Shawnee Preparedness and Response Coalition
- Need: To enhance emergency preparedness in rural areas by providing access to training, exercises, and crucial information.
- Intervention: SPARC, a coalition of 197 organizations in southern Illinois, focuses on emergency preparedness.
- Results: SPARC has facilitated numerous training sessions, exercises, and community events, enhancing regional preparedness and resilience.
Description
The Shawnee Preparedness and Response Coalition (SPARC) is a network comprising 197 organizations across 23 counties in southern Illinois, with 22 being rural. Types of organizations include:
- Emergency management agencies
- Health departments
- Hospitals
- Local, state, and federal response agencies
- State associations
- Volunteer organizations
- Other community partners
Services offered
- Annual Weathering the Storm Conference: a key event for sharing knowledge and strategies in emergency preparedness
- Training and exercises assistance: support for emergency planning and response drills
- Information sharing: facilitating the dissemination of critical emergency preparedness information
- Lending library: providing access to emergency response training materials
- Wellness on Wheels: a mobile clinic offering vitals checks, screenings, vaccinations, and other health services
Results
- 2023 Region V Integrated Preparedness Planning Workshop: SPARC participated in a collaborative workshop aimed at developing an Integrated Preparedness Plan, coordinating planning, training, and exercise activities across organizations to maximize resource use and prevent duplication of efforts.
- Public health services: During the 2017 solar eclipse, SPARC planned and provided public health and medical services for 250,000 visitors to southern Illinois.
- CPR, AED, and first aid training: SPARC provided these trainings to coalition members and community-based organizations to enhance emergency response capabilities.
- Stop The Bleed training and kits: These kits were distributed to coalition members and community organizations to improve trauma response readiness.
- NARCAN training and harm reduction kits: These were offered to address opioid overdoses in the community.
Challenges
SPARC's main challenge has been to overcome traditional silos and competition for resources among entities such as local health departments and emergency management agencies.
Replication
Identify and involve all stakeholders in your region when building a health or disaster preparedness coalition to ensure comprehensive planning and response strategies.
Contact Information
Arien Herrmann, Regional Hospital Coordinating Center ManagerSouthern Illinois Healthcare
SPARC
RHCC@sih.net
Topics
Emergency preparedness and response
· Networking and collaboration
States served
Illinois
Date added
August 23, 2022
Suggested citation: Rural Health Information Hub, 2024. Shawnee Preparedness and Response Coalition [online]. Rural Health Information Hub. Available at: https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/project-examples/1102 [Accessed 20 May 2025]
Please contact the models and innovations contact directly for the most complete and current information about this program. Summaries of models and innovations are provided by RHIhub for your convenience. The programs described are not endorsed by RHIhub or by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. Each rural community should consider whether a particular project or approach is a good match for their community’s needs and capacity. While it is sometimes possible to adapt program components to match your resources, keep in mind that changes to the program design may impact results.