Emergency Preparedness

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 now to provide information to the public on the importance of being prepared for emergencies and on how to best respond when emergencies occur.