Preparedness Professionals
Emergencies can be devastating - but it is possible to prepare for them. As professionals, we know that emergency preparedness is an ongoing, never-ending cycle. The ideas on this page will give you some concrete steps you can take to make your communities safer through planning, training, exercising, and evaluation.
Plan
Comprehensive, multi-hazard planning focused on enhancing response management improves coordination, information flow, communication, and authority relations during a disaster. Good planning is essential and luckily, there are evidence-based rules for it.
Threat Response Guides
These brief documents are designed to be easily read during an emergency. They describe impacts and sample actions which health departments might take in the first house of a variety of emergency scenarios. These are provided as tools which your organization could adapted as needed.
- Get the Threat Response Guides securely on CDC's Epi-X system. If you're not an Epi-X user or need help, contact CDC at (877) 438-3749 (toll free within the United States); (404) 639-3762 (international); or EpiXHelp@cdc.gov
- Get the evidence-based criteria used to build the Threat Response Guides (PDF). These can help you build your own tools to help executives during emergencies.
- See the Example Threat Response Guide Sections (PDF) to build your own Threat Response Guides
Organize and Equip
A plan is never enough. It's critical to build out the systems, resources and capabilities to get the job done.
Train
Your people - both within your organization and in your community - are your greatest preparedness asset. Training gives them the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to complete their mission.
Online Bystander Training Course
The Bystander Training Course shows you how bystanders can save lives and assist people after an emergency.
Public Health Preparedness Trainers Aids
These presentations were developed to train DOHMH staff and may be helpful as you build your own training programs.
- Foodborne Botulism (PPT): Basic training on clinical effects and response
- Earthquake (PPT): Overview and Impacts
- New Hire Presentation (PPT): This general training on health emergencies and preparedness is similar to that which is given to DOHMH staff.
Exercise
Through simulated exercises, you test your plan and ensure clear roles for all people and organizations in your jurisdiction.
Evaluate & Improve
Throughout the cycle, you should be collecting lessons learned, evaluating research and improving both your knowledge of your jurisdiction and the capacity of your organization.
Risk Assessment
Many jurisdictions struggle with how best to complete a risk assessment. Learn about our process so you can adapt it for your own jurisdiction. (PDF)
Functional Vulnerability Analysis
Federal guidance states that vulnerability for emergency preparedness should be based on functional needs during a disaster. We agree with that, but then ask: How do we find those most in need? Our draft method and findings may help you (PDF)