Emergency Communications Toolkit- PHEPR

The resources on this site are intended for public health and emergency response partners only. Resources for the public can be found on our Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEPR) site.

This toolkit was created to help you during a disease outbreak, natural disaster or other public health emergency. These templates, checklists and fact sheets are designed to give you a head start when planning an emergency response.

Resources on this website were developed by the Washington State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other trusted federal and local public health partners.

You will need to customize materials with information about your agency or location, and real-time details about the emergency situation.

Always work with your assigned public information staff on communication issues.

First response. These communication resources will help you decide which first steps to take when an emergency, attack or outbreak occurs. These checklists and materials are designed to help you make decisions and establish priorities. Use these resources as part of pre-event planning, and during the chaotic first hours of an emergency.

News releases. These sample draft news releases are designed to help you develop a quick response during the crucial first hours of a crisis. The news release templates must be customized with details specific to your agency and the current situation. Coordinate all news releases with your assigned public information staff and follow your agency's emergency communications procedures.

Emergency Topics. These tools have been developed to help you provide information to the public during a disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack. Included are fact sheets, sample news releases and other information.

Medication centers and patient education. These materials were developed for use in medication centers (points of dispensing - PODs). Customizing resources now will help save valuable time in an emergency. This section includes a fact sheet about medication centers and how the public might use them during an emergency.

Resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Communicating in the First Hours Web site. Fact sheets, templates, B-roll footage and more resources for use in the first hours of an emergency from the CDC.
CDC List of Materials. Alphabetical list of diseases and emergencies with Podcasts, scripts, fact sheets and other materials.
Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication course. This course was designed for those who will perform crisis and risk communication and media relations in the event of a public health emergency.

Other resources & links. These links to other sites and resources offer additional information and tools for you to use before, during and after an emergency.

Note: Use of these materials is not required. They were developed as resources to help in public health emergency planning and response. Always consult your agency's emergency plans and policies, and follow appropriate Incident Command System procedures.

Questions? We will continue to add resources to this site as they are developed. Please direct questions regarding this site or emergency communication resources to signs@doh.wa.gov.

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Washington State Department of Health
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Olympia, Washington, 98504-7890

Last Update : 07/21/2008 03:31 PM
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