Public Health Preparedness

The Lawrence County Health Department plays an important role in the preparation and response to disasters, including preventing the spread of disease, protecting against environmental public health hazards, preventing injuries, assisting communities in recovery from natural disasters and disease outbreaks, and assuring the quality and accessibility of health and health care services following a disaster.   Disasters can include natural disasters (such as floods, earthquakes, tornados, severe weather) manmade or technological disasters (bridge collapse, nuclear accidents, chemical spills, etc) and terrorism (biological terrorism, chemical terrorism, bombings, etc).  Plans for responding to emergencies are critical to being prepared for effective public health action during disasters and similar emergency events and for building community resilience over time.

Lawrence County Health Department is a recipient of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Grant (PHEP Grant) for Lawrence County, which provides funds for agency emergency planning. Additionally, the grant makes it possible for the health district to partner and plan with other area agencies, such as the Lawrence County EMA, Regional Healthcare Coalition and community partners..  The PHEP grant also allows  our agency to collaborate with neighboring local public health agencies in the region to coordinate planning, response, and training to ensure our agency is prepared to respond to disasters that may occur in our county or state.

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Lawrence County Health Department Emergency Response Base Plan