Response Support

The GVC team is there to support you during and after an incident involving your organization.  Our consortium of emergency management and homeland security experts have a wide range of actual “boots on the ground” experience.  Our team has experience with NFPA, The Joint Commission, National Response Framework (NRF), National Incident Management Systems (NIMS), and California’s Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS).  One of GVC’s focus is the Hospital Incident Command System.  GVC principals have been involved with HICS since its inception.  (Bruce Binder was there at the inception of HEICS, Cheryl Starling, RN shepherded the transition from HEICS to HICS at the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA), and both she and Paul Penn currently sit on the EMSA HICS National Advisory Committee.)

The GVC team has real-time experience in leading and participating in response to emergencies in the healthcare and public health sectors at the Federal, state, local, and organizational levels.  Ms. Starling was Incident Commander for the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) response to the 2009/2010 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza, participated in emergency activations at the California State Operations Center, Department Operations Centers, and in hospitals.  Most recently, Cheryl was the Ebola Coordinator for CDPH 2014-2015, coordinating the Traveler Monitor Team, developing policies, procedures, health alerts, and guidelines, and communicating with local health departments, Ebola Treatment Centers, healthcare organizations and state/local partners.

We have the experience to assist you set the strategies and tactics necessary to successfully respond to and recover from a major incident.  We can provide Incident Command System (ICS) support to your response and recovery efforts by augmenting your Command Center staff, assuming/mentoring Command (e.g., Liaison, Public Information, Safety) Section positions (e.g., Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Administrative/Finance Section Chief positions) or other positions within your ICS structure.  GVC can assist with guiding and advocating for your organization while your leadership is recovering from the emergency and may have been a victim of the emergency.