Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations

The Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations (OPEO) is responsible for developing operational plans, analytical products, and training exercises to ensure the preparedness of the Office, the Department, the Federal Government and the public to respond to domestic and international public health and medical threats and emergencies. OPEO is also responsible for ensuring that ASPR has the systems, logistical support, and procedures necessary to coordinate the Department’s operational response to acts of terrorism and other public health and medical threats and emergencies.

OPEO is the lead for interagency planning and response activities required to fulfill HHS responsibilities under ESF #8 of the NRP and HSPD #10.  These include the following:

• Management of  the Secretary’s Operations Center (SOC)
• Management of the Incident Response Coordination Teams (IRCT)
• Planning and evaluation of  Departmental and interagency response exercises
• Coordination of the HHS Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) programs.

OPEO maintains a regional planning and response coordination capability, and has operational responsibility for HHS functions related to the National Disaster Medical Systems (NDMS).  OPEO acts as the primary operational liaison to emergency response entities within HHS (e.g., FDA, HRSA, SAMHSA, CDC), within the interagency community (e.g., HDS, VA, DoD), and the public.