Emergency Preparedness & Response
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Emergency Preparedness
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What is the Emergency Respose staff doing?
What we are doing
The mission of the McHenry County Department of Health is to protect the health and safety of McHenry County residents. Although our strategies to accomplish this may change slightly during an emergency, our goal remains the same. MCDH and our community and regional partners have coordinated planning, communication, and outreach for emergency response to any hazard that could pose a public health threat. The general public is also a key partner; we will all need to work together during a disaster.
We are planning
The McHenry County Department of Health has a plan in place that is adaptable to the public health emergencies and disasters that pose the greatest risk to our citizens. Because we do not know exactly what events may occur during a disaster, our plan takes an “All-Hazards” approach allowing us to quickly react to unfolding events. This type of plan is crucial for a coordinated response and reduces confusion by having a consistent set of core responses within the agency.
MCDH adheres to the National Incident Management (NIMS) system, which provides a consistent framework for incident management. The MCDH Emergency Response Plan is a part of the overall McHenry County Disaster Plan, which is coordinated by the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency.
The MCDH Emergency Response Plan is an evolving document and we are constantly making improvements to it. As new information becomes available and as new threats emerge, we incorporate them into our plan. Included in our plan are annexes for:
Pandemic Influenza - due to the contagious nature of influenza, implementation of disease control measures such as quarantine, isolation, and restriction of movement are vital to stopping or minimizing the spread of disease. Additional information can be found under the Influenza link.
Medication Distribution - MCDH has been designated the lead agency responsible for requesting, managing, and distributing preventive medications during a large-scale natural or man-made public health emergency. If a public health emergency is great enough to deplete local supplies, MCDH may request medications from the Illinois Pharmaceutical Stockpile (IPS) and/or The Strategic Nation Stockpile (SNS). The state would then deliver the medications and supplies to a predetermined and undisclosed site within McHenry County. The dispensing process may take place in phases. First responders and critical infrastructure personnel may need to be protected first in order to maintain essential government functions. Based on disease surveillance data, MCDH would open Points of Dispensing (POD) at sites throughout the County. (Click here to see a list of POD Facts)
Mass Vaccinations - the primary goal of the Mass Vaccination plan is to provide vaccinations to County residents as is necessary in order to mitigate the potential impacts of infectious biological agents. This plan also serves to minimize the spread of naturally occurring communicable diseases through the use of mass immunization in timely, safe, and efficient manner.
We are training and exercising
MCDH regularly trains and exercises in order to prepare and improve our response. Because the Health Department will operate differently in an emergency than it does on a day to day basis, specific training has been developed to teach MCDH staff the new roles they may need to fulfill during emergencies. Additionally, a variety of other trainings are presented to MCDH staff and MRC volunteers in order to keep them up-to-date on preparedness issues.
It is important to us that the plans we put on paper are plans that can be executed if they are needed. That is why we conduct regularly scheduled exercises to test various aspects of our emergency response plans. An exercise format can vary in scope from “tabletop” discussions to “boots on the ground” full-scale events. Depending on the type of exercise, MCDH staff, MRC volunteers, or other critical response partners may be involved.
MCDH exercises are compliant with the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), a national standard for all exercises. This program helps MCDH analyze our response capabilities by using exercises to identify and correct areas needing improvement.
We are educating
It is important to understand what may happen during a public health emergency. MCDH is dedicated to educating our staff, volunteers and the community about preparing for these issues. Education is especially essential during an event; MCDH keeps up-to-date information and guidance available to stakeholders throughout the County.
MCDH offers training and presentations on public health preparedness topics, tailored to the organization’s specific needs. If you are interested in scheduling a presentation or having a member of our team exhibit at a company health fair, please call the Health Department at 815-334-4510. Past copies of our Emergency Preparedness Newsletters can be found in the News and Events section of this website. Additional emergency preparedness training is offered at no cost through the Federal Emergency Management Agency; visit their website to see a list of these online courses.
We are recruiting
In a large scale disaster, volunteers will be needed to assist the Health Department in our response activities. The McHenry County Department of Health is actively recruiting those who are willing to help. Medical and non-medical volunteers are being trained to enhance local preparedness. Visit the Volunteer! (MRC) section of this website if you are interested in signing up!
