Emergency Preparedness
Office of Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Response
The Office of Public Health Preparedness & Emergency Response helps Chicagoans learn how to prepare for and respond in the event of a public health emergency. A public health emergency is any adverse event (natural or man-made) that compromises the health of the population and has the potential to cause widespread illness. A public health emergency can be caused by an outbreak of infectious disease, a snowstorm, or a lengthy power outage that limits access to supplies and services for several days, especially affecting those who are medically dependent.
Top Pages
- Public Health Emergency Preparedness
A public health emergency can be caused by an outbreak of infectious disease, like we are now experiencing with COVID-19, a snow storm, or a lengthy power outage that limits access to supplies and services for several days, especially affecting those who are medically dependent. Continuing to take all precautions may be difficult, but don’t let your guard down now. Prepare yourself and protect each other. - Medical Reserve Corps
The national Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a volunteer group of both medical and non-medical professionals, organized on a local basis to help provide needed services to their communities during emergencies and disasters. - Plan Together
In a disaster, your neighbors will be the people in your community that you and your family turn to for immediate help. That’s why it always is important to check on your neighbors and prepare as a community for emergencies, especially those that occur seasonally, like extreme heat and extreme cold. - Recovering from a Disaster
Disasters often strike with little or no warning. In an instant your home and community can be damaged or destroyed and forever changed. Even if your home or business does not suffer directly, no one who experiences a disaster is untouched by it.
Find more in our full Emergency Preparedness Pages section
Program Summary
Prepare Together
CDPH collaborates with community partners to prepare Chicago families for emergencies in a variety of ways.
In a disaster, neighbors will be the ones in a community that individuals and families turn to for immediate help. Use the link code below for tips on emergency planning, making emergency kits and more.
Learn more about Public Health Emergency PreparednessOur Multifaceted Response
CDPH works with City, state, and federal agencies and with community partners to prepare the City of Chicago for emergencies in a variety of areas. These areas include:
- Disease outbreaks
- Healthcare System preparedness program
- Medications for the public during public health emergencies
- Facilitate distrubution of medication for public health emergencies
- Training tools for health care workers and first responders
- Large-scale organization disaster recovery
Emergency Preparedness Pages
- Disease Outbreaks and Toxins
Learn about bioterrorism risks and pandemic flu. - Healthcare System Preparedness Program
Learn about the Chicago Health System Coalition for Preparedness and Response (CHSCPR). - Hospital and Healthcare System Preparedness Program
Learn about the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). - Hypothermia Treatment and Prevention
Learn about hypothermia, its symptoms, and its treatment. - Individual, Family and Community Preparedness
Learn how to prepare yourself for emergencies at home and in your community. - Learn What To Do: Public Health Emergencies & Dangers
Learn about the DCC Emergency Notification System. - Long Term Care Facility Evacuation Training
Learn about the the CDPH-CHUG evacuation plan for all long-term care and assisted-living facilities in Chicago. - Medical Reserve Corps
Learn about the national Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) as it is implemented in Chicago. - Medications for the Public During Public Health Emergencies
Learn about the the CDPH-CHUG evacuation plan for all long-term care and assisted-living facilities in Chicago. - Plan Together
Learn how to establish an emergency plan to prepare your family for an emergency. - Protecting food from power failures
Advice and strategies for keeping your food safe during an emergency. - Public Health Emergency Training and Exercises
Learn about the CDPH training and exercise program that tests and hones public emergency plans. - Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Learn how to prepare and protect yourself and your family in a public health emergency. - Recovering from a Disaster
Learn how to deal with the long-term impact of a personal or community emergency. - Training Tools Highlight Psychological First Aid Basics
Learn about psychological first aid training for health care workers and first responders. - Water Contamination
Learn how to find hidden sources of water if normal water supplies are impacted during an emergency. - What is a Public Health Emergency?
Learn about CDPH's role in addressing public health emergencies.
