The Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) is committed to strengthening the nation’s health security by saving lives and protecting against public health threats, whether at home or abroad, natural or man-made. PHPR has four major divisions that work together to ensure our nation is prepared to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from public health threats.

Learn more about each of PHPR’s divisions through PHPR: Health Security in Action!

Emergency Operations 

The Division of Emergency Operations (DEO) is responsible for the overall coordination of CDC’s preparedness, assessment, response, recovery, and evaluations prior to and during public health emergencies.

CDC’s Emergency Management Specialists : Meet Mark Hall, an emergency management specialist in CDC’s Division of Emergency Operations in the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. As part of the Plans, Training, Exercise, and Evaluation Team — he and his team make sure CDC is prepared for emergencies and assesses how the agency performs during a response. Read More >

CDC’s CERC Program—Principles to communicate by in an emergency response and everyday life : As a Public Information Officer, Mike was used to communicating health information to the people of his state. When word came that a major hurricane was approaching, he knew people would be facing fear and uncertainty. How could he make sure that the right information got to the right people? How should he react Read More >

Strategic National Stockpile

CDC’s Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has large quantities of medicine and medical supplies to protect the American public if there is a public health emergency (terrorist attack, flu outbreak, earthquake) severe enough to cause local supplies to run out.

Medicine Dispensing Exercise Held at Virginia Costco : What comes to mind when you think “community”? Maybe you immediately think of neighbors and friends who live nearby. Or perhaps local businesses, churches, civic organizations and others. What about some of your regular stops around your community such as your pharmacy where you fill your prescriptions or buy over-the-counter medicine?  Read More >

CDC’s CHEMPACK Program—The Stockpile that may protect you from a chemical attack : It’s a terrifying but plausible scenario. You’re in an enclosed crowded place—perhaps a subway or a mall—and a terrorist organization releases lethal quantities of a nerve agent such as sarin into the air. The gas sends your nervous system into overdrive. You begin having convulsions. EMTs rush to the scene while you go into respiratory Read More >