Planning Supervisor
NMDOH BHEM
Tyson Whittaker is the Planning Supervisor for the New Mexico Department of Health under the Bureau of Health Emergency Management. He has been instrumental in creating, implementing and maintaining the New Mexico Department of Health’s Emergency Operations Plan(s) (EOP) and its’ twenty-one functional annexes as well as six groups of hazard specific plans. He was influential in the creation of an inventory management system that tracks physical assets as well as the Department Operations Center personnel and their trainings and qualifications. Tyson has been involved with projects such as a Crisis Standards of Care Symposium. During the planning phase of the Crisis Standards of Care Symposium he presented at sixteen different venues. The venues were coordinated with emergency managers, college campus administrators, Mayors, city and county managers, and included collaboration with multiple hospitals.
Tyson has created and implemented a training program that serves as the Department Operations Center Basic Training, that allows for staff to become familiar and educated on the policy and procedures for the operation center. Tyson also has been influential in the establishment of the Emergency Hospital Shelter Tent Deployment policy and procedures. He has been crucial in networking and improving relationships with new partners and strengthening relationships with key partners. He is certified as an Incident Command System Trainer and has held 7 different courses in the New Mexico Department of Health Department Operation Center to ensure that the staff of the Department operations center has the most current and relevant information. He has also completed the FEMA Emergency Management Institute's Basic Emergency Manager. He will soon be completing his COOP Level II qualification as well as establishing guidance and policy to ensure accurate and timely review of internal planning procedures.