Emergency Preparedness

Are you ready for a winter storm? Watch When the Sky Turns Grey, an animated video about winter storm preparedness.

Mission

To protect the public's health through planning for and responding to a possible bio-terrorism, communicable disease or natural disaster event in Randolph County.

Summary

Staff prepares and responds to emergencies caused by disasters, terrorist events, communicable disease outbreaks and other public health threats through plan development, training, exercise, and evaluation. Staff receives appropriate training and education in preparedness for and response to bio-terrorism, as well as, communicable disease outbreaks, and other public health threats. Plans are exercised at least annually. Staff collaborates and partners with other response agencies such as Emergency Medical Services, fire departments, law enforcement, and others, so that we will be prepared to prevent problems when possible or to react to problems as they occur.

Operations

Primary operations responsibilities involve a Public Health Preparedness Coordinator and a Public Health Preparedness and Response Team. The program coordinator is responsible for planning and coordinating the Health Department's response to public health threats. The Public Health Preparedness and Response Team is a critical component of the means that the Health Department has to respond to public health threats and consists of the Health Director, the Assistant Health Director, the Public Health Preparedness Coordinator, nursing supervisors, nursing staff, a health educator, environmental health supervisors, laboratory staff, administrative staff, and an animal control supervisor. The team deals with preparedness, surveillance, outbreak investigation, and response to disease outbreaks, natural disasters, man-made disasters, and bio-terrorism. The team is required to have scheduled meetings quarterly, but generally meet at least twice a quarter and are activated anytime public health threats occur that require investigation, surveillance or response. At regular meetings the team discusses many issues, such as flu clinics, communicable disease outbreaks, Homeland Security grant funds, National Incident Management System (NIMS) training, and develops plans of action in response to various events. They are required to conduct a terrorist response exercise annually.