El Dorado
County
General Contact Number: (530) 621-5567

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Emergency Preparedness and Response - Planning and Response for Local Hazards

  

Planning

In El Dorado County, we have experienced such events as the Sand and King Fires in 2014, the Angora Fire in 2007, “low-snow” in Placerville and further west in 2009 and 2013, extreme heat events in July 2006 and 2013, extended power and utility failures, flooding, and the nationwide H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009.  Our location along Highway 50 also puts us at risk for transportation emergencies, like hazardous materials spills.  Public Health Preparedness & Response in collaboration with our partners, plans and practices responses to such events to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.  Local hazards include:

  • Wildfire
  • Extreme Cold/Winter Storms
  • Extreme Heat
  • Utility Failures/Power Outages
  • Flooding
  • Hazardous Materials Incidents
  • Landslide/Avalanche
  • Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Response

The El Dorado County Health & Human Services Agency, Public Health Division partners with hospitals, healthcare providers, and agencies, such as Environmental Management, to develop plans to collaboratively respond during a local public health emergency.

We also work closely with the El Dorado County Office of Emergency Services (OES), which has a Countywide Disaster Plan. During a local disaster or emergency, OES organizes a response and calls on partnering agencies to participate in that response.

Emergency response activities include, but are not limited to:

  • Investigate and control communicable disease outbreaks.
  • Manage an epidemic or pandemic.
  • Organize Point of Dispensing (POD) sites to provide preventive medications and vaccines to residents.
  • Request, manage and distribute materials from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
  • Perform rapid health needs assessments and give recommendations to decision makers.
  • Perform coordination through the Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator Program (MHOAC)
  • Provide consultation and education to health care providers, emergency responders and the public on issues related to communicable disease, and other health issues.
  • Coordinate with the Office of Emergency Services and the American Red Cross in support of shelter operations for evacuated residents.