County health department employees work together during the 2009 H1N1 response as they informed the public and administered vaccines to residents.

In the event of a severe outbreak of the flu or a sudden earthquake, the Multnomah County Health Department is prepared and ready to respond, the National Association of County and City Officials (NACCHO) announced on July 9.

After evaluating all local health departments nationwide, NACCHO recognized the Multnomah County Health Department for its ability to respond to public health emergencies such as infectious disease, bioterrorism, natural disaster or any other threat to public health. The county is among 300 local health departments acknowledged for their preparedness efforts.

Multnomah County met the required benchmarks in overall preparedness to be distinguished by Project Public Health Ready (PPHR), a partnership between NACCHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“NACCHO commends the Multnomah County Health Department for being a model of public health emergency preparedness,” said Robert Pestronk, executive director of NACCHO. “The public health system is making great strides thanks to the good work of leaders in local public health preparedness such as Multnomah County.”

The county was required to meet the national standards for public health preparedness in three key areas: preparedness planning, workforce competency and demonstration of all-hazards readiness through practice exercises or a real event.

This recognition confirms that Multnomah County has a thorough emergency response plan in place, a well-trained staff and that this plan is exercised and used during public health emergencies.

“We are proud to have been recognized by Project Public Health Ready for our high level of preparedness,” said Lillian Shirley, Health Department director. “Still, the most important factor in determining whether we succeed in responding to an emergency will be the actions of our citizens in advance planning, cooperating with authorities, and helping each other in a time of crisis.”

For more information on Project Public Health Ready, including recognized sites, project tools, and resources, visit http://www.naccho.org/PPHR.