Community Links & Resources

Links to Vanderbilt departments, community organizations, and regional/national agencies providing information, training, and assistance.

Vanderbilt Departments

Vanderbilt Environmental Health & Safety (VEHS)
Provides a full spectrum of safety services and information to support the teaching, research, and patient care missions for Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Medical Center Safety Committee Charter

Vanderbilt Adult Emergency Department
Vanderbilt is the Level 1 Trauma Center and a major tertiary care referral center for Middle Tennessee.

Vanderbilt University Police Department (VUPD)
Information includes how to respond and whom to contact in emergency and disaster situations, including procedures for suspicious letters and packages.

Vandy Safe
VandySafe is Vanderbilt University's on-line learning system for safety training.

 

Community & Regional Organizations

Mayor's Office of Emergency Management
The mission of the Metro Nashville Mayor's Office of Emergency Management is to develop, coordinate and lead the local emergency management program, enabling effective preparation for and efficient response to emergencies and disasters in order to save lives, reduce property loss and stop human suffering.

Metro Public Health Department
The mission of the Metro Public Health Department is to promote physical and mental well-being and prevent disease, injury and disability for everyone in Nashville.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)
Information to help state and local governments and citizens prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters.

 

National/Federal Agencies

Ready.gov - Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed.
Ready is a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to get the public involved and ultimately to increase the level of basic preparedness across the nation.

American Red Cross
The American Red Cross is a nationwide network of nearly 900 field units dedicated to saving lives and helping people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.

Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Offers tools to help states assess their own preparedness levels, including a list of steps to take before and after an emergency based on state health officials experiences with the 9/11 and anthrax attacks. Co-sponsors a related site (statepublichealth.org) with links to sites of state health departments, immunization programs, and public-health hot lines, and information on preparing for hurricanes and other disasters.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Information on agents, diseases, and other threats; resources include training, preparation and planning, and information for clinicians including strategic national stockpile.

Children & Disasters
This site, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, has tips for parents, teachers, and communities on children's medical and mental-helath needs, including a disaster-preparation checklist and suggestions for a disaster supply kit.

Department of Health and Human Services: Disasters and Emergency: For Business
How quickly your company can get back to business after a terrorist attack, a tornado, a fire, or a flood often depends on emergency planning done today.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
The new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has three primary missions: prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters.

Diasters & Emergencies
This Dept. of Health and Human Services site is a central resource for all of the federal government's information on natural disasters, emergencies, bioterrorism, traumatic events and mental health. This site has also links to government agencies that sponsor related programs.

Emergency Mental Health and Traumatic Stress
The federal Center for Mental Health Services gives advice on talking about disasters and managing anxiety. It also has a locator for mental-health services to help you find local agencies by state

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA, as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, leads the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.

Florida Institute for Family Involvement
Here you'll find resources for families of children with special healthcare needs, including a disaster-preparation checklist and suggestions for a disaster supply kit.

Humane Society of the U.S. Disaster Center
This site has downloadable brochures with information to help plan for the safety and health of pets, horses and livestock before, during and after disasters. See Disaster Preparedness for Pets.

Institute for Business and Home Safety
This nonprofit group, sponsored by insurers and reinsurers, focuses mainly on protecting homes and businesses during disaster, but it also has personal safety tips, such as how to increase your chances of survival in an earthquake indoors, outdoors, or while driving, and how to protect your family during a tornado, flood or wildfire.

National Center for Emergency Preparedness (NCEP/VUMC)
The National Center for Emergency Preparedness (NCEP/VUMC) was established in October 2003 for the purpose of developing a formal organization at Vanderbilt University Medical Center dedicated to addressing the educational and training needs of the nation’s medical and emergency response personnel in preparing them to deal with all-hazards mass casualty incidents.

National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
The NDMSis a section within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Response Division, Operations Branch, and is responsible for supporting Federal agencies in the management and coordination of the Federal medical response to major emergencies and Federally declared disasters including.

National Response Framework Resource Center
The National Response Framework presents the guiding principles that enable all response partners to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters and emergencies - from the smallest incident to the largest catastrophe. The Framework establishes a comprehensive, national, all-hazards approach to domestic incident response.

FEMA Emergency Management Institute Courses
FEMA Independent Study Programs (link tohttp:// training.fema.gov/IS/

Office of Emergency Management (OEM)
OEM works with other Environmental Protection Agency partners, Federal agencies, state and local response agencies, and industry to prevent accidents as well as maintain superior response capabilities to environmental emergencies.

Prepare.org
This Red Cross site helps people with disabilities and other medical concerns, including those in wheelchairs or on life support, prepare for disasters and evacuations. It also offers tips for providing medical care to pets and service animals.

US Department of Veterans Affairs
The US Department of Veterans Affairs provides patient care and federal benefits to veterans and their dependents.