The Office of Public Health Preparedness is responsible to support all our local response organizations such as law enforcement, fire departments, emergency medical services, news media, and health care facilities to plan, train, and be ready for a variety of public health and emergency situations.

Events such as communicable disease outbreaks, food and water-borne illnesses, natural disasters, as well as terrorist acts may require a community response.  In such cases, it may be necessary to order large quantities of emergency lifesaving medicines and supplies that The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has in reserve. This reserve supply is referred to as the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)- What SNS means to you.

To distribute the medication in the SNS medication dispensing centers (also known as Points for Dispensing or PODs) may be set up where residents can get emergency vaccinations or medications- Medication Dispensing Fact Sheet