITIGATION/PREPARATION phase, your site is experiencing, or may experience, an infectious disease.
This is the time to verify that all of your plans, ICS teams and supplies are ready to go.
The following checklist will assist in your preparation to handle the incident:
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Category Comments
Identify an infectious disease
coordinator and provide defined
role and responsibilities.
Ensure that your ICS team
roster is up-to-date and, if
appropriate, brief them on the
current situation.
Check that sanitizing and
Suggested resource –
disease control supplies are well
infectious disease
stocked and guide staff on how
coordinator and/or HPO.
to use.
Instruct students on hand
washing techniques, use of Suggested resources:
sanitizing soaps and proper District Health Education;
techniques when School Health Services.
coughing/sneezing.
The infectious disease
Develop and disseminate coordinator may consider
materials and procedures working with:
covering infectious disease  District Health
control fundamentals (e.g., signs
Education
and symptoms, modes of
 School Health
transmission, hand-hygiene,
Services
respiratory hygiene and cough
 CDC website
etiquette, etc.)
 FL DOH website
Keep area and district staff
informed on attendance and
status of student/staff
population.
Consider developing plans to Suggested resources:
limit access to visitors and
 Risk Management
outside vendors and
 Schools Police
contractors.
Your RESPONSE to any infectious disease outbreak should include the following activities:
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The ICS team is extremely important during the RECOVERY phase; as they are the teams that will assess what
recovery-oriented actions need to be taken. Such actions, depending on the severity of the incident, might
include the need for counseling services (from Student Services), letters to parents, media releases, etc.
Category Comments
Suggested resource:
Activate the ICS Team for your
 School Emergency
school/site
Plan Part 2
Infectious Disease Coordinator
should take control of all
infectious disease control
supplies and make them
available as needed.
Implement guidelines to modify
the frequency and type of face- Suggested resource:
to-face contact (e.g.,  Risk Management
handshaking, meetings, etc.).
Identify employees and students
with special needs and
incorporate the requirements of
such persons into your plans
and responses.
Consider limiting access to
visitors and outside vendors and
contractors.
Suggested resources:
Establish procedures to have  DOH – Pinellas County
infected students and staff sent  Student Health
Services
home to help limit the spread of
disease – if appropriate.  Human Resources
 Directors of Operations
(Area Office)
Establish procedures to limit
outside school/site travel and
outside visitors.