Emergency Preparedness

Sacramento County Public Health has the overall responsibility of protecting the public's health in an emergency. In order to protect your health, we have developed comprehensive emergency response plans in coordination with local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private health care providers and the American Red Cross.

Public Health Emergency Preparedness works to:

Prepare and plan for public health emergencies with community partners and agencies with whom we respond
Coordinate with epidemiology regarding surveillance of disease within the county to ensure early detection of outbreaks
Plan for social distancing measures such as isolation, quarantine, and the closing of venues to decrease the spread of disease
Plan for dissemination of health information during public health emergencies to ensure residents and visitors have the most accurate and updated information
Plan for mass countermeasure dispensing/vaccination to residents and visitors in the event of an emergency where medications/vaccines are available
Exercise with community partners and agencies to ensure a timely and well-coordinated response

Hospital Preparedness Program
The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) is a federally-funded initiative that enhances the ability of Sacramento County's health care system to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies, whether naturally occurring or man-made. Under HPP, the State allocates funds to counties along with guidance to reach certain critical benchmark requirements: surge capacity planning, medical evacuation/shelter in place planning, expansion of health care facility surge capacity including planning for government authorized alternate care sites (ACS), interoperable communication systems, disaster healthcare volunteers and fatality management planning.

Pandemic Influenza
Across the United States and around the world, communities are planning for the next pandemic of influenza. This page offers information on pandemic influenza, what can be done to prepare for the next pandemic and other resources that may be helpful for those involved in planning.

Cities Readiness Initiative
The Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) is a federally-funded effort to prepare major US cities and metropolitan areas, including Sacramento County, to effectively respond to a large-scale bioterrorist event by requesting, receiving, and distributing antibiotics and other life-saving medical supplies to their entire population within 48 hours of the decision to do so. CRI builds on a pre-existing program that provides for the availability, distribution, and dispensing of medical countermeasures from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).