Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Public health emergency preparedness is the capability of public health agencies and health care systems, communities, and individuals, to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from public health emergencies. Public healtlh emergency preparedness focuses on events whose scale, timing, or unpredictability threatens to overwhelm routine capacity.
Idaho takes an all-hazards approach to emergency preparedness – developing capabilities that are suitable to use during a variety of emergency situations. Some emergencies, however, have the potential to be so severe and far-reaching that specific preparedness information is required. DHW’s website, PANFLUidaho.gov, provides public health preparedness information for an influenza pandemic. Information for specific public health threats can be found on the Get Prepared page of this site.
Who Need’s This Website?
This website provides practical up-to-date public health preparedness information for all Idahoans, including individuals, families, children, businesses, schools and communities, and special populations. READYidaho.org also provides information on local, State, and Federal resources, specific public health threats, and training opportunities.
I Want to Volunteer!
If you are interested in becoming a public health emergency preparedness volunteer, please visit Volunteer Idaho. The site provides an easy way for health and non-health professionals to register to help their communities during public health emergencies.
READYidaho was created by the Health Preparedness Program at the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) to promote health preparedness for all-hazard emergencies in Idaho. Being prepared at the individual, family, and community levels for public health emergencies is everyone's responsibility and vitally important to protect the health and safety of our families and fellow citizens.