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This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

[Teacher] Hello, class...

[Narrator] When living in a new era of preparedness, the old-school approach isn't all that effective anymore...

[Teacher] We have a very important message from the United States Government...about emergency preparedness. Play...projector.

[Narrator] Back in the old days, preparedness efforts were mainly focused on one big threat: the Cold War.

[Man] What to do in a nuclear attack. Don your mask first and then help others. Breathe normally, don't panic.

[Narrator] Americans all over the country bought gas masks, some even built bomb shelters, and children everywhere learned how to duck and cover through regular drills such as this one. And you, and you, and you duck and cover!

[Narrator] Today, there are many different kinds of threats. We are in a new era of preparedness.

[Boy] Hey, Dad!

[Narrator] And kids are a little more in-tune than we think.

[Boy] Grandpa?

[Grandpa] Yeah?

[Boy] I know bird flu is quite rare in humans, but could that change if the virus changes?

[Girl] Do experts expect bird flu to have global ramifications?

[Boy] Should we be taking precautionary measures in case bird flu becomes a pandemic?

[Narrator] Whether it's natural disasters, bioterrorism, or pandemic flu, the need for preparedness is just as important as ever.

[Announcer] Know what to do about pandemic flu.

[Narrator] Today, technology is advancing rapidly, and people have many different ways to receive information. CDC is using these outlets to help you become prepared. Whether it's on the web... on your mp3 player... or in your community... CDC is providing resources all aimed at helping protect you. Maybe it's information on a recent flu outbreak in your community, or a podcast on current health risks for international travel, or preparedness drills in your local community.

CDC is ensuring you are prepared for whatever your individual needs might be, because, after all, we're all connected. Healthy people make healthy families, healthy families build healthy communities, and those in turn build healthy workplaces.

And that's exactly how preparedness works -- it builds on a system of networks that include local, state, and federal agencies; tribal and community organizations; businesses in the private sector; and healthcare providers. It's built around preparing you, and making our communities as safe and healthy as possible.

So whether it is work that's done in an office, or work that's done in a lab, one of CDC's goals is to help us all prepare for both existing and emerging health threats. Every day, CDC scientists are conducting innovative research to help us do just that. Whether it's a small outbreak in our local community, or one that starts in a remote corner of the world, CDC science informs our response.

When necessary, the Director's Emergency Operations Center [DEOC] is CDC's command center for coordinating emergency response to domestic and international health threats. Staffed 24/7, the DEOC is the contact for state health agencies for reporting potential public health threats. The actions taken here help CDC to respond at a moment's notice. Using state-of-the-art communication technologies, CDC can support a vast information pipeline with state, federal, and international partners.

Whether it's emergency response or policy making, CDC leadership takes an active, vital role in ensuring the nation's public health preparedness needs are kept at the forefront of government initiatives.

[CDC Director] So we are reaching out directly to consumers in those age groups, we are reaching out to employers across...

[Narrator] But in the end, it all comes down to you. With the mobility of the world's population, what happens globally happens locally, and CDC is working around the clock to protect you, your family, your community, our nation, and our world. It's not the 1950s anymore, and we truly are a global community in a new era of preparedness. By using new technologies, and remaining committed to the public's health, CDC is helping create safer, healthier people all over the world.

[Man] En la escuela o en casa, ¿cómo puede proteger a su familia?

[Narrator] So whoever you are, or wherever you may be, CDC is here, working every minute of every day, to ensure you and your family are safer and healthier in these ever-changing times.

Please visit www.cdc.gov for more information.

For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.