By Jamie Shuster

(The following post was originally sent as an email to DHEC Public Health staff on 2/2/14.)

One of our most important functions at DHEC is working with key partners to help prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency and disaster situations.

While many of us spent the early part of last week at home enjoying the snow, our Public Health Preparedness team was working hard to ensure that DHEC was ready to help respond to the winter storm.

Preparations for the storm began Monday when our preparedness staff participated in an SC Emergency Management Division (EMD) call to the counties. Based on information received on this call, our staff immediately began preparing to staff our Emergency Support Function-8, which provides critical health and medical services support in an emergency. Regional staff began organizing materials, equipment and supplies that might be needed in responding to the storm, and preparing to open special medical needs shelters. Continue reading →