Emergency Preparedness – Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department

Helping our community prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies.

Is Your Family Prepared? Experts recommend having at least 72 hours of emergency supplies on hand. Use our checklist below to get started today.

Our Role in Emergency Preparedness

The Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department works to strengthen our community’s capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies — including natural disasters, disease outbreaks, and other large-scale events that affect community health.

We coordinate closely with local, state, and federal partners including the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, FEMA, and the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

What is Important about Emergency Preparedness

Reduces exposure to environmental health hazards – such as air pollution, contaminated water, and toxic materials, which significantly influence chronic disease risk.
Strengthens public health emergency response systems – by supporting surveilling/monitoring, detection, and coordinated response to health threats under national preparedness standards.
Improves outcomes during natural and technological disasters – helping protect vulnerable populations from worsened environmental and health risks.
Builds healthier communities – by guiding development of programs and policies that improve upon environmental conditions and reduce disease burdens.
Enhances climate resilience – by preparing for climate-driven environmental hazards such as poor air quality, severe storms, and extreme heat, all of which can have a drastic effect on public health systems.
Strengthens multi-agency coordination – ensuring the effective response efforts through collaboration among health departments, emergency management, healthcare systems, and community partners.

What is Important About Environmental Preparedness in Public Health

Protect lives, reduce injuries, panic and confusion – ensuring responders know how to respond quickly and safely during emergency events and that they work together in a team effort having skills and knowledge on what is required and who are responsible for different key actions of the event.
Recovery – the capabilities necessary to assist communities affected by an incident to recover effectively.
Response – the capabilities necessary to save lives, minimize damage to property and operations, the environment and meet human needs helping organizations and families recover faster.
Improves decision-making under pressure – through written predefined plans, and practiced procedures through drills and exercises.
Ensures access to essential supplies – such as food, water, medical items, and communication tools.
Strengthens community resilience – Supports faster recovery and business continuity, keeping services running and reducing long-term disruptions. by enabling coordinated responses among individuals, workplaces, and local
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Ready Nebraska

We are a proud partner of the Ready Nebraska program, which provides practical guidance for families, businesses, and schools to prepare for emergencies. Visit ready.nebraska.gov for statewide resources.

Emergency Supply Checklist

Water

One gallon per person per day for at least 3 days. Include pets.

Food

3-day supply of non-perishable food. Include a manual can opener.

Flashlight & Radio

Battery-powered or hand-crank radio. Extra batteries. Whistle.

First Aid Kit

Bandages, antiseptic, medications, and a first aid manual.

Documents

Copies of IDs, insurance cards, bank info in a waterproof container.

Medications

7-day supply of prescription medications and eyeglasses.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Our CERT program trains community members to assist professional responders during emergencies. CERT training covers:

Disaster preparedness and fire safety
Basic disaster medical operations and triage
Light search and rescue
Disaster psychology and team organization
Terrorism and crime scene awareness

Training is free and open to all community members 18 and older.

Public Health Emergency Plans

Our department maintains up-to-date emergency response plans for scenarios including pandemic influenza, natural disasters, bioterrorism, and mass casualty events. These plans are developed in collaboration with regional hospitals, EMS, law enforcement, and local government.

For more information or to request a copy of our Community Health Assessment, please contact us.