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Disaster Preparedness

 

The Disaster Preparedness Section of the Washington County Health Department was started with grant money from the Ohio Department of Health/CDC. The original program started with the HAN (Health Alert Network) in 2000.
 
During the Anthrax events of 2001/2002 the health deapartment assisted local first responders with training and information, and provide communication between ODH, testing labratories and local responders.
 

 

  The Homeland Security Act of 2002 tasked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with defining the goals and performance requirements of the SNS Program, as well as managing the actual deployment of assets. Effective on 1 March 2003, the NPS became the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) Program managed jointly by DHS and HHS. With the signing of the BioShield legislation, the SNS Program was returned to HHS for oversight and guidance. The SNS Program works with governmental and non-governmental partners to upgrade the nation’s public health capacity to respond to a national emergency. Critical to the success of this initiative is ensuring capacity is developed at federal, state, and local levels to receive, stage, and dispense SNS assets.

 

The Washington County Health Department stepped up to this challenge by creating plans, training personnel, (both employees, local first responders, and volunteers) securing agreements with business for assistance with distribution, and testing these plans through drills and exercises. During this time we understood the need to be ready for any emergency, and planned for all-hazards.
 

 

   Now, with the many threats to public health in the fore-front,such as  hurricanes, floods, and the threat of Pandemic Influenza, there is a resurgence to the “All-Hazards approach” where we plan for basic response to all disasters, and create additional threat specific guides for the many possibilites. We work on two levels at the health department, the local level, by providing planning,training,plan coordination, and public education.We also maintian Regional Coordination in which health departments,hospitals,local governments,non-governmental organizations and EMA's from 21 counties across Southeast Ohio work together to plan,train and exercise.
 

    Please browse our site for information on preparing yourself, your family, your business, and your community. This is a new website and we are adding more to it everyday. Please contact us with any questions or concerns.

 

 Our staff provides training and informational presentations on topics from Bioterrorism to Pandemic Flu  and ICS 300& 400 for groups and businesses.Contact us for more information and scheduling.

 

 

 

Click here for SNS webpage