Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Public Health Emergency Preparedness activities are designed to ensure the Health Department can respond quickly and effectively to a wide variety of public health threats. Planning efforts address situations such as:

• Pandemic influenza outbreaks
• Natural disasters (tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.)
• Industrial accidents
• Possible terrorist incidents

Through a federal grant, the Tipton County Health Department provides training for staff, builds strong partnerships with local public safety agencies, educates the community, and develops response plans tailored to protect Tipton County residents.

Community Education

Education is one of the most important aspects of preparedness. If your organization, workplace, or community group would benefit from learning more about potential public health threats and how to prepare, please contact the Health Department to discuss scheduling a presentation.

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers play a vital role in preparedness and response. During a public health emergency, the Health Department may establish Point of Dispensing (POD) clinics to provide medications or vaccines (prophylaxis) to the community.

We rely on both medical and non-medical volunteers to make these clinics successful:

• Medical volunteers assist with patient care and the distribution of vaccines or medication.
• Non-medical volunteers support clinic setup, record keeping, supply management, crowd flow, and many other essential tasks.

Volunteers are asked to:

• Participate in two call-down drills each year (to verify contact information and availability).
• Take part in full-scale training exercises when possible.

If you are interested in serving your community as a volunteer, please download and complete the form found here: Volunteer Registration Form. Completed forms can be emailed to Chuck Bell at cbell@tiptoncounty.in.gov or returned in person/by mail to the Tipton County Health Department, Attention: Chuck Bell.