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General Preparedness

Photo: Flooded houses in a neighborhood.

Being prepared to respond to emergency and terrorism events requires an understanding of how the state, federal, and local entities work together during an event. All responses occur locally and end locally, but understanding the roles of local, state, and federal partners is essential to an effective response.

This section provides resources on general preparedness.

CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response – how to prepare, plan, and respond to public health emergencies:

CDC Epidemic Information Exchange (Epi-X) – secure communications tool used by various public health agencies to access and share preliminary surveillance information

CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) – transmits health alerts, advisories, and updates to health agencies at every level of government

CDC National Strategic Plan for Public Health Preparedness and Response [PDF - 359 KB] – guide for CDC, the entire public health system, and stakeholders to attain the vision of "people’s health protected – public health secured"

CDC Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) Publications and Resources – resources and reports on issues related to public health preparedness and response

CDC Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning – guide to help state and local jurisdictions organize their work, prioritize, and decide which capabilities they have the resources to build or sustain

CDC Supports Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) – facilitates and supports efforts to provide education, awareness and training on EMAC to local, state and federal public health professionals

Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) – guidelines for protecting emergency responders over a full range of emergency types and settings

Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER) - Awareness Level – course to address a range of environmental health topics commonly faced in disaster response

Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC) – provides core competency-based training to state, local, and tribal public health authorities

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Links to information from outside CDC

American Public Health Association (APHA)

American Red Cross – how to prepare for and respond to a variety of disaster types

California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health (CCDEH)

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Disaster Preparation and Recovery (National Library of Medicine) – information about disaster and emergency preparedness and response grouped in related categories

Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) – interstate mutual aid agreement allowing states to share personnel, equipment and resources during emergencies

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Preparedness and Training

Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) – national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities

National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI) – snapshot of nationwide security capabilities

National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO):

Public Health Emergency: Leading a Nation Prepared (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) – cross-governmental portal to obtain information from all U.S. federal agencies and their state and local partners involved in a public health emergency, medical disaster, or public health aspects of a natural or manmade disaster

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Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism – report provides a snapshot of our nation's public health emergency preparedness

Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response – voluntary initiative that brings a wide range of humanitarian agencies together to improve the quality of humanitarian assistance to their constituents, donors and affected populations

The Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center – tools and resources for preparedness that can be used by public health departments nationwide, including

World Health Organization (WHO)

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