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San Juan County hires preparedness and communications coordinators; COVID after-action work, measles planning underway
Summary
New county staff outlined continuity-of-operations planning, responder support, measles readiness and a communications push that includes a website reorganization, bilingual newsletters and a consultant-supported emergency communications plan.
Paul Hamdorf, the county’s emergency preparedness lead, and Kira Jahanfar, communications program coordinator, briefed the board about preparedness and communications activities on April 16.
Hamdorf said the department is building a “toolbox” approach to continuity of operations and responder support based on lessons from the COVID-19 response. The toolbox will include a manager checklist, guidance for rotating staff to avoid burnout and procedures to prioritize essential services during a prolonged emergency. He said the county received grant funding to help develop these tools and aims to have initial products before the summer.
The team is also preparing for regional measles activity. Hamdorf said the county is updating rapid-response materials, clarifying manager-on-call checklists and coordinating clinical and communications staff so public messages and clinical guidance are synchronized. He emphasized responder mental-health and work–life balance as a priority during sustained incidents.
Jahanfar described communications work since the board’s last meeting: more standardized outreach metrics, a planned website reorganization to make services easier to find, three external newsletters (two bilingual) and social-media growth of roughly 800 followers across county platforms. She said the department is contracting a communications consultant for tailored training and to help produce a formal emergency communications plan by June.
Nut graf: The combined preparedness–communications capacity is designed to shorten response times, standardize public messages and protect staff during extended events. Board members asked for continued focus on continuity-of-operations planning, measurable staff protections and tools that can be used by managers when priorities must be shifted.
Operational notes and follow-ups: Hamdorf said one deliverable will be a short manager checklist to help the on-call manager give accurate, up-to-date information in a fast-moving event. Jahanfar said the department will pilot an external quarterly newsletter built from the department’s communication survey, and continue to refine social-media and event metrics for outreach evaluation. The board requested periodic updates as the toolbox and communications plan are finalized.
Ending: Board members praised the cross-functional approach, noted the value of Kira and Paul’s combined roles, and encouraged staff to prioritize tools that help protect workers and maintain essential community services during wide-area emergencies.
