Public Health Preparedness & Response

The Health Department’s Public Health Preparedness and Response Program conducts and coordinates the planning, training, drills and exercises necessary for the department’s staff to be able to respond to those emergencies in which the Health Department will play a key role.

The Department has Developed and Maintains the Following Emergency Response Plans

• Public Health Emergency Response Plan
• Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications Plan
• Quarantine and Isolation Plan
• Respiratory Protection Plan
• Special Populations Plan
• Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan
• Health Department Sections of the Town Emergency Operations Plan
• Mass Dispensing Plan
  o Pandemic Influenza Response Plan
  o Smallpox mass Vaccination Plan
  o Anthrax mass Dispensing Plan

Fairfield Call Center

The department also coordinates the Fairfield Call Center during times of emergencies providing residents with the latest and most accurate information from the Town’s Emergency Management Team. Starting before and continuing after Hurricane Sandy the Call Center was staffed for more than a week.

Sheltering

The Health Department supports the Town’s sheltering needs providing medical and non-medical staff and volunteers to fill the needed roles. The department provided 100’s of hours of staff and volunteer support for shelter operations during Hurricanes Irene and Sandy and was present every day the shelters were open.

Fairfield Easton Medical Reserve Corps

Since 2005 the Department has coordinated the Fairfield Easton Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). The MRC, with its nearly 400 members, is one of the largest MRC units in the country and is comprised of both medical and non-medical volunteers. MRC members have been participating in our annual training sessions, mass dispensing exercises and various other activities since 2005. Members have been activated and deployed locally and throughout CT in support of four federally recognized disasters since 2010.