HHS coordinates Federal health and medical support to State, local, Tribal or Territorial governments or other Federal Departments or Agencies. The goal of HHS deployments is to support local/state, tribal or territorial efforts, not supplant them. HHS provides a wide array of health and medical resources and expertise to assist in preparing for or responding to significant events/incidents. These resources come from the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), the Office of Force Readiness and Deployment (OFRD) and various operating and staff divisions.
HHS medical support comes mainly in two forms: Incident Response and Special Event preparations. Incident Response is normally done in response to or anticipation of a Presidential declared disaster or emergency, such as a hurricane, major flood, major industrial accident, or other disaster. Special Events are known prominent or national events - such as political conventions, world leader’s summits, or other mass gatherings - that require detailed operational planning and readying response forces in advance of and during the event.
Response in Haiti |
Presidential Inauguration |
|
|
January, 2010: The SOC played an important coordinating role in support of the U.S. public health response to the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti. |
January 2009: The SOC coordinated activities for the Emergency First Aid clinic during the Presidential Inauguration on the Capitol grounds. |