Abstract
As communities recover from disasters, it is crucial to understand the extent to which states are prepared to support the recovery of health systems and services. This need has been emphasized by the United States’ experience with COVID-19. This study sought to assess public health activities in state disaster recovery implementation plans. In this exploratory, descriptive study, state-wide disaster recovery implementation plans were collected from emergency management agency websites and verified (n = 33). We reviewed and coded the recovery plans to identify health-related activities. While 70% and 64% of reviewed plans included activities to address short-term healthcare and behavioral health needs, respectively, one-third or less of the plans included activities to address long-term healthcare and behavioral health needs. Further, plans have limited descriptions of health-related data collection, analysis, or data-driven processes. Additional evidence-informed public health requirements and activities are needed in disaster recovery implementation plans. State disaster recovery plans would benefit from additional description of public health roles, responsibilities, and activities, as well as additional plans for collecting and analyzing public health data to drive recovery decision making and activities. Plans should include approaches for ongoing evaluation of recovery activities.
Highlights
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) describes the National Preparedness Goal’s disaster recovery mission area as “capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively,” and notes that recovery entails “timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of infrastructure, housing and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic and environmental fabric of communities” [1]
FEMA’s National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) highlights predisaster recovery plans as a means to provide a common platform for recovery decisions and actions [2]
State disaster recovery plans analyzed were formatted in a variety of ways, including as annexes to comprehensive emergency management plans, emergency support functions, or standalone emergency plans
Summary
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) describes the National Preparedness Goal’s disaster recovery mission area as “capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively,” and notes that recovery entails “timely restoration, strengthening and revitalization of infrastructure, housing and a sustainable economy, as well as the health, social, cultural, historic and environmental fabric of communities” [1]. FEMA’s National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) highlights predisaster recovery plans as a means to provide a common platform for recovery decisions and actions [2]. Recovery plans can help identify: roles, responsibilities, and opportunities for partnership; recovery priorities and policies; opportunities to incorporate hazard mitigation; and steps for post-disaster planning, processes, and coordination [2]. Disaster recovery plans may articulate and facilitate the execution of public health actions in recovery. Recent work in the disaster recovery field has sought to further delineate healthrelated roles and activities in recovery.
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