Pandemic Influenza Action Plan

The Georgia Institute of Technology's Pandemic Influenza Action Plan was written in accordance with the Georgia Tech Emergency Action Plan and local, state and federal pandemic guidelines. The plan names one coordinator area and eighteen main emergency support areas and describes responsibilities and action plans from each of these departments. The execution of the plan will be coordinated from the President's Advisory Group and each individual department will be responsible for implementing the measures outlined in this document.

The document was intended to effectively mitigate Georgia Tech's risk from the most severe form of Pandemic Flu i.e. H5N1 and therefore departments must devise methods and plans to remain flexible during a variety of severity levels and rapidly evolving circumstance. It must be understood that different influenza strains may have different severity levels, triggers and campus impacts that will require different actions. In the event of an outbreak or pandemic, Institute leadership will come together to meet the challenges posed by the specific disease.

Strategy

Major Goals of Georgia Tech Pandemic Flu Plan

• To effectively communicate a status of readiness to respond to Pandemic Flu situation
• To lessen the occurrences of illness and death. To limit or decrease morbidity and mortality from a Pandemic Flu Outbreak for the Georgia Tech community by coordinating resources and preparing staff, faculty and students with a known strategy and action plan.
• To reduce economic losses.
• To ensure the Institute's ability to continue critical operations in the event of a pandemic.

Key Elements of GT Pandemic Flu Planning

• Identify critical agencies and emergency support functions
• Determine appropriate phased triggers and responses
• Identify critical personnel within each support function
• Implement communications plan before, during and after pandemic
• Acquire necessary equipment and supplies
• Exercise and test pandemic plan

Pandemic Flu Coordinators & Emergency Support Functions

Roles and Responsibilities

Pandemic Flu Coordinators	Role/Responsibility
1. President's Advisory Group:	Management of the overall direction and control of the incident.
Emergency Support Functions	Roles/Responsibility
2. Academic Affairs:	Management of academic and research functions.
3. Athletic Association:	Management of athletic events and operations and resource support such as personnel, facilities, etc.
4. Counseling Center:	Crisis management and counseling services to students, faculty and staff.
5. Dean of Students:	Assists with direction and control of student needs.
6. Dining Services:	Management of food services to campus community.
7. Environmental Health & Safety:	Management of environmental, public health and Georgia Tech personnel safety services
8. Facilities:	Management of campus fixed assets.
9. Financial Services:	Management of campus financial operations including payment to vendors, employee payroll and resource procurement.
10. Georgia Tech Research Institute:	Management of research operations.
11. Health and Medical Services:	Management of health services including prevention, diagnosis, treatment and reporting.
12. Housing:	Management of housing and quarantine including asymptomatic and symptomatic residents who cannot travel home during a pandemic.
13. Human Resources:	Management of alternative work schedules, communication of policies, health benefits and maintaining essential personnel services.
14. Communications and Public Affairs:	Management of collection, analysis and dissemination of information.
15. Office of Information Technology:	Management of information systems and campus notifications.
16. Office of International Education:	Management of F and J visa holders and study abroad students.
17. Security/Law Enforcement:	Management of law enforcement services including security.
18. Transportation:	Management of regular and/or emergency transportation services.

Georgia Tech Pandemic Influenza Action Phases

The phases below were developed considering the H5N1 (avian) worst case scenario and greatest severity, and must be adjusted when a different type of outbreak is identified. For example a human to human transmission in the U.S. combined with low mortality and virulence may not indicate a phase IV response.

Phase	Definition	Actions
I	Normal Conditions	Maintain daily operations. Monitor information regarding global disease activity. Develop and maintain plans. Educate students, faculty and staff. Provide training.
II	Bird-to-bird transmission in U.S. or outside of U.S.	Advise students, faculty and staff of situation. Provide background information on disease and personal preventive measures. Monitor progression of disease. Review and exercise policies and procedures.
III	Human-to-human transmission outside of U.S.	Assess vulnerability of GT students, faculty and staff outside of U.S. and take appropriate actions. Provide regular updates on progression of disease via GT website. Communicate with Fulton County Public Health regarding status of disease spread and possible vaccinations. Promote and practice distancing techniques and disease isolation etiquette.
IV	Human-to-human transmission in U.S.	Regularly update President' Advisory Group. Maintain daily contact with Fulton County Public Health. Trigger reporting mechanism for GT faculty, staff and students. Implement mandatory leave policies if necessary. Restrict social gatherings, events, class schedules. Notify GT emergency support functions and provide weekly status reports. Prepare to send students home, suspend classes and close campus.
V	Confirmed cases in Fulton County or on campus	Convene President's Cabinet-level meeting. Send students home, suspend classes and close campus. Implement isolation and quarantine policies. Implement alternative work schedule policies. Perform only critical operations. Hold regular press briefings.