Public health emergency preparedness is a highly specialized area of public health practice. In order to effectively appreciate the importance of public health preparedness in keeping populations healthy following a large-scale public health emergency, the basic foundations of public health practice must be placed into context with emergency and disaster situations. By the end of this chapter you will be able to:

1. Explain the role of public health in emergency preparedness 2. Describe the role of state and local governments in preparedness and response 3. Describe the Incident Command System (ICS) and the importance of a centralized command structure during response operations 4. Articulate the premise of the “whole community” approach to preparedness and response 5. Describe key legal considerations in emergency preparedness planning