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Resources for Relevant Government Agencies

Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
ATSDR has developed methods for determining whether buildings are contaminated with anthrax spores and other dangerous matter. CDC and ATSDR issue recommendations for obtaining and analyzing environmental samples. CDC and ATSDR also issue recommendations for protecting first responders, investigators, and cleanup personnel.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
CDC supports a national Health Alert Network (HAN) as an important part of America's capacity to stay ahead of the curve on major disease outbreaks. CDC awards cooperative agreements to states, territories, and metropolitan health departments to support HAN, as well as preparedness planning and readiness assessment, epidemiology and surveillance, and laboratory capacity for biological or chemical agents. For information and resources on bioterrorism and other threats, please visit CDC's Emergency Preparedness & Response Web site at www.bt.cdc.gov. CDC also publishes the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which has included articles on public health emergencies such as smallpox, anthrax, and other forms of bioterrorism. You can browse MMWR articles related to terrorism preparedness at www.cdc.gov/mmwr/indexbt.html.

Department of Agriculture (USDA)
USDA plays an important role, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, in ensuring the safety of America's food supply. Additionally, USDA plays an important role responding to emergencies affecting livestock.

Department of Defense (DOD)
DOD partners with DHHS, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and FEMA in the National Disaster Medical System. During disasters, DOD has the lead responsibility for patient evacuation activities. DOD and VA share responsibility for definitive care activities, including management of a network of 2,000 non-Federal hospitals to ensure that hospital beds can be made available through a system of Federal coordinating centers.

Department of Justice (DOJ)
The Office of Domestic Preparedness within the Office of Justice Programs has supported implementation of a program in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories to develop comprehensive, three-year domestic preparedness strategies. These strategies are based on an integrated set of threat, risk and public health assessments conducted at the local level, which identify the specific level of response capability necessary for a jurisdiction to respond effectively to a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) terrorist incident. When assembled and analyzed, this package will present a comprehensive picture of equipment, training, exercise, and technical assistance needs throughout the nation. DOJ, in cooperation with CDC, will support fulfillment of equipment and training needs. State and local agencies are authorized, at this time, to purchase only defensive equipment designed to protect emergency responders, as well as chemical and biological detection equipment.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
The Department of Veterans Affairs is a partner, along with DHHS, DOD, and FEMA, in the National Disaster Medical System. The VA provides other needed medical support during disasters, including staffing of the DHHS/OEP Emergency Operations Center, additional medical and nursing personnel at the scene, and opens, as needed, VA hospitals to receive patients. The VA is one of the largest purchasers of pharmaceutical and medical supplies in the United States. Under an agreement with OEP, the VA manages and stores the four National Medical Response Team specialized pharmaceutical caches.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA has a long history of addressing environmental health threats through remediation programs.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA has overall lead in the Federal Government for consequence management during an emergency. FEMA tasks DHHS to provide critical services, such as health and medical care; preventive health services; mental health care; veterinary services; mortuary activities; and any other public health or medical service that may be needed in the affected area.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA plays an essential role in protecting our food supply, including inspections of products through their regional network. FDA actively cooperates with DOD, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), CDC, and others on drug and vaccine development, including those that may be needed in emergency situations. To review its bioterrorism page, visit www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/bioterrorism.html.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
HRSA is the U.S. Government's primary funding agency to enhance delivery of health services to the medically under-served. A program to enhance hospital performance capability during emergencies was launched in 2002.

Indian Health Service (IHS)
IHS has strong capabilities in the fields of sanitary engineering, primary health care, health education, and health services delivery.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The NIH research program includes a component focused on possible agents of bioterrorism. Spearheaded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the program includes both short- and long-term research targeted at the design, development, evaluation, and approval of diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines needed to control infections caused by microbes with potential for use as biological weapons.

National Library of Medicine (NLM)
NLM, a component of the National Institutes of Health, provides specialized information services, which are relevant to emergency situations. For example, NLM has rapidly accessible information on the transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of possible agents of biological and chemical warfare.
www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/biologicalwarfare.htm
www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ChemWar.html
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anthrax.html

The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
The SNS is a major national security asset operated by CDC. The SNS enables rapid response to large-scale requirements for antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, vaccines, and medical supplies to help save lives and prevent further spread of disease resulting from a major threat (e.g., bioterrorist attack). The SNS can provide "12-hour Push Packages" of pharmaceutical and medical supplies in the early hours of an event.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
DHHS has Federal responsibility for meeting the needs of Americans faced with health and medical problems in emergencies and during other times of need. The DHHS Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) coordinates the Federal health and medical response and recovery activities for DHHS, working with other federal agencies and the private sector. DHHS coordinates Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs); Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams (DMORTs); Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams (VMATs); and other medical specialty teams located throughout the country, which can be deployed immediately in the event of a disaster. DHHS also coordinates the National Medical Response Teams for Weapons of Mass Destruction to deal with the medical consequences of incidents involving chemical, biological, or nuclear materials, and is helping metropolitan areas across the nation. More information on these activities can be found at www.ndms.dhhs.gov/.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
DHS has Federal responsibility for protecting the nation against further terrorist attacks and for providing a coordinated defense of our country. Its component agencies analyze threats and intelligence, guard our border and airports, protect our critical infrastructure, and coordinate the response of our nation for future emergencies. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA-see entry above) is now a component of DHS, which also houses the headquarters for the Citizen Corps.

Last updated on: 4/17/2006