Section 615.340  Common Requirements

a)         All activities performed under this Part shall be governed in all respects by the laws of the State of Illinois.  Personnel performing the programs described in this Subpart shall meet the applicable requirements of the Medical Practice Act of 1987 [225 ILCS 60]; the Nursing and Advanced Practice Nursing Act [225 ILCS 65]; and the Environmental Health Practitioner Licensing Act [225 ILCS 37].

b)         All local health departments shall maintain a 24-hour notification system that IDPH, hospitals, or members of the general public can contact to promptly reach a staff person to report a suspect or actual public health incident or event.  Local health departments must document, at least quarterly, the method used to ensure the operational reliability of this 24-hour notification system.  In addition, local health departments shall document and provide to the IDPH Emergency Officer and their IDPH Regional Health Officer the procedure that IDPH, hospitals or members of the general public must utilize to activate this 24-hour notification system.

c)         All local health departments are required to maintain a current, all hazard emergency response/disaster plan for their jurisdiction.  "All hazard" includes, but is not limited to, natural, technological and intentionally caused emergency events, including disease outbreaks, bioterrorism, floods, severe weather, environmental and food protection incidents and others. All local health departments shall electronically submit to the Department the plan for their jurisdiction.  Any and all future amendments to the plan shall be electronically submitted to the Department immediately.  All local health departments shall keep a copy of the plan on file in their principal office.  The Department will review each plan once at least every three years, or as often as necessary, as part of the local health department's program review process conducted in accordance with Section 615.220.  The emergency response/disaster plan will provide a framework for response operations of the local health department or multi-jurisdiction, and will outline specific actions for local response and recovery activities.  The plan will provide guidance for the local health department's primary programs to support jurisdiction-wide emergency operations and prescribe, among other items, the availability of personnel and response needs and provisions.  The following items are minimum elements of an approved emergency response/disaster plan:

1)         procedure for 24-hour availability of the local health department to receive information on a significant or potential emergency situation from the general public or a federal, State or local governmental agency;

2)         procedure for internal notification ("call-tree") to alert key staff within the local health department of an emergency situation;

3)         procedure that details how and when the local health department will contact the local emergency management agency, local law enforcement agency and the Department of an emergency situation;

4)         procedure that will outline the rapid mobilization of non-essential staff of the local health department to assist with the emergency situation, including the identification of critical programs administered by the local health department;

5)         procedure for the dissemination of information to first responders, local health care providers, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies within the jurisdiction to alert them of a significant or potential emergency situation; and

6)         procedure for the implementation of a mass vaccination and prophylaxis and treatment distribution/management of stockpiles of pharmaceuticals in  response to a significant or potential communicable disease situation within the jurisdiction.

d)         The local health department shall submit information annually  on forms provided by the Department concerning activities conducted in each program conducted by the local health department.  This local health protection grant program statistical information for food protection, potable water supply, and private sewage disposal programs shall include information for a calendar year and annually shall be submitted to the Department by March 1, following December 31 of the year for which information is being reported.  The first annual reports will be due by March 1, 2004, for the year ending December 31, 2003.  Annual reporting for infectious disease control programs shall be conducted in accordance with Section 615.300.

(Source:  Amended at 28 Ill. Reg. 12030, effective August 3, 2004)