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Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch

Overview

The National Center for Environmental Health's Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch (EPRB) coordinates the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) emergency preparedness and response activities.
24-Hour Emergency Telephone
(770) 488-7100

EPRB Main Functions
EPRB Emergency Assistance
EPRB Commitment
CDC's Resources and Services Available During Emergencies
EPRB Experiences
Preparedness Assessments for Emergencies
Disaster Epidemiology
Weather Emergency Tips
Well Water Information
More Information

EPRB Main Functions

  • Providing assistance to local, state, and federal agencies in planning their public health-related responses to emergency situations.
  • Responding to requests for public health emergency response and recovery assistance after technologic and natural disasters.

EPRB Emergency Assistance may include

  • Conducting a preliminary human health assessment of the situation either by telephone or by sending an emergency response coordinator to the affected site.
  • Developing a strategy for dealing with the public health aspects of an emergency.
  • Collaborating with local health agencies to set up programs to manage the recovery process.
  • Coordinating CDC's activities with those of local, state, and other federal agencies that are responding to the emergency.
  • Continually monitoring the emergency response and recovery efforts to ensure that resources and personnel are used at their maximum effectiveness and capacity.
  • Determining when protection, treatment, and prevention objectives are achieved.

EPRB is Committed to Respond

  • Within 10 minutes of receiving a call for assistanceAn emergency response coordinator will contact the person initiating the request. The coordinator will obtain full details of the emergency situation and contact the staff at CDC who can best respond.
  • Within 20 minutes of receiving a call for assistanceA preliminary assessment team will be available by phone for consultation. Depending on the situation, the team members may include toxicologists, chemists, physicians, environmental health scientists, or health physicists. The team can be expanded to include CDC experts from other disciplines and specialties, as the situation dictates.
  • Within 8 hours of receiving a call for assistanceAn emergency response coordinator and other team members can be on site, if immediate on-scene response is required.

CDC's Resources and Services Available During Emergencies

  • Consultation and advice on public health matters.
  • Support of the local public health response.
  • Protocols for environmental and biologic tests and assistance in collecting appropriate environmental and biologic specimens.
  • Laboratory tests to identify any chemical or biologic contaminants that may have been released during the emergency and assistance in identifying the sources of the contamination.
  • Identification of populations at risk for adverse health effects.
  • Surveillance programs at health-care delivery locations.
  • Advice on ways to protecting the health of emergency workers and clean-up personnel.
  • Protocols for infectious and vector-borne disease control.
  • Postdisaster environmental and public health consequence assessments.

EPRB Experiences

  • Hurricane Floyd (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida)
  • Hurricane Georges (Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Gulf States
  • Hurricane Bonnie (North Carolina)
  • Hurricane Opal (Florida)
  • Hurricane Iniki (Hawaii)
  • Hurricane Andrew (Florida, Louisiana)
  • Northridge Earthquake (Los Angeles)
  • Oklahoma City Bombing
  • Midwest Floods (Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska)
  • Southeast Floods (Alabama, Florida, Georgia)
  • Red River Flood (Grand Forks, North Dakota)
  • Centennial Olympic Games (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Anthrax Letter Incidents (22 States)

Preparedness Assessments for Emergencies

CDC, along with other agencies, participates in a wide range of planning and emergency preparedness activities to ensure that we are always ready to respond to any emergency.

For Further Information:
(770) 488-7100
Contact NCEH

24-Hour Emergency Telephone
(770) 488-7100

For planning or consultations during normal business hours (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Eastern Time)
Telephone:
(770) 488-7100
Fax: (770) 488-7107

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This page last reviewed September 23, 2003

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