Public Health Response

Public Health Response Team preparing to help the community

Cheyenne Laramie County Public Health’s Public Health Response is a multidisciplinary team of public health professionals available to respond to events such as bioterrorism and natural disaster.

To speak to our Public Health Response Coordinator, call 307. 633.4063, or send an email.

Community Readiness Initiative (CRI)

This program is designed to enhance preparedness in Wyoming’s largest population centers—where nearly 60% of the population resides—to effectively respond to large public health emergencies that require life-saving medicines and medical supplies. The CRI develops, tests, and maintain plans to quickly receive medical countermeasures from the Strategic National Stockpile (the nation’s largest supply of medical countermeasures for use in a public health emergency severe enough that local supplies are depleted) and distribute them to local communities.

Emergency Preparedness

The responsibilities of Emergency Preparedness are to:

  • Assess and strengthen capabilities through training, drills, and exercises that better equip the team for activating, operating, and managing a public health emergency (including pandemic influenza and anthrax response) to include staffing the public health emergency operations center
  • Coordinate drills/ exercise with community partners to demonstrate the ability to rapidly share/exchange information with key partners
  • Coordinate with hospitals to ensure public health and hospitals understand and concur with each other’s role during public health emergencies
  • Conduct Points of Dispensing (POD) exercise using a Medical Countermeasures/Strategic National Stockpile (MCM/SNS) scenario based on a pandemic influenza event with jurisdiction partners (includes healthcare coalitions, as applicable)
  • Participate in an exercise of communication applications for rapid alerting and notification for partner and local jurisdiction

Bioterrorism

Our professionals have been preparing for and are prepared to respond to bioterrorism events. In response to such an event, they will be a part of a multi-team emergency response system.

Natural Disaster

During natural disasters, our team of professionals responds to areas of Laramie County where a disaster has occurred with information, testing, and immunizations to protect those exposed to diseases through unsafe conditions or unsafe water.

Respiratory Protection Program

Through this program, we assist community partners in developing respiratory protection programs for situations in which airborne contaminants or biological infections place employees at risk. We’re also equipped to assist employers with the development of their plans, including education regarding appropriate personnel protective equipment (PPE) and fit-testing.


Response Planning

In collaboration with partners and stakeholders, Response Planning uses the current CMIST framework to review and update jurisdictional preparedness plans, ensuring they include at-risk populations and those with access and functional needs (AFN). They accomplish this by:

  • Identifying at-risk populations in the community with AFN
  • Coordinating with whole community partners (by including each in planning meetings and/or by sharing plans with each to solicit feedback)
  • Considering AFN of individuals in planning
  • Ensuring child- and senior-focused needs and partnerships are considered in planning
Public Health Response team preparing medical supplies