Public Health Resources

HHS Activates Emergency Prescription Assistance Program for Uninsured Puerto Rico Residents Needing Medicine after Recent Earthquakes   - As part of the Trump Administration’s government-wide response to the series of earthquakes and aftershocks affecting Puerto Rico, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) activated its Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) for Puerto Rico to give residents access to the critical prescription medications they need. The program pays for prescription medications for people without health insurance who are affected by disasters. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

AVMA Collections: Zoonosis Update   - Journal articles from the AVMA scientific journals about current information on diseases transmissible between animals and humans, such as avian influenza and E.coli, and other zoonotics relating to food safety and human emerging infectious diseases.. (American Veterinary Medical Association)

Bio-Response Report Card (2011)   - The report provides an overview of current and emerging bioterrorism threats and recommends priorities to strengthen the nation's bio-preparedness and response capabilities. (WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) Terrorism Research Center)

Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases   - Includes biodefense-related information for biomedical researchers, the public, and the media. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH)

Biosecurity and Biodefense Resource   - Resources for biosecurity policy, bioterrorism information, and biodefense research. (Federation of American Scientists)

CDC - Bioterrorism   - Information on bioterrorism agents and links to resources targeted to health professionals or the general public. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Community Reception Center Electronic Data Collection Tool (CRC eTool)   - The CRC eTool is designed to collect, analyze, visualize, and securely exchange population monitoring data, including demographics, radiation contamination measurements, radiation exposure assessment, and health outcomes. It is created using the Epi Info™ 7 platform and can be implemented using a local area network to include laptops, tablets, and cell phones. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats   - List of resources from the Food and Drug Administration (U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HHS)

Emerging Infectious Disease Repository (EIDR)   - A centralized web platform dedicated to unraveling the origins of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs). Through EIDR, multiple EID events can be compared, historical disease emergence can be visualized spatially, and individual emergence events can be explored in depth. (U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID))

Enviro-Health Links - Biological Agents   - Links to information about biological pathogens. (National Library of Medicine, Specialized Information Services Division)

Enviro-Health Links - Chemical Emergencies   - Links to information about chemical emergency topics. (National Library of Medicine, Specialized Information Services Division)

Fact Sheet on Dirty Bombs   - In order to better inform the public on what a dirty bomb is and what terrorists might intend to try to accomplish in setting off such a weapon, the following information is provided. (U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC))

Federal Select Agents Program   - The Federal Select Agent Program is jointly comprised of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Division of Select Agents and Toxins and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services/ Agriculture Select Agent Services. The Federal Select Agent Program oversees the possession, use and transfer of biological select agents and toxins, which have the potential to pose a severe threat to public, animal or plant health or to animal or plant products. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Food Defense   - Resources to help reduce the risk of tampering or other malicious, criminal, or terrorist actions on the food and cosmetic supply. (U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), HHS)

Fourth Generation Agents   - Resources to help emergency responders and healthcare workers develop specific guidance and training to protect themselves and save lives during incidents involving fourth generation nerve agents, also known as Novichoks or A-series nerve agents. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

General Bioterrorism Information   - (University of Minnesota, Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP))

JHSPH Center for Health Security   - Publications, resources, and news on bioterrorism preparedness and prevention. (Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health)

MEDLINEplus - Biodefense and Bioterrorism   -

MedicalCountermeasures.gov   - MedicalCountermeasures.gov facilitates communication between federal government agencies and public stakeholders to enhance the Nation's public health emergency preparedness. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

Protecting Workers from Anthrax Infection   - Fact sheet that describes the NIOSH response to the 2001 anthrax attacks. (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC)

PubMed/MEDLINE Search and Smallpox Information Resources   - Comprehensive PubMed search and links to other smallpox information resources. (National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH)

Remembering 9/11 and Anthrax: Public Health's Vital Role in National Defense   - Report that features more than 30 firsthand, on-the-ground accounts of public health professionals who were directly involved in the response to the September 11, 2001 and anthrax tragedies. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF))

CDC Public Health Emergency Response Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Public Health Directors Version 2.0   - All-hazards reference tool for health professionals who are responsible for initiating the public health response during the first 24 hours of an emergency or disaster. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM)   - Enables first responders, first receivers, other healthcare providers, and planners to plan for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of mass-casualty incidents involving chemicals. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS)

Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER)   - A toolkit that provides guidelines for data collection, analysis, and dissemination during disasters that can be quickly provided to decision-makers. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)   - The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS))

Disaster Information Management Research Center   - The aim of the Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) is to provide access to quality disaster health information to the nation at all stages of preparation, response, mitigation and recovery. (National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH)

Disaster Preparedness for Veterinary Practice   - Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMAT) serve as first responders to ensure high-quality care of animals during disasters and emergencies. (American Veterinary Medical Association)

Emergency Access Initiative (EAI)   - EAI provides temporary free access to full text articles from major biomedicine titles to healthcare professionals, librarians, and the public affected by disasters. (National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH)

Emergency Response   - Resources compiled by ATSDR for use in responding to an emergency. (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), CDC, HHS)

Emergency Response Guidebook (2016)   - Provides guidance to first responders on how to identify the types of hazardous materials that may be involved in an incident and how to respond to the threats those materials might pose to emergency crews and the public. (U.S. Department of Transportation)

Emergency Response Safety and Health Database   - The Emergency Response Safety and Health Database (ERSH-DB) is an occupational safety and health database developed by NIOSH for the emergency response community. The ERSH-DB contains accurate and concise information on high-priority chemical, biological and radiological agents that could be encountered by personnel responding to a terrorist event. (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC)

Emergency Severity Index (ESI)   - The ESI is a five-level emergency department triage algorithm that yields rapid, reproducible, and clinically relevant stratification of patients into five groups to allow patients to be categorized by both acuity and hospital resources. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS)

Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP)   - Federal program to support states and territories in establishing standardized volunteer registration programs for disasters and public health emergencies. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

Evidence Aid   - Provides evidence on interventions that might be considered in the context of natural disasters and other major healthcare emergencies. (Evidence Aid)

HHS - Public Health Emergency   - Web portal to obtain information from all U.S. federal agencies involved in a public health emergency, a medical disaster, or the public health aspects of a natural or man-made disaster. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

HHS Response and Recovery Resources Compendium   - Comprehensive web-based repository of HHS resources and capabilities available to Federal, State, local, territorial and tribal stakeholders before, during, and after public health and medical incidents. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

How to Lead During Bioattacks with the Public's Trust and Help: A Manual for Mayors, Governors, and Top Health Officials (2004)   - How to Lead during Bioattacks provides government leaders with guidance on anticipating and averting governing pitfalls that arise during epidemics. (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

How to Steward Medical Countermeasures and Public Trust in an Emergency   - This casebook provides the FDA and other officials who deliver public health information with real world inspired opportunities for reflective learning on the principles of effective MCM emergency communication. The casebook critically examined communication dilemmas about MCMs in the context of the 2015-215 Ebola outbreak, the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and the 2001 anthrax letter attacks, recommending specific action items for the FDA to help mitigate comparable issues in the future. (Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health)

Legal Aspects of Public Health Emergency Preparedness   - Online course is intended as an overview and introduction to public health law in emergency preparedness. It raises questions to consider in the planning and delivery of public health or healthcare services in large scale emergencies, across different jurisdictions. (University of Washington)

Medical Reserve Corps   - The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) program establishes teams of local public health, medical and other volunteers to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources. (Office of the Surgeon General, HHS)

NLM PEOPLE LOCATOR® and ReUnite®   - Two iOS/Android mobile applications from NLM that provide databases of missing or found people in the event of an emergency or disaster. (Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), SIS, NLM)

National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT)   - The National Veterinary Response Team (NVRT) provides assistance in identifying the need for veterinary services following major disasters, emergencies, public health or other events requiring Federal support and in assessing the extent of disruption to animal and public health infrastructures. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS)

Preparing for and Responding to Specific Hazards   - Detailed information on specific biological and chemical agents, mass trauma, radiation, and other threats. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Public Health Management of Disasters: The Practice Guide   - Operational field and desk guide for public health personnel who are preparing for or responding to disasters, and for the emergency management community who must work with public health in any response. There is cost to purchase this book. (American Public Health Association (APHA))

Public Health Preparedness and Response for Public Health Laboratories   - The Emergency Preparedness and Response Program at APHL is committed to enhancing public health laboratory preparedness and response to emergencies such as terrorist acts, natural disasters and pandemic diseases. (Association of Public Health Laboratories)

Radiation Emergency Medical Management (REMM)   - Provides guidance for health care providers, primarily physicians, about clinical diagnosis and treatment during mass casualty radiological/nuclear events. The just-in-time, evidence-based information is downloadable in advance, so that it can be available during an event if the Internet is not accessible. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

Radiation Hazard Scale   - The CDC has developed the Radiation Hazard Scale as a tool for communication in emergencies. It provides a frame of reference for relative hazards of radiation, conveys meaning without using radiation measurements unfamiliar to civilians, and is designed for use only in radiation emergencies. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)   - The Social vulnerability Index (SVI) measures the resilience of communities when confronted by external stresses on human health, stresses such as natural or human-caused disasters, or disease outbreaks. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

State Animal & Agriculture Response Teams (SART)   - Interagency state organizations dedicated to preparing, planning, responding and recovering during animal emergencies in the United States. SART is a public private partnership, joining government agencies with the private concerns around the common goal of animal issues during disasters.

Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER)   - Disaster and emergency response tools for planners, first responders, and health care providers to assist with the management of chemical, radiological, and biological emergencies. (National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH)

2017-2022 Health Care Preparedness and Response Capabilities (November 2016)   - Guidance to describe what the health care delivery system, including HCCs, hospitals, and emergency medical services (EMS), have to do to effectively prepare for and respond to emergencies that impact the public's health. (Assistant Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, HHS)

A Strategic Framework for Emergency Preparedness (2017)   - A unifying framework which identifies the principles and elements of effective country health emergency preparedness at both the community and national level. The types of events covered by in this framework include local and national outbreaks of infectious diseases; epidemics and pandemics; and other types of emergencies caused by natural, technological and societal hazards that can have a significant impact on people's health and on society. (World Health Organization (WHO))

APHA Get Ready Campaign   - APHA's Get Ready campaign helps Americans prepare themselves, their families and their communities for all disasters and hazards, including pandemic flu, infectious disease, natural disasters and other emergencies. (American Public Health Association (APHA))

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness   - Provides a step-by-step approach to disaster preparedness by walking the reader through how to get informed about local emergency plans, how to identify hazards that affect their local area, and how to develop and maintain an emergency communications plan and disaster supplies kit. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

Building Communication Capacity to Counter Infectious Disease Threats: Proceedings of a Workshop   - Proceedings from a 1.5 day workshop to learn about current national and international efforts to develop the capacity to communicate effectively during times of infectious disease outbreaks, and to explore gaps in the research agenda that may help address communication needs to advance the field. (National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM))

CDC Public Health Preparedness Publications and Resources   - Publications and resources on public health preparedness and response including resources to help the general public prepare for emergencies and reports that examine progress and trends in emergency preparedness at national and state levels. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

CDC Strategic National Stockpile   - CDC's Strategic National Stockpile is the nation's largest supply of potentially life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for use in a public health emergency severe enough to cause local supplies to run out. Site provides information on the SNSP's history, partnerships, and training. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Communicating Public Health Preparedness Media and Message Guide (2012)   - Guide to help public health professionals and partners provide consistent messages and communications about the importance of public health preparedness and response. (American Public Health Association (APHA))

Community Health Resilience Initiative   - The goal of the CHR Toolset is to provide practitioners and experts from all sectors, disciplines, and functional areas who have roles, responsibilities, or interests in CHR access to guidance and resources to make their community (or organization) more resilient. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS))

Department of Health and Human Services Disaster Behavioral Health Concept of Operations (November 2016)   - The plan describes how HHS prepares for the behavioral health effects of a public health and medical emergency or disaster and transitions from normal day-to-day operations to coordinated department-wide response and recovery activities. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS)

Disaster Behavioral Health: Resources at Your Fingertips (March 2017)   - This document provides information on and links to select disaster behavioral health programs and resources. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS)

Disaster Lit: The Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health   - Database of links to disaster medicine and public health documents available on the Internet at no cost. Documents include expert guidelines, research reports, conference proceedings, training classes, fact sheets, websites, databases, and similar materials selected from over 700 organizations for a professional audience. (Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), SIS, NLM)

Emergency Preparedness   - Materials to help infectious disease clinicians identify and manage potential threats. (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)

Emergency Preparedness for Business   - Contains links to assist businesses in developing a comprehensive plan for dealing with terrorism-related events including: specific instructions to building occupants, actions to be taken by facility management, and first responder notification procedures. (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC)

Emergency Responder Preparedness   - These guidelines are intended to be a tool for first responders seeking to improve their training. (Office for Domestic Preparedness, DHS)

Getting Ready in Indian Country: Emergency Preparedness and Response for Native American Cultural Resources (2010)   - Considers emergency preparedness specifically for Native American interests. Developed with support from the National Park Service and the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance of the Department of the Interior, this new initiative is intended to advance emergency preparedness, stimulate discussion, and inspire new projects for the care and protection of tribal heritage.

Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI)   - An informal, international partnership of like-minded countries to strengthen health preparedness and response globally to threats of biological, chemical, radio-nuclear terrorism (CBRN) and pandemic influenza.

Guidance for Filtration and Air-Cleaning Systems to Protect Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks   - Contains information on how to protect buildings from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), CDC)

HHS emPOWER Map 3.0   - HHS emPOWER Map 3.0 gives every public health official, emergency manager, hospital, first responder, electric company, and community member the power to discover the electricity-dependent Medicare population in their state, territory, county, and ZIP Code. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

Medical Reserve Corps   - The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) program establishes teams of local public health, medical and other volunteers to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year. MRC volunteers supplement existing emergency and public health resources. (Office of the Surgeon General, HHS)

NACCHO Public Health Preparedness   - Tools to help local health departments enhance their readiness to respond to public health emergencies and other disasters. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

National Health Security Preparedness Index (NHSPI)   - The NHSPI examines the health security preparedness of the nation by looking collectively at the health security preparedness of states. Index results are updated annually. (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF))

National Health Security Strategy (NHSS)   - The purpose of the National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) is to refocus the patchwork of disparate public health and medical preparedness, response, and recovery strategies in order to ensure that the nation is prepared for, protected from, and resilient in the face of health threats or incidents with potentially negative health consequences. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

National Preparedness Report   - This annual report provides information on how preparedness can inform priorities and community actions. The report includes findings on national issues, preparedness progress, and opportunities for improvement. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities   - The mission of the National Resource Center is to serve as a central clearinghouse of resources and an information exchange portal to facilitate communication, networking and collaboration to improve preparedness, build resilience and eliminate disparities for culturally diverse communities across all phases of an emergency. (Drexel University, School of Public Health)

Online Technical Resource and Assistance Center (On-TRAC)   - On-TRAC provides state, local, and territorial public health departments with a secure, user-friendly platform for requesting technical assistance from CDC and other subject matter experts. On-TRAC also offers access to new and existing preparedness tools, and resources to assist with the distribution and dispensing of life-saving medications in a public health emergency. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

PERRC Toolkits   - The Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs) conducted research to evaluate the structure, capabilities, and performance of public health systems for preparedness and emergency response. The resulting research was translated into toolkits on emergency preparedness exercises, legal frameworks, mental health preparedness, educational activities, communication, leadership, and evaluation. (Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health)

Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments (February 2017)   - This Guide is designed for local governments to help them to prepare for recovery from future disasters by engaging with the whole community and planning for a recovery activities that are comprehensive and long term. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

Preparation and Planning   - Preparedness information for health facilities, local governments, businesses, and others. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Project Public Health Ready   - Project Public Health Ready (PPHR) is a criteria-based public health preparedness program that assesses local health department (LHD) capacity and capability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Six Years of Achievement (2008)   - This report highlights the progress that has been made in state and local preparedness and response and identifies preparedness challenges facing public health departments. (Association of Public Health Laboratories)

Public Health Preparedness PREP-inars   - *Archived content* Webinars on research and model practices in the field of public health preparedness. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

RAND Topic: Public Health Preparedness   - The Public Health Preparedness Program conducts studies to evaluate, model, and enhance public health preparedness policy options for governmental officials at the state, local, and federal levels within the U.S., Public Health Ministries overseas, and for the private sector. (RAND Corporation)

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2010   - 2010 report that provides state scores on 10 key indicators of public health preparedness. The scores reflect nearly 10 years of progress to improve how the nation prevents, identifies, and contains new disease outbreaks and bioterrorism threats and responds to the aftermath of natural disasters. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2011   - 2011 report that identifies some key programs at risk due to continued cuts to federal public health emergency preparedness. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2012   - The Ready or Not? Report provides a snapshot of our nation's public health emergency preparedness. Its indicators are developed in consultation with leading public health experts based on data from publicly available sources, or information provided by public officials. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2016   - This report includes a review of state and federal public health preparedness and is intended to help inform policymakers, partners and the public about the status of preparedness. It provides a snapshot of a number of important indicators of preparedness and reviews key national policies and priorities. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2005   - 2005 report of preparedness for major health emergencies that finds that both federal and state efforts must be accelerated in order to adequately protect the American people. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2006   - 2006 report that contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on 10 key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2007   - 2007 report that contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on 10 key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities. The report also evaluates federal progress in preparing the country for bioterrorism, disasters and disease. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2008   - 2008 report that contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on 10 key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities. This report finds that progress made to protect the country from disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and bioterrorism is at risk, due to budget cuts and the economic crisis. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Disease, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2009   - 2009 report that contains state-by-state health preparedness scores based on 10 key indicators to assess health emergency preparedness capabilities. This report finds that the H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed serious underlying gaps in the nation's ability to respond to public health emergencies. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health in the Age of Bioterrorism, 2003   - 2003 report that addresses the improvements made to the public health system in the form of a state-by-state assessment and areas that still need improvement. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health in the Age of Bioterrorism, 2004   - 2004 report of preparedness against public health emergencies that finds that despite incremental progress, three years after September 11, 2001, there is still a long way to go to protect the American people from a bioterror attack. (Trust for America's Health (TFAH))

Ready.gov   - Tools to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

Research Priorities in Emergency Preparedness and Response for Public Health Systems   - Conclusions and recommendations from the IOM Committee on Research Priorities in Emergency Preparedness and Response for Public Health Systems. (National Institute of Medicine)

Resource Guide for Directors of Public Health Preparedness and Hospital Preparedness Program Coordinators (2015)   - Reference guide for directors of public health preparedness and hospital preparedness program coordinators. This guide highlights national preparedness efforts, provides a summary of preparedness topics that are key to state and territorial health agencies, and offers action items that will help state and territorial preparedness leaders further understand their roles. (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO))

Resources for People with Disabilities and their Caregivers   - A state-level list of resources, toolkits, guides, and information for people with disabilities and their caregivers to use to prepare for an emergency. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Riding the Mobile Wave (2014)   - Report on what local health departments need in order to adopt social media and mobile health technologies for emergency preparedness. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

Roadmap to Ready   - The program provides new preparedness coordinators with the knowledge, skills, connections, and resources they need to successfully prepare their local jurisdictions for new and emerging threats. NACCHO designed the program for preparedness coordinators at local health departments who have been in their roles for less than two years. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

Special Populations: Emergency and Disaster Preparedness   - Provides links to selected Web sites featuring emergency preparedness for special populations including people with disabilities, people with visual or hearing impairments, senior citizens, children, and women. Links to information in languages other than English are also provided. (National Library of Medicine, Specialized Information Services Division)

USDA Agency Activities for Agroterrorism Prevention, Detection, and Response   - The Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviewed Three USDA agencies plans and actions to prevent, detect, and respond to agroterrorism threats or attacks. (U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA))

Global Disease Outbreak Map   - Displays outbreaks, cases and deaths from viral and bacterial diseases which have the potential to indicate biological terrorism. (GlobalIncidentMap.com)

NACCHO Detection and Decision Making   - NACCHO supports local biosurveillance efforts by sharing critical information regarding systems, practices, and resources that will enhance the local health department's ability to detect and prevent the spread of disease in an effective and timely manner. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

National Toxic Substance Incidents Program (NTSIP)   - The National Toxic Substance Incidents Program (NTSIP) collects and combines information from many resources to protect people from harm caused by spills and leaks of toxic substances. NTSIP gathers information about harmful spills into a central place. (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), CDC, HHS)

Public Health Surveillance   - Information on products, services, and capabilities that monitor the health of the general public, response workers, and special medical needs populations. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

Surveillance for Bioterrorism   - Information on illness recognition and detection, surveillance planning, surveillance systems, and more. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Building a National Capability to Monitor and Assess Medical Countermeasure Use in Response to Public Health Emergencies: A Stand Alone Workshop   - Agenda and videos from a June 2017 workshop to discuss the roles of the federal government and other stakeholders in building and maintaining a national medical countermeasure monitoring and assessment capability for public health emergencies. (National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM))

Defending the Homeland from Bioterrorism: Are We Prepared?   - This October 2019 hearing of the House Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery discusses the state of bioterrorism preparedness in the United States. (U.S. House of Representatives)

Social Media Monitoring in Public Health Emergencies   - On-demand webinar recorded in July 2019 explores how to use social media to monitor and respond to the spread of (mis)information during public health emergencies. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

2019 Global Health Security Index   - The GHS Index is the first comprehensive assessment of global health security capabilities in 195 countries. Read more about the Index and the international panel that helped develop it, download the report and data model, and watch our introductory video.

Health Security: Communication and Health Security: Improving Public Health Communication in Response to Large-Scale Health Threats   - The theme of the May/June 2018 issue of Health Security is "Communication and Health Security: Improving Public Health Communication in Response to Large-Scale Health Threats." The open-access issue features 5 articles and a commentary on communication in emergencies with implications for public health.

AJPH September 2017 Issue: The Evolution of Public Health Emergency Management   - The articles in this open access issue provide detailed accounts of preparedness in action, showcasing competencies in biosurveillance, incident management, community resilience, information management, countermeasures and mitigation, and surge management. These articles demonstrate how and why public health agencies, health care systems, and communities play a vital role in protecting and securing the nation's public health. (American Public Health Association (APHA))

Children in Disasters and Emergencies: Health Information Guide   - Compendium of disaster health resources related to medical & public health issues of children. (Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), SIS, NLM)

Communicating in a Crisis: Risk Communication Guidelines for Public Officials   - The guide provides public officials as well as others involved in disaster and emergency communications with information about effective communication, working with the media, using social media, and addressing errors and controlling rumors. (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), HHS)

Emerging Infectious Diseases Supplement Issue: Global Health Security   - This special supplement of Emerging Infectious Diseases on global health security presents an inventory of key efforts by CDC, in collaboration with many partners, to foster health security worldwide, especially by strengthening national public health core capacities. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Toolkit for Public Health and Pharmacies (2016)   - Report provides guidance and templates for state and territorial health agencies when establishing MOUs with pharmacies to support coordinated public health response to influenza pandemics and other vaccine-related emergencies. (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO))

National Response Framework, Fourth Edition   - The National Response Framework is a guide to how the Nation responds to all types of disasters and emergencies. It is built on scalable, flexible, and adaptable concepts identified in the National Incident Management System to align key roles and responsibilities across the Nation. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

National Toxicology Program Technical Report Series   - Reports describe studies designed and conducted to characterize and evaluate the toxicologic potential, including carcinogenic activity, of selected chemicals in laboratory animals (usually two species, rats and mice). (National Toxicology Program)

Preparedness Brief   - The Preparedness Brief provides updates and information from NACCHO’s public health preparedness portfolio which includes a range projects that influence preparedness policy with federal decision makers and develop practical solutions that help local health departments build resilient communities. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

Preparedness Index for Health Emergencies and Disasters   - A voluntary tool to be used by health sector authorities to measure progress in emergency and disaster preparedness with a multi-hazard approach and in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Framework for Emergency Preparedness. (Pan American Health Organization)

Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning   - Report creates national standards for public health preparedness capability-based planning and will assist state and local planners in identifying gaps in preparedness, determining the specific jurisdictional priorities, and developing plans for building and sustaining capabilities. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

SAVER Document Library   - The System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Document Library provides assessments and validations on equipment and systems for use by the emergency responder community. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS))

The Checklist on Law and Disaster Preparedness and Response   - The DPR Checklist provides a prioritized list of ten key questions that lawmakers, implementing officials, and those supporting them, such as National Societies, are recommended to consider in order to ensure that their laws provide the best support for DPR. It covers not only dedicated DRM laws but also other sectoral laws and regulations that are critical for managing essential functions such as institutional arrangements across different levels of government, finance and resource management, legal facilities and protection. (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies)

The use of evidence in decision making during public health emergencies   - This report is based upon a workshop (expert consultation) on 5–6 December 2018. The workshop sought to identify and address the links between scientific evidence and decision-making in public health emergencies, and to address the key challenges faced by public health experts when advising decision makers. (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC))

Topic Collection: Social Media in Emergency Response   - A collection of resources on using social media use by emergency managers to communicate with the public. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS)

CDC Email Updates   - Free email subscription service for CDC.gov users to receive notifications when new information is available. Users create a subscription profile to get updated information on items of interest. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

DISASTR-OUTREACH-LIB Discussion List   - This email discussion forum is for librarians, information specialists, and other professionals interested in disaster health information outreach to their communities. As a participant in this listserv, you can stay informed about current disaster-related resources, connect to colleagues in the field, engage in information exchange and learn about new ideas, trends, training opportunities, and conferences in the area of disaster health information. (National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH)

Disaster Dialogues: Perspectives from the Field   - Podcast focuses on interviews with people involved in public health preparedness and disaster planning. (National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH))

E-mail Updates   - Email alerts from CIDRAP (University of Minnesota, Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP))

Natural Disaster Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and Podcasts   - CDC PSAs and Podcasts provide timely messages about what you can do to protect yourself and your family during a natural disaster. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Radiation Event Medical Management (REMM) Email Updates   - Automated emails on content updates, new functionality, and bug fixes, sent about twice a year. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS))

Biosecurity and Disaster Preparedness   - Graduate-level programs in the field of Biosecurity & Disaster Preparedness, including a Master of Public Health degree and a certificate program in Biosecurity & Disaster Preparedness. (Saint Louis University, College for Public Health & Social Justice)

Biosecurity, National Security, and Medicine: A Guided Tour   - A recorded webinar presentation discusses biosecurity, national security, and threats to public health, including bioweapons and emerging infectious diseases. (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

Bioterrorism Training and Education   - Training materials for specific biological agents and for bioterrorism. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Caring for Older Adults in Disasters: A Curriculum for Health Professionals   - The overall objective of this curriculum is to enhance the care of older adults in disasters. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) Training   - The CDP identifies, develops, tests, and delivers training to state, local, and tribal emergency response providers. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

Center for Public Health Preparedness e-Learning Center   - Freely available online courses related to public health preparedness from the University of Albany School of Public Health. (State University of New York, University at Albany, School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Preparedness)

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive-related Trainings   - Online training modules to improve competency and capacity around weapons of mass destruction. (Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health)

Columbia Regional Learning Center Online Public Health Videos and Webinars   - A series of videos and pre-recorded webinars on public health preparedness and emergency response. (Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health)

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Course Resources   - Resources for Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) to learn about risk communication, crisis communication, and issues management. It is intended for anyone who works in emergency response at the local, state, or federal level. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Cultural Competency Program for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response   - An e-learning program designed to equip disaster and emergency personnel with knowledge and skills to serve all individuals, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. (Office of Minority Health (OMH), HHS)

DTAC Webinars and Podcasts   - The Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC) offers webinars and podcasts that address mental health and substance use (behavioral health) responses to disasters. (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), HHS)

Disaster Health Core Curriculum   - The course consists of eleven, 30-minute to one-hour online training lessons covering a variety of disaster health topics such as personal or family preparedness, communication, ethical and legal issues encountered in disasters, and much more. (National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH))

Disaster Information Specialist Program   - The Disaster Information Specialist Program is a collaborative effort to explore and promote the role of information specialists in the provision of disaster-related information resources to the workforce and communities. (Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), SIS, NLM)

Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER)   - EHTER helps environmental health professionals and other emergency response personnel address the environmental health impacts of emergencies and disasters. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Graduate Certificate in Humanitarian Emergencies   - This unique program offers a series of trainings and practical opportunities to develop a cadre of skilled experts who can respond to public health humanitarian emergencies. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Health Information Resources for CBRNE   - This self-paced, online course provides an overview of the concepts of CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives), and the types of health-related information that support planning, response, and recovery in CBRNE incidents. (Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), SIS, NLM)

Just In Time Disaster Training Library   - Online library of videos that cover disaster-related mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery training for a wide variety areas. (Disaster Resistant Communities Group)

Legal Aspects of Public Health Emergency Preparedness   - Online course is intended as an overview and introduction to public health law in emergency preparedness. It raises questions to consider in the planning and delivery of public health or healthcare services in large scale emergencies, across different jurisdictions. (University of Washington)

National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program (NBBTP)   - NBBTP offers fellowships, certificate programs, and professional development courses to receive professional training in biosafety and biocontainment. (Division of Occupational Health and Safety (DOHS), NIH)

National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health   - The Center serves the U.S. Government as an academic home for the development and dissemination of core skills, knowledge and abilities, and for research on education and training strategies in the fields of disaster medicine and public health. (Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS))

National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Online and Face to Face Training   - Source for free, competency based online public health courses, training materials and resources offered by Columbia University. (Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health)

OpenWHO   - OpenWHO is WHO's interactive, web-based platform that offers online courses to people preparing to work in epidemics, pandemics and health emergencies or already doing so. (World Health Organization (WHO))

Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC)   - Core competency-based training to state, local, and tribal public health authorities in the area of public health preparedness and response. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC) Training Catalog   - The PERLC Training Catalog features online training and other learning materials to help public health professionals and their partners prepare for and respond to emergencies. They mostly consist of online courses, as well as some exercises, toolkits and guides. (University of Washington)

Public Health Emergency Law Online Training   - The Public Health Emergency Law Online Training consists of three competency-based units and covers legal issues to consider before, during, and after public health emergencies. Each interactive unit takes about 40 minutes to complete. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Public health interventions in the pandemics and epidemics   - An introductory online course to introduce 21st century trends that have increased disease outbreaks and their amplification into epidemics and pandemics and public health interventions to combat them. Course covers risk communication, flu preparedness planning, global vaccine stockpile, GIS data in epidemic management, surveillance using lab networks, and use of Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR). (World Health Organization (WHO))

Responding to Chemical and Radiological Disasters - A Self-Paced Training Course   - Interactive CD training tool targeted at public health and health care professionals. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

Risk communication essentials   - This free, five-module course describes risk communication and identifies key elements, policies, strategies, message development, and provides exercises that can be used to test risk communication preparedness. (World Health Organization (WHO))

Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium   - The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium, led by The Center for Rural Development, is a DHS funded program providing training and resources to rural first responders. (The Center for Rural Development)

Social Media Analysis During Disasters   - The purpose of this course is to help you develop and implement a plan that will help you effectively monitor and analyze disaster information on social media. (Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC), SIS, NLM)

Terrorism, Preparedness, and Public Health: An Introduction   - A Web-based tutorial addressing the public health role in emergency response for a range of potential emergencies. (State University of New York, University at Albany, School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Preparedness)

Training Courses Related to Disaster Health Information   - A collection of resources on free training and education for professionals interested in identifying, using, and sharing disaster health information. Courses listed at the basic and advanced level, and continuing education opportunities, along with links to additional courses. (Medical Library Association)

UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Public Health Preparedness Training   - Free online training on bioterrorism, natural disasters, responder health, crisis communication, and vulnerable populations in disasters. (University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health)

University at Albany Center for Public Health Preparedness   - The University at Albany Center for Public Health Preparedness uses its monthly Grand Rounds satellite broadcasts, webstreaming and online courses to improve the capacity of the public health workforce to respond to current and emerging public health threats with a focus on bioterrorism and infectious disease outbreaks. (State University of New York, University at Albany, School of Public Health)

University of Pittsburgh Center for Public Health Preparedness (UPCPHP)   - The University of Pittsburgh Center for Public Health Preparedness (UPCPHP) trains public health professionals, including professionals in related organizations, to respond to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks, and other public health threats and emergencies. (University of Pittsburgh)

Webcast: Ethics in the Age of Bioterrorism   - This collaborative program sponsored by the University of South Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness and presented by the University at Albany Center for Public Health Preparedness, discusses the ethical complexities which public health, medical and other professionals face if and when a terrorist attack or public health crises occur, and how best to prepare and respond under anxiety filled and emergency conditions. (State University of New York, University at Albany, School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Preparedness)

Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) Research Centers of Excellence (U54 Clinical Trial Optional)   - The mission of the CounterACT program is to foster and support research and development of new and improved therapeutics for chemical threats. Chemical threats are toxic chemicals that could be used in a terrorist attack or accidentally released from industrial production, storage or shipping. They include traditional chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical-based agents, and pesticides. (National Institutes of Health (NIH), HHS)

DRIVe (Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures)   - DRIVe is working to accelerate the development and availability of transformative technologies and approaches to protect Americans health security threats. (Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), HHS)

Global Health Security Partner Enhancement : Expanding Efforts to Improve Surveillance and Laboratory Data Interoperability   - The U.S. government’s (USG) Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) envisions a world safe and secure from global health threats posed by infectious diseases, and the current Ebola epidemic in West Africa further underscores the economic and humanitarian impacts of infectious diseases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to help Ministries of Health meet key International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) requirements through implementation of the GHSA. CDC seeks to work with partner countries and other USG agencies in a collaborative effort to achieve specific goals in three focus areas: 1) Preventing avoidable epidemics 2) Detecting threats early 3) Responding rapidly and effectively (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP)   - Competitive grants and cooperative agreements to improve surge capacity and enhance community and hospital preparedness for public health emergencies. (Assistant Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, HHS)

NACCHO's Medical Reserve Corps Awards   - Funding opportunities to address a community's local needs and interests in public health activities and/or emergency response. (National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO))

Preparedness (Non-Disaster) Grants   - FEMA provides state and local governments with preparedness program funding in the form of Preparedness (non-disaster) Grants to enhance the capacity of state and local emergency responders to prevent, respond to, and recover from a weapons of mass destruction terrorism incident involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and other explosive devices, and cyber-attacks. (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), DHS)

Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreements   - (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS)

Legal Liability Protections for Emergency Medical/Public Health Responses   - This table highlights those potential liability protections for individuals, including healthcare workers, volunteers and private sector employees, and entities, including government agencies, hospitals or healthcare facilities, non-profit organizations and for-profit organizations. (Network for Public Health Law)

Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 (PAHPAIA)   - Act reauthorizes and modifies programs related to public health emergency preparedness and response. (Government Publishing Office)

Public Health Emergency Law Tools   - Toolkits that address the key information needs of public health officials in understanding and using legal authorities to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies. (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO))

Tribal Legal Preparedness Project   - The Tribal Legal Preparedness Project (TLPP) has been established to assist Tribal Nations interested in expanding their legal preparedness capacity in order to enhance public health preparedness. (University of Pittsburgh)