Emergency Preparedness and Response

What can you do to make sure you’re prepared for an emergency such an earthquake, flood or pandemic? These links can help prepare yourself, your family and your community for emergencies:

• http://www.prepare.org/
• http://www.bepreparedcalifornia.ca.gov
• http://www.72hours.org/
• Tips for Communicating Before, During, and After Emergencies
• Emergency Planning for First Responders and Their Families
  http://www.ready.gov/responder
• Preparedness Resources for Outpatient Clinics and Urgent-Care Facilities
  http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/healthcare/planning3.htm
• Preparedness Resources for Hospitals
  http://emergency.cdc.gov/healthcare/hospitals.asp  http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/planning/hpp/Pages/default.aspx

• Preparedness Resources for Pediatric Offices and Hospitals
  http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/healthcare/pediatric.htm
• Communicating in the First Hour
  http://emergency.cdc.gov/firsthours/intro.asp
• Preparedness Resources for Community Planners
  http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/planning/pages/default.aspx
• HHS Responders, Clinicians & Practitioners
  http://www.phe.gov/preparedness/responders/pages/default.aspx
• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
  http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/responders/ndms/Pages/default.aspx

For tsunami evacuation maps for Humboldt County and other tsunami information, please visit these links:

• http://www.humboldt.edu/rctwg/site/projects/
• http://www.humboldt.edu/rctwg/

The Public Health Branch Emergency Preparedness and Response Program provides the tools and the staff to plan for emergency response to public health critical events, to purchase the equipment necessary for these plans, and to train staff, community partners, and the public in the use of emergency plans. The program originally began in response to the increased possibility of man made disasters such as bioterrorism.

Our goals are to: 

1. Strengthen the public health system capacity to effectively manage disease surveillance, rapid and accurate detection, control and prevention of illness and injury resulting from biological terrorism and infectious disease outbreaks;
2. Develop a seamless response to potential acts of bioterrorism or natural disasters that includes public health, medical care, and emergency/disaster management systems;
3. Ensure that rapid and secure communication exists among public health and other public or private agencies during any public health emergency.

Below are emergency preparedness documents from the American Public Health Association (APHA).