Public Health Preparedness

Who We Are & What We Do

The Public Health Preparedness Program is responsible for planning, responding, and aiding in the recovery from major incidents impacting the public's health.  We take a positive and proactive approach to help individuals, families, businesses, and communities prepare. The Public Health Preparedness Program engages in collaborative, community focused emergency health planning to address a wide range of public health emergencies, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and pandemics. We create response plans, test them, and conduct training in order to better protect the residents of Bucks County.

What You Can Do

Any amount of preparation before an emergency can have a huge impact and save lives. You can prepare in three simple steps:

• Build a kit
• Make a plan
• Be informed

You can also make a difference by volunteering in your community. There are a number of volunteer emergency response agencies in Bucks County and in Southeastern Pennsylvania, including:

• American Red Cross
• Bucks County Animal Response Team
• Bucks County Medical Reserve Corps
• Disaster Crisis Outreach and Referral Team
• SERVPA

To be informed, you can sign up for ReadyBucks, an emergency alert system that can send you weather alerts, community news, and emergency information right to your phone or computer. Visit the Emergency Notifications page to sign up.

If you would like more information on how you, your family, your business, or your organization can prepare for public health emergencies, please see the following resources:

• Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Information on Specific Types of Emergencies Page
• Pennsylvania Department of Health Website
• Ready.gov

Join the Bucks County Medical Reserve Corps

Become a member of the Bucks County Medical Reserve Corps, a group of medical and non-medical volunteers committed to improving the public health, emergency response, and resiliency of the community. 

Partner with the Bucks County Department of Health: Become a Closed POD

If you are part of a large business, long-term care facility, health care network, or university/college in Bucks County, your organization may be eligible to partner with the Bucks County Department of Health by becoming a Closed POD. A Closed POD, short for point of dispensing, is a private location that, through a partnership with the Bucks County Department of Health, dispenses lifesaving medications to clients, staff, and staff families during a public health emergency. If you would like more information on the Closed POD Program, please email PHP@buckscounty.org

Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide

This comprehensive guide can help all Pennsylvanians to become better prepared for emergencies and disasters. It is available in English, English large print, English audio, Spanish, German, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Russian.  To access the guide in your preferred language, click here Pennsylvania Emergency Preparedness Guide.