Citation

Errett NA, Thompson CB, Rutkow L, Garrity S, Stauss-Riggs K, Altman BA, Walsh L, Freeman JD, Balicer RD, Schor KW, Barnett DJ. Disaster Med. Public Health Prep. 2016; 10(3): 371-377.

Affiliation

3Department of Environmental Health Sciences,Baltimore,Maryland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Publisher Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/dmp.2016.23

PMID

27040444

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantitatively gauge local public health workers' perceptions toward disaster recovery role expectations among jurisdictions in New Jersey and Maryland affected by Hurricane Sandy.

METHODS: An online survey was made available in 2014 to all employees in 8 Maryland and New Jersey local health departments whose jurisdictions had been impacted by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. The survey included perceptions of their actual disaster recovery involvement across 3 phases: days to weeks, weeks to months, and months to years. The survey also queried about their perceptions about future involvement and future available support.

RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of the 1047 potential staff responded to the survey (n=669). Across the 3 phases, 72% to 74% of the pre-Hurricane Sandy hires knew their roles in disaster recovery, 73% to 75% indicated confidence in their assigned roles (self-efficacy), and 58% to 63% indicated that their participation made a difference (response efficacy). Of the respondents who did not think it likely that they would be asked to participate in future disaster recovery efforts (n=70), 39% indicated a willingness to participate.

CONCLUSION: The marked gaps identified in local public health workers' awareness of, sense of efficacy toward, and willingness to participate in disaster recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy represent a significant infrastructural concern of policy and programmatic relevance. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 7).

Language: en