Emergency Preparedness Division
The Emergency Preparedness (EP) Division plans, trains, and collaborates, so that residents and visitors of Hamilton County can prepare for, respond to, and recover from catastrophic incidents. Through preparedness efforts, strong partnerships, and effective plans, EP works to ensure community resiliency and personal safety. View HCPH’s Emergency Response Plan.
For additional information or questions, please contact:
Christa Hyson, MPH, CHEP
Director, Emergency Preparedness
Christa.Hyson@hamilton-co.org
Current Response Efforts:
Since January 2020, HCPH has played an active role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the tri-state area. Response efforts include testing, vaccination clinics, surveillance, and data collection.
Local Resources:
- Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency
Authorized by Ohio Revised Code to coordinate and administer countywide all-hazards emergency management and disaster preparedness functions for Hamilton County and its political subdivisions. - Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC)
LEPC promotes a working relationship among government at all levels, business and community leaders, environmental and other public interest organizations, and individual citizens to improve hazard communication and emergency planning. - Alert Hamilton County and Smart911
Alert Hamilton County (Alert HC) is a mass notification system used to notify residents about emergencies and other important information throughout Hamilton County. When registering for Alert HC, users can also create a Smart911 profile, allowing first responders to have quicker access to important information in case of an emergency. - Ohio Responds Volunteer Registry
State of Ohio’s online system for managing public health and healthcare professionals who wish to volunteer during disasters and all-hazard incidents.
- Ready.Gov and FEMA.Gov
Resources on everything from building an emergency kit to keeping safe during a tornado or flood. - Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs)
WEAs are short emergency messages from authorized federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial public alerting authorities that can be broadcast from cell towers to any WEA‐enabled mobile device in a locally targeted area. - Youth Preparedness Programs
Educational resources, worksheets, and interactive preparedness tools for kids. - Free Preparedness Publications from FEMA
Shipped directly to you, free of charge. - Disaster Training Course
The American Red Cross provides FREE disaster training for all volunteers. Trainings are both online and in-person depending on the course. To find out more about these training opportunities please contact your local Red Cross office.