By Dr. Jessica Sapp | 08/28/2025
Public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) is primarily concerned with how public health and health care systems deal with public health threats. PHEP relies on various systems to monitor, detect, and investigate potential hazards and also includes identifying community health risks to inform planning.
PHEP Capabilities Framework
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide annual guidance to support public health departments in emergency preparedness. Since 2011, the PHEP Capabilities Framework has served as the national standards for public health emergency planning and preparedness.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Emergency preparedness and response necessitate a well-defined leadership structure within health systems. Public health and medical services rely on local-level readiness and scalable strategies to prepare for and manage threats. Preparedness should involve scalable responses tailored for varying sizes of emergencies.
Creating Resilient Communities
Community preparedness initiatives help create resilient communities that can quickly recover from public health threats and disaster-related emergencies. As a result, these communities are better equipped to reduce long-term health consequences and bounce back from crises.
There are a few considerations to improve resilience, especially after natural disasters or pandemics. Key components of public health emergency preparedness include:
- Effective partnerships with local health departments, hospitals and healthcare systems, and health and human services
- Effective communication strategies
- Continuous process improvement
Stakeholders and Partnerships
Emergency response requires coordination among various partners in the community. Effective partnerships are essential for community resilience and recovery, especially after natural disasters.
Emergency response incorporates myriad organizations. For example, essential stakeholders for disaster preparedness include:
- Fire rescue agencies
- Law enforcement agencies
- Emergency management services
- Communications and transportation services
Public health also depends on the involvement of schools, nonprofits, and businesses, which help meet the evolving and complex needs of affected populations.
Local Health Departments
Health departments play a key role in preparing communities for disasters. Local health departments typically activate incident command systems to coordinate their responses to emergencies and provide technical assistance to support local preparedness efforts.
Local health departments are also a key partner in public communication. Health departments often have a public information officer, who keeps the community informed during natural disasters.
The readiness of public health departments relies on developing a robust supply chain for emergency response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, we saw how supply chains were affected and how that impacted public health emergency response. Access to reliable tools, resources, and communication channels remains essential for maintaining emergency operations.
Hospitals and Healthcare Systems
During an emergency, healthcare systems must provide medical care for an influx of patients and meet the increased demand for medical services. Surge capacity is a critical component of public health preparedness. Some considerations for surge capacity include ensuring adequate:
- Medical personnel
- Physical space
- Supplies and equipment, especially for patients affected by infectious diseases
During an emergency or mass casualty event, healthcare systems can become overwhelmed, which puts a strain on their routine capabilities. The goal of crisis standards of care is to achieve the best outcome for groups of patients, rather than individuals, during a surge response.
Identifying resources and understanding limitations during emergencies are imperative for public health emergency preparedness. Incorporating stakeholders and community partners into preparedness planning, however, fosters the development of more responsive and resilient health systems.
Health & Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) “leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies.”
In May 2025, the ASPR launched a Portable Biocontainment Unit (PBCU) to isolate and treat patients affected by contagious diseases. According to ASPR, “the PBCU is the first domestic resource for isolating and transporting patients with contagious infectious diseases, for example Ebola, to Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers.” This type of innovation showcases how health and human services offerings have evolved to meet the needs of our nation.
All stakeholders and community partners should be included in emergency operations planning to advance emergency response and recovery abilities. That includes coordination across local, state, and federal agencies and with homeland security partners to effectively respond to large-scale threats.
Effective Communication Strategies
Well-planned communication strategies ensure timely, accurate information reaches the public during emergency response efforts.
Technology can help with communication efforts. For instance, notification systems can use electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones to relay information to residents.
Accessing larger populations and communities can be achieved through different social media platforms, such as Instagram® or YouTube®. However, communication strategies should also include how to combat any misinformation released through social media channels.
Continuous Improvement
Continuous improvement is necessary for effective community resilience and emergency recovery. Over time, the performance of public health emergency services must be measured and managed for accountability. Without baseline measures or milestone markers, it is difficult to improve a community’s public health preparedness capabilities.
Training can greatly enhance an emergency response team because they can practice and test emergency operations plans. After a training exercise or emergency, response teams should evaluate their performance, identify gaps in service, and apply lessons learned to strengthen future responses.
Public engagement is crucial for the success of community-based preparedness and recovery efforts. To create more resilient and healthy communities, it is imperative that public health emergency preparedness efforts include the whole community.
The Bachelor’s in Public Health at APU
For students interested in seeking public health career opportunities, American Public University (APU) offers an online Bachelor of Science in Public Health. For this degree, students can take courses in a variety of topics, such as public health in America, health services organization, and epidemiology. Other courses include public policy, the foundations of nutrition, and health economics and finance.
For more details about this bachelor’s degree in public health, visit our nursing and health sciences degree program page.
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Dr. Jessica Sapp, a faculty member within Health Sciences at APU, has over 20 years of experience in public health working in various environments including government, hospitals, health insurance, community, international, corporate, and academia. She is the author of various books, including “Your Healthcare Job Hunt: How Your Digital Presence Can Make or Break Your Career.”
Dr. Sapp has a B.S. in Health Science Education from the University of Florida and an MPH in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior at the University of South Carolina. She earned her Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Georgia Southern University.
