EIS activates ICS

I have to give you some boring background before I can get to the story….sorry! The Incident Command Structure (ICS) is used to organize response efforts for everything from a hurricane to a local outbreak. Since Florida Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) is funded under public health preparedness dollars we get extensive training in ICS. It is fairly rare that an ICS is activated but it can be used to manage really small disasters such as my friend Leah’s car breaking down. We had a fabulous weekend of kayaking and hanging out planned on Amelia Island at Becky’s. Bec and Leah are both EIS fellows with me. Incidentally, they are also Emory Alums. So in route to Amelia Island, Leah called to tell me she was having car problems. Now, I am no expert in cars but Leah makes me look like a mechanic. I spent a good part of my undergrad calling my dad and uncle in tears about something with my car. My uncle Mike tried his best to teach me a few things and apparently it paid off. I was able to tell that Leah’s radiator was the problem…so a nice trucker man helped her put water in it and eventually she did make it to Amelia Island. The next day it was determined that Leah needed to take her current car to South Carolina to exchange. Since this required some planning what better than an ICS to plan! We did forgo the paperwork but Bec’s place functioned as the command center. Leah was the finance chief. I was Planning and Operations Chief. Like a true EISer, Paco (in Miami) offered logistics assistance with food and beverage. My uncle Mike, who taught me pretty much everything I know about cars, was brought in as a consulting subject matter expert. It was a great exercise in ICS and a crazy long road trip to SC and back in one day. Due to time constrains we did not have a hot wash, which is the debriefing but, we think things went well. You can see above a photo of Leah and me looking under hood!