Emergency Preparedness
What is a public health emergency?
Many emergency events have the potential to impact public and environmental health.
The emergency may create conditions that can cause injury, such as frost bite from a winter storm. Or the emergency may disrupt access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene that can expose people to illness from infectious diseases.
A public health emergency can be naturally occurring like in the case of an influenza pandemic. Or it can be an intentional human-caused event like an act of bioterrorism.
A public health emergency can also range in size and scope. It can impact a single community or a specific population within a community. Or it can occur across multiple communities, many states, or globally.
What is my community doing to prepare?
Local communities prepare for a range of emergencies from fires and natural disasters to infectious disease outbreaks.
The Board of Health in your community has an important role in emergency preparedness.
The Board of Health works with local emergency responders to identify the public health and environmental health impacts of an emergency. Together they develop plans to respond to the emergency and they conduct drills and exercises to practice how they will respond.
Boards of health in our region also collaborate to prepare for public health emergencies that may affect multiple communities. Visit the Region 4AB Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coalition website for more information.
One example of how your community prepares for a public health emergency is an Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS). An EDS may be opened in the community to dispense emergency medication or administer vaccines during a public health emergency.
Who is at risk during a public health emergency?
An emergency does not impact all people equally. Some people may be at higher risk for illness because of where they live or what they do for work.
Other people may be disproportionately impacted because of factors like their socioeconomic status. The Board of Health works to bring together community agencies to address health inequities in the community.
What can I do to prepare?
Preparing for an emergency must involve everyone in the community – including you.
Sometimes we will know in advance that an emergency may occur. For example, winter storms, hurricanes, and nor’easters usually come with a warning. With time to prepare, we can secure a three-day supply of food and water and gather first aid supplies and flashlights.
Stock up at the store or local food pantries with non-perishable food and extra water. There are three food pantries in our area:
- Bedford – Bedford Food Pantry
- Concord – Open Table First Parish
- Sudbury – Sudbury Food Pantry
An emergency can also occur without notice, such as an act of violence or a fire. That is why it is important to develop a personal or family emergency plan.
Write down phone numbers and email addresses for everyone in your household, as well as an out-of-town contact. In an emergency, it can be easier to place a long-distance call than one across town because local phone lines can be jammed.
Decide where you and your household or family can go for protection and to reunite. Make sure the location is accessible for household members with access and functional needs and is animal friendly if you have pets or service animals.
For more information on emergency communications plans, see Ready.gov's Make a Plan.