How We Stay Prepared

Emergency Preparedness

Monitoring health status to identify community health problems

The local health department is constantly monitoring school absences in an attempt to determine a food borne outbreak or a disease outbreak such as influenza. When a spike in absences is noted the local health department makes contact with the school involved to give guidance.

 

The health department is also required to have drills annually to see how quickly they could dispense medications to the population should a bioterrorist event or pandemic influenza occur. The health department had a drill on 11-10-06 at Deland Weldon High School and gave flu shots as a drive by clinic. Utilizing a drive by clinic also helps prevent the spread of disease to the population and the health department staff. The local health department relies on the population of each county to attend these clinics or drills, so the staff can prepare for a real event should one occur. The staff gave 120 flu vaccines the first hour they were open.

 

The local health department currently monitors what is happening in the world regarding different disease outbreaks. The information comes from the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. If an outbreak was occurring in the United States the citizens of DeWitt and Piatt Counties would have to rely on themselves until medications could be delivered to the health department. Each citizen should have an emergency kit with at least a 3 day supply of medications, water, food, and supplies for pets as well. There would be messages given on the radio, this website, and TV about evacuation, sheltering in place (where you are at that time), and when and where medications would be dispensed. Please use the Planning Guidance and Checklists by the CDC to help you prepare.

 

The local health department currently monitors what is happening in the world regarding different disease outbreaks. The information comes from the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. If an outbreak was occurring in the United States the citizens of DeWitt and Piatt Counties would have to rely on themselves until medications could be delivered to the health department.