Public Health Preparedness Response Training 

Emergency planning at the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County is organized and managed by the Public Health Preparedness (PHP) program. The PHP program makes sure Health Department staff are trained in emergency duty so that they are able to assist residents of Pinellas County during a disaster. The Health Department works closely with many local agencies to make sure that all health and medical organizations are prepared to respond to a disaster in Pinellas County.

The Key Response Training Activities below will give you an idea of the breadth and scope of the planning that DOH-Pinellas does in its effort to be fully prepared to assist the residents and visitors of Pinellas County.

Response Training and Exercises 

• Training may be provided in the following categories:

  • Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
  • Surveillance & Epidemiology
  • SNS Clinic/ POD Operations
  • Pandemic, Avian, & Seasonal Flu
  • Food Safety
  • Hand Hygiene/Infection Control

• PHP helps to coordinate exercises in Pinellas County, including the annual Mass Casualty Exercise as well as providing evaluation for other events in the state. Staff have been trained in the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP).

• The Family Preparedness Guide is available in three languages.

• A Guide to Citizen Preparedness can be found at:
  Are You Ready? English | Spanish

Smallpox Response 

• Smallpox was feared for centuries because it caused serious illness, scarring, and in 30% of the cases, death. The last case of endemic smallpox was in Somalia in 1977 and the last case in the world was a laboratory-acquired infection in 1978. Smallpox is known to exist today only in laboratories in Moscow and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. However, there are fears that stocks of smallpox exist outside these laboratories and could be used during a terrorist attack.
• The goal of smallpox response is to identify, train, and vaccinate teams of professionals in Public Health, hospital healthcare settings and the first responder community. Individuals considering smallpox vaccination should be well informed about smallpox disease, the vaccine, and its side effects – including potentially life-threatening reactions. Information regarding smallpox can be accessed using the following link:
  • www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/smallpox/