Public Health Madison & Dane County

Emergency Preparedness & Response

Emergency supplies on a table

Our Role in Emergency Preparedness & Response

We help support the health and safety of our community before, during, and after a public health emergency. A public health emergency might be a natural disaster or human made. Examples include:

  • Disease outbreaks, like COVID or measles
  • Severe weather, like flooding or extreme heat
  • Biological threats, like an anthrax attack

We do this work in coordination with community partners and existing emergency response agencies, like police, fire, hospitals, and Dane County Emergency Management.

Depending upon the emergency, our role may look different, but generally includes:

  • Providing education and information
  • Collecting and analyzing data to support response actions
  • Working to minimize health impacts of the emergency

Your Role in Emergency Preparedness & Response

Everyone in our community is responsible for being as prepared as possible for disasters and emergencies. Make a plan for your family now!

  • Put together an emergency kit with food, water, and other supplies you’ll need for several days. Plan for your pets too!
  • Put together a family emergency communication plan with phone numbers, medical information, emergency meeting places, and more. You may not be together when an emergency happens!
  • Read up about emergency alerts. Some will go to your phone automatically, others you have to sign up for.
  • Know what you’ll need to prepare if you have to shelter at home, at the place you’re in when an emergency happens, or at a mass care shelter.
  • Make an evacuation plan: how you’ll leave, where you’ll go, places that take pets, and more.

Preparing for Different Types of Emergencies

Poor Air Quality

Be prepared for effects from poor air quality

What to do when air quality is unhealthy

After you learn your air quality index, use these tables to take action

Some people are more sensitive to air pollution.

It’s smart for all of us to pay attention to air quality, but it’s especially important for people who may be at greater risk, including:

  • People with heart disease
  • People with lung disease, including asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Older adults (65 years and older)
  • Babies, children, and teenagers because their lungs are still developing, and they breathe more air per pound of body weight than adults
  • Pregnant people
  • Outdoor workers/people who spend a lot of time outdoors

How can I protect myself?

Use AQI forecasts, available on AirNow.gov  to plan outdoor activities. On days when the AQI is forecast to be unhealthy, check AirNow for your current air quality and take simple steps to reduce your exposure, including:

  • Choose a less intense activity.
  • Shorten your outdoor activities.
  • Reschedule activities.
  • Exercise away from busy roads.

When particle levels are high outdoors, they can be high indoors too. Keep particles lower indoors:

Should I cancel my outdoor event or modify activities?

Generally, outdoor events and activities should be rescheduled or moved indoors when air levels are at "Very Unhealthy" or worse (AQI is above 200). See the tables linked below for additional guidance:

Extreme Heat

Due to climate change, Wisconsin is projected to triple the number of extreme heat days from about 10 days a year in 2020 to about 30 days a year by 2050.

Learn how to prepare for and be safe during extreme heat. 

Extreme Cold & Winter Storms

Due to climate change, the temperature of our atmosphere has increased, which means it can hold and then dump more water, sometimes in the form of snow. As a result, experts expect extreme weather events to increase.

Learn how to prepare for and stay safe during extreme winter weather. 

Flooding

Due to climate change and land use, the threat of flooding is increasing. The temperature of our atmosphere has increased, which means it can hold and then dump more water. We have also eliminated many natural landscape features that can help absorb water in order to develop roads, sidewalks, and buildings.

Learn how to prepare for and stay safe during and after flooding. 

Tornadoes

Extreme weather events are expected to increase due to climate change. While it’s uncertain whether more tornadoes will happen as a result, it’s best to be prepared.

Learn how to prepare for and stay safe during and after tornadoes.

Wildfires

We may think of wildfires as a problem in states like California, but the threat of wildfires is increasing, even in Wisconsin, due to climate change, land use, and where people are choosing to live. Fires in our area can spread quickly and you may need to leave the area. It’s best to be prepared so you can respond quickly and safely.

Wildfires can also affect air quality.

Learn how to prepare for and stay safe during and after wildfires.

Power Outages

Electrical power can go out unexpectedly for different reasons, like a storm or system overload. When electricity is out for an extended period of time, it can affect our whole community.

Power outages can:

  • Close businesses like grocery stores, gas stations, ATMs, and more
  • Keep you from using medical devices
  • Interfere with your ability to communicate, how your water supply functions, and public transportation
  • Cause food to spoil and water to be contaminated

Learn how to stay safe and healthy during and after a power outage. 

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