Preparedness and Response

AIP supports the Municipality of Anchorage, the State of Alaska, and federal agencies in public health preparedness and response. Employees from AIP may be deployed to other regions of the country during national and international emergencies to provide medical, laboratory, and disaster relief. AIP also has a role in terrorist preparedness planning and laboratory response. Important events in which AIP staff have played a part include:

• Pandemic influenza, 2009 – 2010. Staff were deployed to the CDC Emergency Operations Center following the influenza pandemic and continued to support CDC efforts to reduce the impact of influenza on American Indian and Alaska Native persons.
• Hurricane response. Staff were deployed along with PHS support teams to communities affected by hurricanes in 2004 and 2008.
• Avian Influenza 2004. Staff deployed to WHO headquarters in Geneva to provide technical assistance for the development of WHO laboratory guidelines and recommendations.
• Monkeypox 2003. Staff deployed to Atlanta and Indiana to assist with the response.
• SARS 2003. Staff deployed to Ottawa, Canada, and Atlanta to provide health notices and medical screening to incoming passengers from SARS-affected areas.
• Anthrax 2001. Staff deployed to Atlanta, Washington, and New Jersey.