For immediate release: October 1, 2008 (08-165)

Contacts:
Allison Cook, Communications Office 360-236-4022
Donn Moyer, Communications Office 360-236-4076

OLYMPIA ¾ A new agreement signed by four Puget Sound-area health agencies will help them respond better to public health emergencies — a disease outbreak, bioterrorism incident, or natural disaster.

Public Health — Seattle & King County, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Snohomish Health District, and Kitsap County Health District are the first counties in our state to sign this type of a mutual aid agreement. Under the agreement, any of the four agencies can request help from one or more of the others when its own resources are strained. A public health emergency puts heavy demand on state and local health agencies.

Shared resources could include disease investigators, emergency facilities, laboratory and other services, equipment, and medications. Following an emergency, the requesting agency would reimburse those who provide aid. Although the participants aren’t legally required to help each other under the agreement, it lays the necessary groundwork to make it quicker and easier for one agency to help another.

The state Department of Health helped draft the agreement as part of its statewide emergency preparedness program. It’s designed to serve as a model for other mutual aid agreements between local health agencies.

"We’re much stronger together," said Secretary of Health Mary Selecky, "Formalizing our relationships now will allow us to act as one when cooperation becomes essential."

The agreement is intended to address issues and stumbling blocks that could otherwise hinder an effective response, such as liability, licensing and credentialing of shared personnel, information sharing, enforcement issues across jurisdiction lines, and sharing state and federal emergency resources.

"This is about working together to assure we get resources to the places where they’re needed most," said John Erickson, state health department emergency preparedness program director.

The parties are meeting to work out details of the agreement. The plan will contain contact information, a training plan, a list of resources available, and specific procedures needed to request and receive aid.

Several other counties are considering joining the agreement and other plans are being discussed.

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