Fiscal Year 2005 Performance and Accountability Report Published November 15, 2005
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While GAO has not reported on this issue since January 2003, VA has taken a number of steps to help ensure that its facilities and staff are prepared to respond to emergency situations, including biological and chemical acts of terrorism. VA's broader role as a support agency in the event of a national emergency depends upon a larger governmentwide discussion of homeland security issues.
VA's Program Response to GAO3:
VA has completed procurement of 143 pharmaceutical caches located at VA medical centers and continues its decontamination training and procurement program.
Decontamination/hazmat training and equipment were initially provided to the medical centers determined to be the highest priority. VA completed training and equipment for a second group of facilities in September 2004. Possible regional training sites are being reviewed to assist with continuing training and education and to meet the goal for all medical centers to be trained.
The Department has participated in major governmentwide exercises designed to address response to chemical and biological acts, and has conducted internal Continuity of Operations exercises. The Department also published a new Comprehensive Emergency Management Program to address continuity of operations, as required by Federal Preparedness Circular 65.
VA has conducted numerous emergency management studies to ensure that VA facilities and staff are prepared in the event of a catastrophe. The National Institute of Building Sciences initially conducted physical vulnerability assessments to study mission-critical VA facilities and provided recommendations to mitigate identified vulnerabilities. The Department has established a working group to analyze recommendations from this assessment. This group is developing criteria against which the recommendations will be measured and is prioritizing facilities that most need improvement.
VA also conducted the Survey Assessment of VA Medical Centers' Emergency Preparedness. This assessment analyzed data relating to both facility and staff preparedness, including issues such as medical center backup utilities, lab, pharmacy, psychiatric services, security, administration, and internal medicine. VA is reviewing the results of this study and will use them as a benchmark against which to measure followup assessments at regular intervals to further enhance the Department's emergency preparedness capabilities.
A manpower analysis assessed VA's ability to assign adequate numbers of personnel with requisite skills and training to meet external emergency preparedness commitments without negatively impacting VA's core service delivery and operations during a catastrophic event. Relevant program offices are reviewing recommendations from this study for applicability and feasibility. VA will develop and conduct additional studies as required by the Supplemental Appropriations for Evaluation of VA's Emergency Preparedness (P.L. 107-38).
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