Emergency Response Kit

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2013

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services regulates and issues operating permits to over 4,500 food establishments, 310 hotel/motels, 171 children’s camps, 40 mobile home parks, 32 campgrounds and 29 migrant farmworker housing facilities. The mission of the Department is to provide the safest possible food service and safe and healthy environments and conditions at all of its regulated facilities. During a natural or man-made disaster the Department is responsible for mounting a rapid response and ensuring that safe food and healthy conditions are provided at all of its permitted facilities. An Emergency Response Kit was developed to enable trained inspectors to perform more efficiently and to provide untrained inspectors with the information and materials needed to conduct emergency inspections. The Emergency Response Kit contains an emergency inspection report, job action plans, instructions for “just-in-time” training, Go-Packs with all of the required forms, equipment, flashlights, thermometers, etc., necessary for conducting emergency investigations and pre-printed embargo notices. The Emergency Response Kit enabled the Department to mount a successful and efficient response to Super Storm Sandy that resulted in no reports of foodborne illness outbreaks and no reports of accidents or injuries at any of its permitted facilities. The Kit resulted in a 69% increase in productivity when compared to the Department’s response to Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.