Disasters can happen anywhere and anytime. They can be man-made or natural and can strike without warning. Disasters can result in loss of heat and electricity, damaged infrastructure, even loss of life. Communities can cope with disaster by planning and preparing in advance and working together as a team.
As stated in the Office of Rural Health Policy’s document, Rural Communities and Emergency Preparedness, adequate emergency preparedness in rural communities depends on public health departments, hospitals and emergency medical services providers. Rural public health departments tend to have less capacity and resources than their urban counterparts. Some hospitals, which are the center of health planning, activity and resources in rural communities, have been downsized in an effort to contain costs and, as a result, rural hospitals lack surge capacity for personnel and beds. Rural EMS often relies on volunteers and may lack funding and adequate equipment.
Sources
Rural Communities and Emergency Preparedness (2002)
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
Advanced Practice Centers
Web site
Comprised of a network of local health departments that exist to serve the public health community, developing resources and training. Sponsors the APC Regional Workshops Tour, which visits regions that are underrepresented at national events or lack resources for hazard preparedness.
All Hazards: Resources to Help Rural Communities Prepare for Disasters and Other Hazards
Web site
Provides resources to help citizens of rural agricultural communities prepare for and recover from a number of natural and man-made threats.
American Red Cross Chapter Locator
Database
Directory of local American Red Cross chapters, searchable by ZIP code.
CDC - INFO
Web site
Single source for accurate, timely, consistent, and science-based information on a variety of disease prevention and health promotion topics. Representatives are available to answer questions in English and Spanish.
CDC Emergency Preparedness and Response
Web site
Provides resources, news and information on public health preparedness issues, including bioterrorism, chemical agents, and more.
CDC's Strategic National Stockpile Program
Web site
Describes the Strategic National Stockpile, a national repository of antibiotics, chemical antidotes, antitoxins, and related medical products.
Child Care Resources for Disasters and Emergencies
Web site
Presents emergency preparedness and response resources for Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) grantees.
Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response
Web site
A free online educational program designed for first responders of disaster preparedness and crisis response including emergency medical technicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers.
DisasterAssistance.gov
Web site
An information portal designed to help potential applicants during the process of identifying and applying for disaster assistance.
Emergency Preparation and People with Disabilities
Web site
Provides emergency preparation information for people with disabilities including emergency notification methods, accessible shelters and recovering after an emergency.
Emergency Preparedness Checklist: Recommended Tool for Effective State Agency Planning
Web site
Checklist for emergency preparedness for every emergency.
EPA Emergency Management
Web site
Information on EPA programs and resources to help prevent oil spills, chemical accidents, and other emergencies, implement planning and preparedness requirements, and respond to environmental emergencies.
Flu.gov
Web site
Information on the flu, where to find a vaccine, and free resources for schools and communities. Includes national planning and response information and state pandemic plans.
Health Information Privacy: Disclosures for Emergency Preparedness - A Decision Tool
Web site
Presents avenues of information flow that could apply to emergency preparedness activities. Focuses on the source of the information being disclosed, to whom, and the purpose of the information being disclosed.
HHS Public Health Emergency
Web site
Links to a variety of federal resources on topics related to emergency preparedness, responders, clinicians, and practitioners.
Homeland Security and Public Safety Division
Web site
News and information on states' efforts to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism, agroterrorism, nuclear and radiological terrorism, and cyber terrorism.
Live Response: Protecting Small Town America - Issues and Challenges of Rural Responders
Technical assistance
Recording of the November 17, 2010 Live Response broadcast which discusses risk and vulnerability assessments for rural communities.
MedlinePlus: Biodefense and Bioterrorism
Web site
Links to publications, organizations and other resources on bioterrorism.
MedlinePlus: Coping with Disasters
Web site
News, publications and resources related to coping with disasters, trauma, and recovery.
MedlinePlus: Disaster Preparation and Recovery
Web site
News, publications and resources addressing disaster preparedness and recovery.
MedlinePlus: Disasters
Web site
News, publications and resources related to disasters, preparedness and response.
National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine
Web site
Provides a drop-down menu for each state that assesses the support that each state and the District of Columbia provides for their emergency care systems.
National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities
Web site
An information exchange portal designed to facilitate communication, networking and collaboration to improve preparedness and eliminate disparities for racially and ethnically diverse communities in public health emergencies.
NCTSN: Hurricane Tools and Links
Web site
Provides information about coping with disasters for children, parents, health professionals, educators, relief workers and others.
Online Resources for Hurricanes, Floods, and Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
Web site
Provides information for the general public, emergency planners, and public health professionals for disaster preparedness and recovery.
Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLC)
Web site
Comprised of 14 accredited schools of public health that serve in a national capacity to meet preparedness and response training and education needs of the U. S. public health workforce. Funded schools are located in AL, AZ, FL, IA, IL, MA, MD, MN, NY, OK, NC, TX, and WA.
Preparedness Resources for Healthcare Facilities
Web site
Helps hospitals and health care facilities improve preparedness for disasters and large-scale emergencies. Includes resources for long-term acute and chronic care.
Ready.gov
Web site
Asks individuals to do three key things to prepare for the unexpected: get an emergency supply kit, make a family emergency plan, and be informed about the different types of emergencies that could occur and their appropriate responses.
Resource Alert: Emergency Preparedness
Web site
Identifies resources in assisting human service and transportation professionals as they develop plans to address the needs of their customers in the event of an emergency.
Rural Health Research: Emergency preparedness
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of emergency preparedness, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Rural Homeland Security Resources for Local Officials
Web site
Resources for planning and funding homeland security efforts in rural communities.
Rural Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Resources
Web site
Provides links to Web sites and articles that will serve as useful resources to visitors looking for the latest information and advances in Intelligent Transportation Systems technology.
SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center (DTAC)
Web site
Supports SAMHSA's efforts to prepare States, Territories, and local entities to deliver an effective mental health and substance abuse (behavioral health) response during disasters through resource collections, toolkits, and a quarterly e-newsletter.
Snap Shots of State Population Data (SNAPS)
Database
Provides local-level community profile information nationwide that can be browsed by county and state and searched by zip code. SNAPS can be used when responding to public health emergency events at the state, Tribal, and local levels.
State Offices and Agencies of Emergency Management
Web site
Directory of state offices of emergency management.
Think Cultural Health
Web site
Provides culturally competency programs with continuing education credits and other resources for physicians, pharmacists, and nurses to better meet the cultural and linguistic needs of an increasingly diverse patient population. Offers a free online accredited educational program for a variety of health care providers: physicians, PAs, nurses, and emergency & disaster preparedness workers.
TOXNET
Database
A group of databases on toxicology, hazardous chemicals, environmental health, and toxic releases.
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Emergency Preparedness & Response Guide
Web site
Provides detailed information about radiological / nuclear emergencies, including possible causes and best practices in terms of preparedness and response.
WISER: Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders
Web site
Assists first responders in hazardous material incidents. Provides information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice.
Funding
Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief Program
Benefits public school libraries recovering from major disasters. The fund provides grants for books, media and/or equipment that support learning in a school library environment.
Do Something Disaster Grants
Grants to young people across the US and Canada with a project idea around the themes of disaster preparedness and emergency response.
Guaranteed Loans Under the Section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program (GRRHP)
Grants to increase the supply of affordable rural rental housing through the use of loan guarantees that encourage partnerships between the Agency, private lenders, and public agencies.
Kroger Company Foundation
Grants are made to feed the hungry, support breast cancer initiatives, provide disaster relief, and assist local grassroots organizations.
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grants
The purpose of the SAFER grants is to award grants directly to volunteer, combination, and career fire departments to help the departments increase their cadre of firefighters.
Walgreen Community Grant Program
Funding for access to health and wellness, pharmacy education programs and mentoring initiatives, civic and community outreach, and emergency and disaster relief.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this topic that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
2011 National EMS Assessment
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Emergency Medical Services Division
Provides a comprehensive description of emergency medical services, EMS emergency preparedness, and 911 systems at state and national levels. Chapters 9, 10, 158, and 194 discuss rural EMS.
Date: 12 / 2011
Assessing Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response of Rural Veterinarians: Experiences and Training Needs
Author(s): Chiehwen Ed Hsu, Holly Jacobsen, Katherine Feldman, Jerry A. Miller, Lori Rodriguez, Francisco Soto Mas
Reports an assessment of the bioterrorism preparedness of rural veterinarians in North Texas, suggesting that many of these veterinarians could benefit from additional training in bioterrorism preparedness and response.
Journal citation: Journal of Veterinary Medical Education Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages: 262-268
Date: 2008
Attention from the Top: Roles of State Offices of Rural Health Policy in Preparing for Bioterrorism and Other Health System Emergencies
Author(s): Curt D. Mueller, A. Ketchel, L. Silver
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Presents results from a survey of directors of state offices of rural health (SORHs) on emergency preparedness in rural communities. Discusses emergency preparedness activities of SORHs and SORH directors' impression of preparedness in rural areas of their states.
Date: 07 / 2006
Challenges of Rural Emergency Management
Author(s): Dianna Bryant
Discusses the four categorizes that rural communities face when challenged with an emergency. These include resource limitations, separation and remoteness, low population density, and communication.
Date: 04 / 2009
Disaster Preparedness Training for Tribal Leaders
Author(s): Wayne F. Peate, Jennie Mullins
Describes a disaster preparedness training program for tribal leaders conducted in Arizona. Discusses the role of cultural competency, respect for tribal sovereignty, solicitation of historical examples of indigenous preparedness, and incorporation of tribal community networks in the success of the program.
Journal citation: Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology Volume 3 Issue 2
Date: 01 / 2008
Disaster Preparedness: Preliminary Observations on the Evacuation of Vulnerable Populations due to Hurricanes and Other Disasters
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
Discusses challenges faced by hospital and nursing home administrators that are related to hurricane evacuations, federal program that supports the evacuation of patients needing hospital care and nursing home residents, and challenges states and localities face in preparing for and carrying out the evacuation of transportation-disadvantaged populations.
Date: 05 / 2006
Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities
Author(s): Elizabeth Davis, Brenda Phillips
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
Offers information to assist all levels of government to establish evidence-based policies and practices across the life cycle of disasters. Provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities and evaluates emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by public and private sectors in rural and urban locations.
Date: 08 / 2009
From Hospitals to Healthcare Coalitions: Transforming Health Preparedness and Response in Our Communities
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Summarizes progress that States and hospitals, along with the public health and emergency management communities made from 2007-2009 in the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP). Serves as a guide in healthcare preparedness and response successful models and as an educational tool for legislators, funding recipients and other key stakeholders.
Help After a Disaster: Applicant's Guide to the Individuals & Households Program
Sponsoring organization: Federal Emergency Management Agency
This program guide provides information about the Individuals and Households Program (IHP) and explains how to apply. The IHP provides money and services to people in disaster areas when losses are not covered by insurance and property has been damaged or destroyed. Designed to help individuals with critical expenses. Guide is also available in Spanish.
Date: 07 / 2008
Hometown Hospitals: The Weakest Link? Bioterrorism Readiness in America's Rural Hospitals
Author(s): Elin A. Gursky
Sponsoring organization: Center for Technology and National Security Policy
Profiles of five rural hospitals and how they are addressing bioterrorism issues. Includes discussion of the challenges facing rural hospitals related to preparedness.
Date: 06 / 2004
Hospitals Rising to the Challenge: The First Five Years of the U.S. Hospital Preparedness Program and Priorities Going Forward
Author(s): Eric Toner, Richard Waldhorn, Crystal Franco, Brooke Courtney, Kunal Rambhia, Ann Norwood, Thomas V. Inglesby, Tara O’Toole
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Reports on the status of the Hospital Preparedness Program, which is designed to increase the ability of hospitals and healthcare systems to prepare for and respond to bioterror attacks on civilians and other public health emergencies, including pandemic influenza and natural disasters. Includes information on Critical Access Hospitals and rural areas.
Date: 03 / 2009
National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine: Evaluating the Emergency Care Environment State by State
Sponsoring organization: American College of Emergency Physicians
Evaluates the conditions under which emergency care is delivered in the United States. Grades each state according to disaster preparedness, public health and injury prevention, access to emergency care, medical liability environment, and quality and patient safety environment.
Date: 2009
Perspectives of Rural Hospitals on Bioterrorism Preparedness Planning
Author(s): Claudia L. Schur, Marc L. Berk, Curt D. Mueller
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Overview of rural hospital preparedness, addressing topics like workforce and training, physical capacity and supplies, communication, and coordination. Includes policy recommendations. Based on a meeting of rural hospital representatives responsible for bioterrorism preparedness planning.
Date: 04 / 2004
Policy Brief: Rural Health Preparedness
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
NRHA Policy Brief. Discusses needs of the nation's rural health care system for disaster preparedness support.
Date: 01 / 2002
Prepared to Care: The 24/7 Role of America's Full-service Hospitals
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
Describes three roles hospitals play: 24/7 access to care, the safety net, disaster readiness and response and how important these are to the health and public safety or both rural and urban areas. Summarizes financial pressures and policy questions to address in order for hospitals to maintain their standby capacity and continue meeting health and public safety challenges.
Date: 2006
Preparedness and Response to a Rural Mass Casualty Incident: Workshop Summary
Author(s): Kristin Viswanathan, Theresa Wizemann, Bruce Altevogt
Sponsoring organization: Institute of Medicine
Discusses problems in contacting emergency services when incidents occur in rural areas such as, delayed assistance, limited or no cell phone service, limited access to land lines, no 911 service, transportation, lack of hospital resources, and distances between hospitals and incident sites.
Date: 2011
Public Health Preparedness: Integrating Public Health and Hospital Preparedness Programs
Author(s): Lois M. Davis, Jeanne S. Ringel, Sarah K. Cotton, Belle Griffin, Elizabeth Malcolm, Louis T. Mariano, Jennifer E. Pace, Karen Ricci, Molly Shea, Jeffrey Wasserman, James Zazzali
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
Examines different models for coordination that local health departments and general acute-care hospitals have employed to improve public health preparedness.
Date: 2006
Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Author(s): Jeffrey Levi, Serena Vinter, Laura M. Segal
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
Informs the public and policymakers about
the status of public health preparedness in
the United States. Provides state-by-state public health preparedness indicators and scores. Addresses rural public health issues.
Date: 12 / 2009
Realistic Approaches to Rural and Frontier Hazardous Materials Risk Management
Author(s): Frederick Cowie, Monty Elder, Rayna Leibowitz
Sponsoring organization: Institute for Rural Emergency Management
Discusses approaches to hazardous materials risk management in rural and extremely rural communities.
Date: 04 / 2009
Rural Health Roundtables: A Strategy for Collaborative Engagement In and Between Rural Communities (Project Report)
Author(s): CL Pennel, SL Carpender, BJ Quiram
Explores a strategy for relationship building within rural communities in order to overcome resource deficits when responding to public health emergencies and natural disasters.
Journal citation: Rural and Remote Health Volume 8 Issue 1054
Date: 11 / 2008
Rural Preparedness Planning Guide: Planning for Population Surge Following Urban Disasters
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Assists rural and suburban preparedness officials and communities in developing and planning response plans to address the anticipated population surge.
Date: 2008
Spontaneous Evacuation Following a Dirty Bomb or Pandemic Influenza: Highlights from a National Survey of Urban Residents’ Intended Behavior
Author(s): Michael Meit, Thomas Briggs, Alene Kennedy, Janet Sutton, Jacob Feldman
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Reports results of a national survey to assess the evacuation intentions of urban citizens following emergency scenarios. Includes information on how likely it would be for evacuees to go to a rural or urban area. Discusses the potential impact of an urban evacuation on rural areas.
Date: 11 / 2007
Standing Together: An Emergency Planning Guide for America's Communities
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
A guide for small, rural and suburban communities to both prepare for and successfully respond to major local and regional emergencies - whether they be hurricanes, floods, terrorist attacks, major infectious outbreaks, hazardous materials spills, or other catastrophic occurrences.
Date: 2005
States of Preparedness: Health Agency Progress 2006
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Provides a sampling of how state and other health agencies have used their preparedness funds to increase the safety of communities, to rapidly identify and respond to new threats, and to improve their preparation for future emergencies based on lessons learned from exercises and real-life events.
Date: 2006
Tool for Evaluating Core Elements of Hospital Disaster Drills
Author(s): Sara Cosgrove
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Can be used by hospitals to identify important strengths and weaknesses in disaster drills. The results can be applied to training and drill planning.
Date: 06 / 2008
Uncovering the Hidden Dimensions of Rural Disaster Mitigation: Capacity Building Through Community Emergency Response Teams
Author(s): M.A. Brennan, Courtney G. Flint
Discusses how local people and communities are often the first responders to a disaster. Rural communities find themselves taking on more responsibility in preparing for and resolving local emergencies. Discusses locally-based Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTS).
Journal citation: Southern Rural Sociology Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages: 111-126
Date: 2007
Urban to Rural Evacuation: Planning for Rural Population Surge (Final Report)
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alene Kennedy, Thomas Briggs
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Analyzes the likelihood of urban evacuation to rural areas and provides recommendations for rural planning and response.
Date: 08 / 2008
Urban-to-Rural Evacuation: Planning for Population Surge (Policy Analysis Brief)
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alene Kennedy, Thomas Briggs
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Discusses disaster planning and how rural preparedness officials face significant informational, organizational, and infrastructural constraints in their abilities to prepare for a potential population surge from urban areas.
Date: 04 / 2007
Organizations
American Red Cross
National organization
Provides relief services to communities across the country for victims of disaster.
Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)
National organization
Works to safeguard the public's health by strengthening public health laboratories in the United States and across the world. Operates as a first line of defense to protect the public against diseases and other health hazards.
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
National organization
National nonprofit organization representing the state and territorial public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia. ASTHO's members are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy, and to assuring excellence in state-based public health practice.
Center for Biosecurity
Academic/Research
Located at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Conducts research and policy analysis in national security, biological threats, global health, and emergency preparedness and response.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Federal government
Lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people at home and abroad. Work includes disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Federal government
Responsible for responding to, planning for, recovering from, and mitigating against disasters. Part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Institute for Rural Emergency Management (IREM)
State government
Located at the University of Central Missouri. Focuses on the emergency management needs of rural America. Gathers best practices from successful rural projects and develops guidelines and targeted information to distribute to elected officials and community leaders.
National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
National organization
Provides education, information, research, and technical assistance to local health departments.
National Disaster Medical System (NDMS)
Federal government
Responsible for managing and coordinating the federal medical response to major emergencies and federally declared disasters. Part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC)
National organization
Provides training and resources for emergency first responders, with an emphasis on rural areas. Training is free and is certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Provides grants, loans and equity investments to community development corporations (CDCs) for neighborhood redevelopment.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Federal government
The Department of Homeland Security is a Federal agency committed to working with citizens, private industry, trade organizations, and all levels of government to keep America safe.
Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (WMD-CST)
Federal government
Civil Support Teams (CST) established to assist at the local level in determining the nature and extent of an attack or incident. Helps identify and support the arrival of a state and federal military response. They are joint units consisting of both Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel.
Terms & Acronyms
Catastrophic Incident Any natural or man-made disaster that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions.
Contingency Plan Plan for responding to a system emergency. Includes performing backups, preparing critical facilities that can be used to facilitate the continuity of operations in the event of an emergency, and recovering from a disaster.
Disaster Any incident, potential or actual, which could disrupt daily operations for a prolonged period of time. These incidents generally involve large numbers of people and significant property damage. Outside emergency assistance and sustained recovery efforts may be required.
Disaster Recovery Plan Part of an overall contingency plan that contains a process enabling an enterprise to restore any loss of data in the event of a fire, vandalism, natural disaster, or system failure.
Emergency Mode Operation Plan Part of an overall contingency plan that contains a process enabling an enterprise to continue to operate in the event of a fire, vandalism, natural disaster, or system failure.
Terrorism Violence or other harmful acts committed or threatened against civilians by groups or persons for political or ideological goals.
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