Emergency Management Category Intro

Emergency Preparedness and Health

A public health emergency is an event that puts the health of people or communities at risk. Examples include natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and other threats ^[EM1]. Threats can come from biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear sources. These emergencies can occur anywhere and at any time, so preparing for them is important. Being prepared can save lives ^[EM2].

“Being prepared” means people or communities can plan for, respond to, and recover from a public health emergency. This is often called emergency preparedness ^[EM3].

Emergency preparedness is about finding ways to prevent or lessen the impacts of an emergency. It is also about finding ways to get things back to normal after an emergency. There are often many people and organizations coordinating these efforts. These efforts ^[EM3] may include:

• creating contingency plans
• stockpiling supplies
• setting up places for people to quarantine
• providing training
• conducting field exercises

It is important to note that many things can affect a public health emergency ^[EM5]. For example:

• It may be harder to get to a shelter or have supplies to shelter at home for people who have a disability or limited resources like money or transportation.
• There may be more heat-related medical emergencies in places where homes/buildings occupy a small area and there are not many trees or green spaces.
• It may be harder for people and businesses to recover from storms, floods, or fires if a community has limited resources.

Planners must consider the diverse needs of all the people in the community. In addition, plans must focus on supports for people who are more vulnerable or who have been historically underserved. Doing so helps prevent inequities, protects people’s health, and makes communities stronger.

Local health departments are almost always the first point of contact during public health emergencies. They can provide information and guidance on issues ^[EM6] like:

• foodborne illnesses
• living conditions
• power outages
• vaccine clinics

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) can help local health departments with health and medical issues during large emergencies. The DPH Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management (OPEM) and local health departments also work closely with health care facilities and emergency management agencies. Two examples of when they all work together are evacuating health care facilities and managing situations with a large number of injured people ^[EM6].

Responsibility for public health emergency preparedness is not just with government agencies and health care systems. Residents, communities, and organizations also play a role ^[EM4]. Everyone should stay informed and create personal preparedness plans ^[EM7].

This report provides detailed information about some of the ways emergency preparedness impacts health in a community and is connected to three key issue areas: Access and Functional Needs, Built Environment, and Limited Resources.