Davis County Health Department has been working since 1934 to ensure that the
health and safety of Davis County residents and visitors is protected.
Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the anthrax attacks in the
fall of 2001, the nation has realized that terrorism on US soil is a reality.
In response, the federal government has made public health preparedness
one of its priorities.
In preparation for the Olympics, Davis County Health Department began to improve
existing infrastructure for identifying and responding to potential bioterrorism
or infectious disease outbreaks. In 2002, the Utah Department of Health
and the 12 local health departments in the state of Utah received a grant
through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve public
health preparedness for and response to bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreak
or other public health emergency. It is important to note that while the
grant focuses on preparedness and response to an intentional attack using a
biological agent, it has also better prepared Davis County Health Department to
respond to more common naturally occurring events such as West Nile Virus and
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Davis County Health Department has worked very closely with numerous response
agencies such as fire, police, emergency medical service and emergency managers
on the city, county and state level to ensure a countywide and even a region-wide
approach to emergency response.
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