Emergency Response Quick Facts . . .
- Research shows that 74% of health care professionals believe the U.S. is at a high or somewhat high risk of bioterrorism, but only 32% of those same professionals believe their community is at risk.
- Through disease investigation and immunizations public health has successfully eradicated smallpox.
- In an emergency information is as important to people as food and water.
Emergency Response Links . . .
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Emergency Response
Program Overview Planning Epidemiology Information Volunteers Staff Office Hours
Program Overview . . .
The Springfield-Greene County Health Department has a 25-member emergency response team standing by 24/7/365 to field emergency phone calls and respond to emergency situations. The health department also has a team of full-time employees dedicated to planning the health department's response to a bioterrorist attack, pandemic influenza or other public health emergency.
Planning . . .
The Planning office prepares written plans, procedures and protocols for responding to bioterrorist attacks or other public health emergencies. They also provide staff training and prepare exercises to test both plans and training.
Epidemiology . . .
The Epidemiology office works daily to track disease patterns and illnesses in order to quickly recognize an unusual illness or outbreak. This monitoring, or surveillance, helps them gather information from a variety of sources, including
hospitals, schools, large employers, urgent care clinics, daycares and other agencies, in order to record disease trends. They regularly investigate diseases, interview those who are ill, and strategize how best to protect
the community from illness.
Public Information . . .
The Public Information office will respond to a bioterrorist attack or public health emergencies with vital information for the general public, background and factual information for the media, and key messages for department spokespersons.
The Public Information
Office is working diligently to provide information to the public now on the importance of being prepared for emergencies and on how to best respond when disaster strikes.
Volunteers . . .
The Community Heroes volunteer program recruits, trains and utilizes individual volunteers for bioterrorism response or public health emergencies.
Staff . . .
Click on a staff member's name to learn more about them.
Office Hours . . .
The Emergency Response office is located at 227 East Chestnut Expressay and is open Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
For more information call (417) 864-1085.
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Before September 11, 2001, I didn't think about bioterrorism. But as frightening stories began to emerge, I suddenly felt threatened by diseases like anthrax and smallpox I didn't know anything about.
Our country seemed vulnerable to these sorts of attacks, and I felt helpless to defend myself and my family.
Recently I learned a great deal about what the local health departments are doing to prepare for all kinds of public health emergencies. They have plans in place for what to do if something terrible like this ever occurrs.
If the whole community needs to be vaccinated against smallpox, for example, the health department has a plan for how to effectively vaccinate them and the means to obtain vaccine.
Knowing that there are people working hard to keep my family safe
and having knowledge of what to do during a public health emergency is comforting to me. I know that we can never be 100% safe from all danger, but I can have confidence that I would know what to do if an emergency occurred.
- Sarah |
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