Emergency Preparedness & Communications Specialist IV

State of Colorado•Pueblo, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Emergency Preparedness & Communications Specialist develops, implements, and maintains the comprehensive Emergency Management program for the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP). The role safeguards patients, staff, and others on campus by maintaining an all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and related safety protocols in compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations. Serving as the facility’s subject matter expert, the specialist leads hazard vulnerability assessments, cross-departmental emergency planning, staff training, and community partnership outreach. During active emergencies, the specialist serves in the incident command center to advise leadership and help direct response and recovery efforts. The position chairs the Emergency Management Committee; directs annual hazard vulnerability assessments; develops emergency plans and protocols; and plans for resources such as personal protective equipment, medical countermeasures, and utility backups. It oversees redundant emergency communications, liaises with community response partners, supports Emergency Shelter activation and logistics, and develops training and exercises. The specialist also analyzes incident and exercise data, prepares cause analyses and improvement plans, leads quality improvement initiatives, and provides real-time operational analysis during emergencies. The role advises executives and department heads, supports facility-wide compliance with Joint Commission, CMS, CDPHE, and other applicable requirements, leads preparation for accrediting surveys and audits, and develops Plans of Correction when deficiencies are identified. The position is 100% on campus in Pueblo, with a Monday–Friday schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It has direct patient encounter responsibilities and may involve hazardous-material exposure, assaultive behavior, physical control or restraint situations, and the physical activities specified in the posting. Applicants must be Colorado residents.

Requirements

Seven years of full-time relevant professional experience in emergency management, crisis communications, hospital safety planning, public health preparedness, or a directly related occupation; alternatively, a combination of related higher education and/or relevant professional experience equal to seven years.
Must be a Colorado resident.
Must pass the applicable background checks and screening requirements described in the posting.
Must be up-to-date on MANDT and CPR before the first assignment.
Must pass all modules of the CMHHIP New Employee Orientation core curriculum, including English reading comprehension, competency assessments, and written and practical exams.
Ability to read and comprehend English and communicate effectively and fluently in English, verbally and in writing.
Ability to perform the listed physical activities, including lifting arms above the head, kicking to waist height, stabilizing another person during a controlled takedown, rotating the body for defensive tactics, kneeling and standing repeatedly, walking and climbing stairs, and demonstrating agility and strength in all four limbs.
Ability to see and hear to observe, address, and respond to potential safety breaches.
Ability to seize, hold, control, or subdue violent or assaultive persons and defend oneself or others to prevent injury.
Ability to work in situations involving assaultive behavior, physical control of another person, and/or restraint situations.
Must complete a two-step tuberculosis screening upon hire and receive annual influenza vaccination.
Must disclose any relationships with current or former patients as specified in the posting and must not initiate or engage in prohibited relationships with patients.
Former state employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose that information, explain why it should not disqualify them, and provide their prior employee number.

Nice To Haves

Three to five years of experience planning hospital safety responses, evaluating facility risks, and running staff disaster drills.
Direct experience writing emergency alerts, coordinating with news media, and managing mass text or email alert systems during critical incidents.
Working familiarity with CMS hospital emergency rules and The Joint Commission Emergency Management Standards.
FEMA incident response courses: ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800.
Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) training.
Professional emergency management certification, such as CHEP or CEM, or formal Public Information Officer training.
Bachelor’s degree in Emergency Management, Communications, Public Relations, Public Health, or a related field.
Relevant years of state service experience.

Responsibilities

Chair the Emergency Management Committee and coordinate integrated campus emergency planning with hospital leadership and external partners.
Direct and complete the annual facility-wide Hazard Vulnerability Assessment and other self-assessments to identify risks and prioritize planning.
Develop, implement, and maintain the hospital’s all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan, aligning it with the six critical elements of Joint Commission Hospital Emergency Management Standards.
Design and oversee emergency preparedness protocols for mitigation, response, and recovery from natural disasters, infectious diseases, security incidents, and other threats.
Manage resource allocation planning, including staging personal protective equipment, medical countermeasures, and essential utility backups.
Develop and oversee redundant internal and external emergency communication systems for timely threat notification.
Serve as the primary liaison with community emergency partners, including local health departments, healthcare coalitions, and first responders.
Collaborate with hospital leadership on activation, operational logistics, and supply chains for the CMHHIP Emergency Shelter.
Design and facilitate emergency management training and tabletop, functional, and full-scale exercises to test communications and leadership readiness.
Coordinate critical incident messaging and urgent response communications with facility leadership and the CDHS Critical Incident and CMHHIP Communications Specialist.
Analyze emergency response data and statistical metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and identify improvements.
Prepare Apparent Cause Analysis/Root Cause Analysis reports and improvement plans following exercises and major real-world incidents.
Lead emergency-program Quality Assurance and Process Improvement initiatives and revise policies, procedures, and training objectives in collaboration with the Director of Quality Management.
Provide real-time operational analysis during incident command responses to prioritize needs and guide recovery.
Advise hospital executive leadership and department heads on emergency management policy and operational decisions.
Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal emergency management requirements, including Joint Commission, CMS, and CDPHE standards.
Lead preparation for and response to onsite accrediting agency surveys and audits.
Develop and execute formal Plans of Correction for survey findings or compliance deficiencies.
Conduct root-cause analyses and formal investigations of safety incidents and near-misses, and develop corrective actions.
Perform other assigned tasks within the scope of the position.

Benefits

PERA Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus 401(k) and 457 plans
Medical and dental health plans
Employer-supplemented Health Savings Account
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
11 paid holidays per year, plus vacation and sick leave
State of Colorado Employee BenefitHub Resource Center
Employee Wellness program
Work-life programs, including flexible schedules and training
Remote work arrangements for eligible positions
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program