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Public Health Preparedness

The Public Health Preparedness (PHP) Program at the Lafayette County Health Department was designed to facilitate regional bioterrorism and public health preparedness planning and training efforts. This program functions as part of the North Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force (NFRDSTF), which is comprised of a 13-county region that stretches from Liberty and Franklin counties on the west side and extends to Columbia County on the east side. The NFRDSTF is one of Florida’s seven regional task forces developed by Governor Jeb Bush after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The PHP Coordinator serves as the planning and training liaison between the health department and other county emergency response agencies. The coordinator assists the health department in preparing for the possible effects of a manmade or naturally occurring disaster, such as hurricanes, influenza pandemics, and bio-terrorism events.

The PHP Coordinator conducts annual reviews of the emergency and contingency plans for the health department and makes revisions, as needed. The coordinator also arranges training for health department staff on the Incident Command System, Weapons of Mass Destruction and Epidemiology trainings.

In addition to training classes, the coordinator regularly conducts training exercises to test the viability of the health department's plans. These training exercises are often "full-scale" and are designed to be as realistic as possible. They require participation by health department staff and the staffs of other emergency response agencies. The goal of these exercises is to give Lafayette County's emergency response agencies the chance to practice and build confidence in their ability to protect the citizens of Lafayette County during a disaster event.

The Lafayette County Health Department coordinates with Lafayette County Emergency Management in the area of Special Needs clients. The health department maintains the Special Needs Shelter plan and assists with screening client records to determine medical suitability for shelter entrance.

The Lafayette County Health Department is responsible for managing all health and medical resources within Lafayette County during emergency situations. The health department serves as the Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF 8) Health and Medical Services primary agency in Lafayette County. The responsibilities of the ESF 8 agency are outlined in the Lafayette County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. For more information about the PHP program visit the Community Preparedness website.

For more information ont he PHP Program at LCHD contact:
Paula Anderson, Public Health Preparedness Coordinator
Cell phone number: (850) 606-8169