Public Health Preparedness

The Public Health Preparedness (PHP) Program at the Suwannee 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 to Columbia Counties. The NFRDSTF is one of Florida's seven regional task forces developed by Governor Jeb Bush after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Suwannee County Health Department employs a PHP County Coordinator, who also works in Lafayette and Taylor counties. This PHP County Coordinator serves as the planning and training liaison between the health department and other county emergency response agencies. The PHP County Coordinator's job is to assist the health department in preparing for the possible effects of a manmade or naturally occurring disaster event.

The PHP program conducts annual reviews of the emergency and contingency plans for the health department and makes revision to ensure feasibility. The program also trains health department staff on critical issues such as: Incident Command System (ICS), Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and Epidemiology (the study of diseases and the origins).

In addition to training classes, the program regularly conducts training exercises to test the viability of the health department's plans. These training exercises are often "full-scale" and they 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 Suwannee County's emergency response agencies the chance to practice and build confidence in their ability to protect the citizens of Suwannee County during a disaster event. For more information on the PHP Program, visit the Public Health Preparedness Web site