Public Health Preparedness

The Athens City-County Health Department is preparing for emergencies.

We Are Planning

Athens County has an all-hazards emergency response plan in place. It is modeled after the National Response Plan authored by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Our All-Hazards Emergency Response plan uses the National Incident Management System (NIMS), a chain of command system, which provides a consistent framework for incident management at all jurisdictional levels, regardless of the cause, size, or complexity of the incident. Detailed annexes to our general plan are being developed to address specific incidents that may occur

We Are Practicing

To assure readiness, the Health Department has engaged in a rigorous training plan. Once trained, staff and community volunteers are required to participate in drills and exercises. One such exercise was the January 2006 Athens County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Functional Exercise, which tested the Department’s ability to respond in conjunction with other county emergency first responders. The Health Department participates with the Ohio Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Homeland Security, and other agencies to test their systems during an event.

We Are Training

Operations of the Health Department during an emergency will be different than normal. The exact changes depend upon the type of emergency. Specific training has been developed and utilized to teach people the new roles they may need to fulfill during emergencies. The Health Department is continually working to train staff, Athens Health Reserve Corps volunteers and Medical Reserve Corps volunteers in the most up to date information on how to respond during a biological emergency.

Contact Jeremy Phillips if you are interested in the Athens Health Reserve Corps, Medical Reserve Corps or volunteer training.

We Are Recruiting

In a large-scale emergency, volunteers may be needed to assist the Department in help keeping Athens County safe and healthy. The Athens County Health Reserve Corps and Athens County Medical Reserve Corps is enrolling those willing to help. Medical and non-medical volunteers are needed.