Preparedness for All Hazards

Emergency preparedness requires attention not just to specific types of hazards but also to steps that increase preparedness for any type of hazard. The resources below are intended to help professionals take an all-hazards approach to preparedness.

Children
Parents, teachers, doctors and nurses are just some of the people who can help children get ready for and cope with disasters.
Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)
COCA establishes partnerships with national clinician organizations to communicate information about disease outbreaks and terrorism events.
Communicating in the First Hours
The Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed messages and other resources for federal, state, local, and tribal public health officials to use during a response to an emergency.
Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)
CERC training program draws from lessons learned during public health emergencies, and incorporates best practices from the fields of risk and crisis communication.
The Health Alert Network (HAN)
HAN is a strong national program that provides Health Alerts, Health Advisories, Updates, and Info Service Messages to State and Local Health Officers, Public Information Officers, Epidemiologists and HAN Coordinators as well as Clinician organizations. Peruse through archived HANs here.
Laboratory Information
Testing, agent identification, biosafety, specimen collection and shipping.
Laboratory Response Network (LRN)
The Laboratory Response Network is charged with the task of maintaining an integrated network of state and local public health, federal, military, and international laboratories that can respond to bioterrorism, chemical terrorism and other public health emergencies.
Preparation and Planning
Personal preparedness, businesses, healthcare facilities.
Related Links
CDC resources and more.
SNAPS: Snap Shots of State Population Data
SNAPS provides local-level community profile information nationwide. It can be browsed by county and state and searched by zip code. SNAPS serves as a valuable tool when responding to public health emergency events at the state, Tribal, and local levels.
Surveillance
Case definitions, illness recognition and detection, planning, systems.
Training & Education
Risk communications, public health and clinical training, laboratory training.

Related Information

Coping With a Disaster or Traumatic Event
Trauma and mental health resources.
Health and Safety Concerns for All Disasters
Prevent illness and injury following a disaster.
Disaster Information for Specific Groups
Important information for response workers, evacuees, pet owners, and people with chronic conditions.