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The Passaic County Department
of Health
The Passaic County
Department of Health (PCDH) is responsible for protecting and
promoting the health of the total population of 489,000 people
from 16 municipalities. All of the 16 municipalities are
participating in "Bioterrorism Preparedness.”
The PCDH is not a traditional public health service provider,
however it has a well-organized infrastructure, and is a state
certified County Environmental Health Act Agency (CEHA).
HAZMAT
We are the lead
agency for responding to hazardous materials emergencies (HAZMAT)
by virtue of our certification from the Department of
Environmental Protection and by the County Ordinance. As part of
this capability we have developed a network to coordinate with the
local fire departments that have local HAZMAT capabilities through
formal interlocal agreements.
GIS
We also have the Geographical Information
System (GIS) for spatially identifying population density,
infrastructures such as sewage systems for water supplies,
hospital bases, census tracts, West Nile Virus infected crows,
mosquito spraying patterns, and other information.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
We have a 24-hour Emergency Response
capability through the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, who
provides a communication network as well as technicians who are
agents of the PCDH for HAZMAT Emergency Response.
AIR MONITORING
As part of the hazardous materials response,
air monitoring and sampling equipment is used to quantify
potentially toxic airborne contaminants. The PCDH is in the
process of expanding these capabilities to include more potential
chemical and biological warfare agents. The increased capabilities
will be ascertained through the purchase of specialized equipment
and advanced training.
LOCAL INFORMATION NETWORK COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
The department is a state designated LINCS
site for the County of Passaic. Since the program was instituted
in Passaic County in 1998, we have shown leadership and commitment
to the program. We have established solid relationships with local
health departments, hospitals, schools, physicians, first
responders and other agencies.
EMERGENCY HEALTH PLANNING TASKFORCE
The County and its municipalities are united
in their desire to move forward in the development of an improved
public health infrastructure for Passaic County. In August of
2001, the Emergency Health Planning Taskforce was created. This is
a workgroup made up of hospital ER nurses and physicians,
Infectious Control Practitioners, County and the Local Office of
Emergency Management (OEM), firemen, and local health departments.
The goal of this group is to develop a comprehensive emergency
operations plan for each acute care facility and provide training
for hospital personnel.
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