Jackson County Public Health Emergency Preparedness plays a crucial role in the health and safety of communities in Eastern Jackson County in preparing for, responding to, and mitigating public health disasters.
Emergency Preparedness team partners with local agencies to strengthen our community’s ability to respond to a range of public health emergencies- including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, and nuclear events.
Our goal is to coordinate, plan, and communicate with the community to build more resilient communities which are prepared to handle and rapidly recover from threats that affect the health of the public.
What is a Public Health Emergency?
The National Disaster Medical System defines a public health emergency as an emergency need for health care services in response to a disaster, significant outbreak of an infectious disease, bio-terrorism attack, or other significant or catastrophic event.
Examples of Public Health Emergencies
Recent hurricanes such as: Florence, Harvey & Irma
The 2016-2017 Zika Virus outbreak
2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa
2011 Joplin tornado
Bioterrorism attack
Infectious Disease/ Pandemic
Emergency Management NIXLE
NIXLE keeps residents up-to-date with relevant information from your local public safety departments and schools.
Stay in the know. Sign up for emergency alerts and follow the instructions on their website.
Jackson County Public Health Emergency Managements role in an emergency could consist of:
- Providing lifesaving medications during a pandemic or biological terrorism incident -
- Community recovery -
- Release of emergency information and warnings -
- Monitoring of disease and disease outbreaks -
Family Preparedness
In 2015, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conducted a study that found that 60% of American adults have not practiced their at-home disaster plan and that only 39% of respondents have even developed an at-home emergency plan.
It’s not every day that we think about preparing our families or homes for an emergency. Sometimes, we don’t even know where to start. That’s where we come in – follow the links below to learn more about what you can do be prepared in disaster situations.
Severe Weather
By the time severe weather hits, it could already be too late. Disaster preparedness is about having an established safety plan in place. Whether it’s preparedness for floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or fires, the key to survival in disasters is planning.
How to Get Involved:
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to take an active role in emergency preparedness for you and your community. Without volunteers, public health emergency preparedness programs would struggle to fulfill their purpose. We rely on volunteers with a variety of skillsets, and healthcare experience is not required.
Volunteer Opportunities in Jackson County:
1. Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
MRC of Greater Kansas City is made up of medical, health, dental, mental health and other skilled professionals trained to assist during public health emergencies. https://www.mrckc.org/
2. Public Health Emergency Volunteer (PHEV) Network
PHEV Network works with established community volunteer
units that assist in responding to public health emergencies. The
Network has created a system to attract, train and activate these
groups. https://www.kscri.org/volunteer.html or https://www.publichealth.org/volunteering/
3. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Programs
CERT Program educates people about disaster preparedness and
trains them in basic disaster response skills. http://kcmo.gov/oem/community-emergency-response-training/
4. Show-Me Response
Show-Me Response is a Missouri based volunteer credentialing system allowing local agencies to access licensed or non-licensed, vetted volunteers during an emergency situation. To register, visit: https://www.showmeresponse.org/index.php
5. Truman Medical Center (TMC) Volunteer Program
TMC volunteer program– allows individuals to volunteer in a hospital setting for licensed and unlicensed positions. TMC volunteers are directly accessible to Jackson County Health Department to assist in emergency operations and response. https://www.trumed.org/about-us/volunteer-opportunities/
