Emergency Preparedness

Wood County Health Department has a diverse and well-trained team dedicated to emergency preparedness. We help strengthen Wood County’s workforce and enable our community to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. We do this by:

  • Educating the public on prevention, protection and recovery from public health threats and hazards
  • Providing information and warning about emergencies to individuals, agencies and businesses
  • Creating multi-sector plans for responding to emergencies. This involves coordinating with law enforcement, fire and EMS, medical providers, and other partners.
  • Meeting vaccination and antibiotic needs in response to a public health emergency

What can you do?

Your family should be ready in advance of an emergency. Use resources from Ready.gov to build an emergency kit, create your plan and be informed.

Get a Kit

You may need to survive without assistance for a period of time during or after a severe emergency. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may not be available. You should be prepared with at least three days’ worth of food, water and other necessities for each member of your household (and your pets). Learn about additional items to consider adding to your emergency supply kit at Ready.gov/kit

Make a Plan

Before an emergency happens, discuss with your family how you will get in contact with each other, where you will go and what you will do in an emergency. Keep a copy of this plan in your emergency supply kit or another safe place where you can access it in the event of a disaster. 

As you prepare for an emergency, consider all the strategies, services, devices, tools and techniques you use to live with a disability on a daily basis. Keep in mind that you may need medications, durable medical equipment, consumable medical supplies, your service animal, assistive technology, communications tools, disability service providers, accessible housing, transportation and health-related items.

Be Informed

Different types of emergencies require different types of preparation. Know what disasters and hazards could affect your area, how to get emergency alerts, and where you would go if you and your family need to evacuate.  Make sure your family has a plan and practices it often. 

Wood County Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers as well as local and state-level partners to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities, and build community resiliency. MRC units prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks.

What Would I Do As A Volunteer?

  • Wood County MRC volunteers have helped with flu clinics and tornado response. Volunteers have also helped with non-emergency activities such as packing backpacks with school supplies for giving to families.
  • Both medical and non-medical volunteers are essential with every MRC mission.

How Do I join Wood County MRC?

Get Registered

The first step is to sign up at OhioResponds. This is Ohio’s volunteer registration system and provides a way to send notices to volunteers and gives liability protection for the agency and volunteers when they are called upon.

Get Trained

Next, for safety and efficiency, volunteers must view basic training videos before their application is accepted.

  • Create an account on MRC TRAIN (www.train.org/MRC)
  • Link Wood County MRC to your MRC Train account:
    1. Log on to MRC TRAIN, click on your name in the top right, then select Your Profile.
    2. On the Manage Groups screen, enter 513 into the Join by Group Code field.
    3. Click the blue Join button.
    4. Click Save on the top right to complete the process.
  • Complete the following mandatory training:
    1. MRC Volunteer Deployment Readiness: Pre-Deployment Course (20 minutes) MRC TRAIN#1086867
    2. MRC Volunteer Deployment Readiness: Deployment and Post-Deployment Course (20 minutes) MRC TRAIN#1086868
  • Additional training required except in certain situations:
    1. Personal and Family Preparedness (25 minutes) #1081145
    2. Personal Safety (40 minutes) MRC TRAIN#1081353
    3. “The Unthinkable: Lessons from Survivors” (17 minutes, via YouTube)
  • Email MRC coordinator at mrc@woodcountyohio.gov

More Information

Preparedness Plans

Public Health Emergency Management involves mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery planning to lessen the impact of disasters.

WCHD Emergency Response Plan
WCHD Mass Fatality Response Annex
Continuity of Operations Plan

Your input on plans is needed and appreciated. Please send any comments or questions to William Bryant-Bey at wbryant-bey@woodcountyohio.gov.