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The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

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Preparedness

Florida Department of Health in Levy County

We Are Ready! 

Preparedness Cycle Planning Organizing Training Equipping Exercising Evaluating Taking Corrective Action

The Florida Department of Health in Levy County Public Health Preparedness program is READY. After a year long community wide effort in 2010-2011, the National Project Public Health Ready certificate was awarded.

Each of the three PPHR project goals: all-hazards preparedness planning, workforce capacity development and demonstration of readiness through exercises or real events, has a comprehensive list of standards that must be met in order to achieve PPHR recognition.

The 'preparedness cycle' is one element of a broader National Preparedness System. Levy County uses this continuous cycle to ensure readiness. Our goal is to ensure DOH Levy and healthcare partners are prepared for, can respond to, and recover from a bioterrorism event, outbreak of infectious disease or other public health emergency.

Our Partners 

Levy County Healthcare professionals and facilities are critical partners in a disaster to meet the needs of those injured or ill.

Levy County Emergency Management becomes the critical coordination point in a county wide disaster to activate an Emergency Operation Center. DOH Levy takes the lead in Health and Medical Response under Emergency Support Function 8 at the Levy County Emergency Management.

Levy County School Board supports the county by providing shelter to people needing to evacuate during an emergency. DOH Levy provides nursing staff for a Special Needs Shelter. A registration form for space in this shelter is found on the Levy County Emergency Management registration form page

The Levy County Medical Reserve Corp (MRC) supports the Public Health and Healthcare preparedness system. The MRC develops and maintains a pool of local pre-identified medical and non medical volunteers to augment the staff of the health department in emergency medical operations and vital public health activities.

Levy County is a rural area that relies on the cooperation of all businesses, citizens and resources within the county to respond to an emergency. This has been demonstrated time after time when the community pulls together to "get things done".

Planning 

To develop your Family Disaster plan visit the Florida Division of Emergency Management.  If you need to evacuate, what should you bring to a shelter? Use our Shelter Checklist. DOH Levy is Ready! We have very complete plans that compliment the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan of Levy County.

The Florida Department of Health in Levy County's main plan, the All Hazards Emergency Operations Plan has twelve annexes that cover these topics:

  • Continuity of Operations with Emergency Call Down List
  • Special Needs Shelter
  • Strategic National Stockpile/Mass Prophylaxis and Immunization
  • Pandemic Flu
  • Communications
  • Epidemiology and Outbreak Response
  • Mass Fatality Management
  • Behavioral Health
  • Mass Patient Care/Alternate Treatment Site
  • Environmental Health All Hazards
  • Social Distancing, Isolation and Quarantine
  • Multi Year Training and Exercise Plan

Organizing 

ICS: Florida Department of Health in Levy County uses the Incident Command System

EOC: The Emergency Operations Center is the place where all the county emergency support functions are coordinated.

Training and Equipping 

The Florida Department of Health in Levy County has a baseline of training in Emergency Response for all staff. As part of the employee orientation, each new employee takes these preparedness courses:

ICS 100 Introduction to Incident Command Systems
ICS 700 National Incident Management Systems (NIMS), an Introduction

Exercising 

The Florida Department of Health in Levy County participates in county wide exercises often organized through the Levy Emergency Mangers Office.

October 18, 2007 Levy County State Homeland Security Tabletop Exercise

May 28, 2009 Levy County EOC Tabletop Exercise

May 11, 2010 Levy County Tabletop Exercise

April 19, 2011 Florida Department of Health in Levy County Strategic National Stockpile Tabletop

Evaluate and Improve 

All exercises meet the standards established by the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program, HSEEP.This assures that each exercise provides clear direction for improvement based on the lessons learned. In addition, any real event is evaluated to identify what areas are done well and where improvements can be made.