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Emergency Preparedness

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www.doh.wa.gov
a healthy dose of
information

The information on this Web page is intended for the general public. Additional information for local health agencies and healthcare providers may be found at: Public Health and Healthcare Professionals.

In the news

Washington grades well for emergency preparedness: Trust for America's Health gave Washington 8 of 10 points in its 6th annual evaluation of state readiness. Find out more.

Emergency Resource Guide 2008: Our Emergency Resource Guide has been expanded and revised and is now available for download from this site or in print from the state Department of Printing's General Store Web site. Find out more.

WAHVE: This online registration system will allow medical professionals to volunteer their services during emergencies that occur in counties or states outside of their own. Find out more.

Older Americans and people with disabilities: The Department of Homeland Security in collaboration with the American Red Cross and the National Organization on Disability have developed new emergency preparedness brochures for older Americans and those with disabilities.

Prepare.org: A Web site from the American Red Cross and other community organizations that provides information on preparedness for emergencies of all kinds.

Kids and Emergency Preparedness: An interactive Web site from the Department of Homeland Security gives kids a chance to understand and take part in family emergency planning activities. Visit Ready Kids.

Frequently asked questions about bioterrorism
Answers to questions such as "What is being done about bioterrorism?", "What can I do to prepare for a possible bioterrorist event?", "Should I stock up on paper masks and antibiotics?" and more.

Some files on this site require free readers. Download a reader.
 

What you can do to prepare for a public health emergency

Links to external resources are provided as a public service and do not imply endorsement by the Washington State Department of Health. Many of these resources are also available in Spanish.

Fact sheets and links to useful Web sites (A - Z)

• 9-1-1 emergency calling: How to use it correctly – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Anthrax – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Anthrax, distinguishing it from the flu – Q & A on the Web from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Are you ready? – a guide to preparing for and responding to disasters on the Web from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

• Bomb threats – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Botulism
  In other languages

• Brucellosis – fact sheet

• Business preparedness – fact sheet

• Carbon monoxide poisoning – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Chemical warfare agents – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Children, helping them after a disaster – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Children, terrorism and disasters – on the Web from the American Academy of Pediatrics

• Contact card – Out-of-area emergency contact information

• Disabilities and preparedness

  • Deaf and hard of hearing – fact sheet
    In other languages

  • Mobility disabilities – fact sheet
    In other languages

  • Special medical needs – fact sheet
    In other languages

  • Visual disabilities – fact sheet
    In other languages

  • National Organization on Disability -- Disaster readiness tips for people with disabilities

  • Disability brochure at Ready America -- Department of Homeland Security Web site

• E. coli – fact sheet

• Earthquakes – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Emergency supplies checklist
  In other languages

• Fires in the home – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Floods – fact sheet
  In other languages

  • Cleaning your basement after a flood -- fact sheet
    In other languages

• Food, keeping it safe during power outages – fact sheet

• Generators, how to use during a power outage – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Germs, prevent their spread – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Glanders -- fact sheet

• Hantavirus – fact sheet

• Home and family preparedness  – from the American Red Cross

• Hot weather precautions – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Household preparedness – fact sheet

• Hypothermia -- fact sheet
  In other languages

• Landslides and mud flows – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Mail safety – on the Web from the United States Postal Service

• Medication distribution during emergencies – fact sheet

• Mental health and traumatic stress – Tips for talking about disasters, mental health services locator, managing anxiety. On the Web from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration

• Methamphetamine labs – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Pneumonic Plague – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Pandemic flu – fact sheet

• Poison – fact sheet about accidental poisoning and Washington State's Poison Control Center
  In other languages

• Power outages – fact sheet
  In other languages
  See also Keeping food safe after a power outage fact sheet

• Protect your pets – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Psychological and emotional needs during and after emergencies – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Radioactive materials – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Radiation protection – fact sheets from the Washington State Department of Health's Office of Radiation Protection:

  • What you should know if there is an attack involving radiation (PDF, 35 K)

  • How to reduce exposure to radiation (PDF, 35 K)

  • Surviving a dirty bomb (PDF, 35 K)

• Sewage spills – cleaning up an indoor sewage spill – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Shelter-in-place – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Smallpox – fact sheet

• Seniors and preparedness  – Department of Homeland Security brochure

• Special needs -- links to sites providing information about disaster preparedness and those with special needs -- on the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration Web site. Also see our fact sheet for those with special medical needs.

• Terrorism – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Terrorism preparedness -- at Ready.gov, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's preparedness Web site

• Tsunamis – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Tsunami resources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tsunami information

• Tularemia – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Utilities, how to turn off – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Vehicle preparedness – Supplies to carry in your vehicle and driving tips for difficult conditions

• Volcanoes – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Viral hemorrhagic fevers -- fact sheet
  In other languages

• Water, safe to drink – Frequently Asked Questions on the Web from the Environmental Protection Agency

• Water, how to purify – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Water – alternative sources in an emergency – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Water heaters, how to secure – fact sheet
  In other languages

• West Nile virus – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Wildfires - fact sheet

• Windstorms – fact sheet
  In other languages

• Winter storms – fact sheet
  In other languages
  See also Hypothermia fact sheet
  

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Public Information Telephone Hotlines

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What public health is doing in Washington State
 

• Washington's Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response program overview (under revision)

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Links to other agencies and organizations

Other Department of Health Offices

• Emergency Medical and Trauma Prevention – Information for Emergency Responders

National:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Bioterrorism site
• Office of Homeland Security – Alert status and federal anti-terrorism activities

Washington State:

• State Emergency Resources
  
• Emergency Management Division – Washington's lead state emergency preparedness agency
• Office of the Governor
• Washington State Patrol
• Washington State Board of Health: Emergency Powers information
• Washington Poison Center toll-free from anywhere in the nation: 
  1-800-222-1222
  The only number you need to reach the Washington Poison Center or any poison center across the nation.

Local:

• Local Health Departments/Districts in Washington State – Links to their Web pages
• Public Health - Seattle & King County – Bioterrorism information pages and disaster preparedness fact sheets

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To report illnesses or suspicious packages or substances

Report suspicious packages or substances
by calling your local law enforcement agency at 911. -- First responders or healthcare providers contact your local health department.

Report illnesses
to your local health department.

If your local health department is unavailable
contact the Washington State Department of Health at: 1-877-539-4344.

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Last Update : 06/26/2009 01:35 PM
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