FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Connecticut Department of Public Health
September 5, 2008 Contact: William Gerrish
(860) 509-7270
Hartford – The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) will recognize September as National Preparedness Month to encourage Connecticut residents to take steps to prepare for an emergency.
“It is important that Connecticut families take the time now and plan ahead to make sure every family member knows what to do in the event of an emergency,” Governor M. Jodi Rell said. “While a natural disaster may be something we cannot avoid, preparing now for it will help us to be ready if a catastrophe were to happen.”
“Connecticut has dedicated countless resources to better prepare the state for an emergency,” stated DPH Commissioner, J. Robert Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. “We continue to work diligently to improve our plans and systems so that we can be as ready as possible.”
In June of this year, United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made available nearly $1.1 billion to continue assisting public health departments, hospitals and other health care organizations to strengthen their ability to respond to public health and medical emergencies as a result of a terrorism attack or naturally occurring event. Of this funding, DPH was awarded $8.9 million for the purpose of improving the state’s response to a public health or medical emergency. In addition, the HHS Hospital Preparedness Program awarded Connecticut with $4.7 million for hospital preparedness.
With this funding, the state continues to work on its preparedness efforts including improving preparedness for chemical emergencies, planning for the use of alternate care facilities, and continuing to plan, train and exercise emergency plans.
Individuals should take the time to develop an emergency plan for their family. Whether for a fire, hurricane, or man-made event, an emergency plan can help your family be safe in an emergency. The Connecticut Guide to Emergency Preparedness provides information on public health emergencies and how you and your family can prepare. You can access the guide by going to the DPH website at www.ct.gov/dph.
For more information on how to prepare for an emergency, please call the Connecticut Department of Public Health at (860) 509-7270 or visit the following websites:
The Connecticut Department of Public Health is the state’s leader in public health policy and advocacy with a mission to protect and promote the health and safety of the people of our state. To contact the department, please visit its website at www.ct.gov/dph or call (860) 509-7270.
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