"States need to be ready at every level to respond to public health emergencies," said Gov. Ted Kulongoski. "It is not enough to have good plans in place, because plans do not respond--people respond and through programs like OR Prepare, our emergency responders are better equipped to quickly and effectively take action."
An effective response to a public health emergency requires that DHS and other state and local partners -- including county health departments, fire departments, law enforcement and hospitals --work together smoothly, often in ways that are very different from their routine work. For instance, emergency plans often require moving state employees to different positions and bringing in volunteers to help with added demands, according to Joy Weyer, training specialist in the department's public health emergency preparedness program.
"Knowing how things work in an emergency will give people the confidence they need to do the work required," said Weyer. "E-learning expertise will help us move forward to accomplish emergency preparedness goals."
