Emergency Preparedness Program

The Jackson County Health Department's Emergency Preparedness Program was initiated in August 2002, when the health department received its first Public Health Infrastructure Grant, from the Ohio Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The grant was designed to better equip and prepare public health agencies to respond to bioterrorist incidents based on lessons learned from the fall 2001 Anthrax attacks.

In 2005, the Emergency Preparedness Program shifted its focus from bioterrorism to the "All Hazards" approach to emergency response. As a result, the Jackson County Health Department developed an All Hazards Emergency Response Plan with its concentration primarily on public health issues that may arise during any emergency or disaster. From this point on, the health department became a major player in Jackson County emergency response and planning.

The Public Health Infrastructure Grant was renamed the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant in 2008 and remains focused on the "All Hazards" approach to emergency response. Currently the Jackson County Health Department's Emergency Preparedness Program continues to build its response capacity and work closely with other emergency response partners and planners in Jackson County and the South Central Region.

Through these partnerships, continuous training and exercising, the health department is prepared to respond to a wide variety of emergency situations as both a lead response agency for public health emergencies and as a support agency for any other type of emergency or disaster affecting Jackson County.

If an emergency or disaster occurs in Jackson County, please check our website to receive the latest updates and information on public health issues related to the incident.