Delaware

At a Glance

State Population: 1,018,396
Local Health Departments: N/A
Frequent Public Health Emergencies: Flooding, Tropical Storms/Hurricanes, Nor’easters
Key Emergency Operations Center Activations:
2020 – COVID-19 Pandemic
CDC PHEP Funding:
FY 2022: $5,405,020
FY 2021: $5,383,535
FY 2020: $5,312,726
Public Health Crisis Response Funding:
Mpox 2023 Funding: $259,970
COVID-19 2021 Funding: $6,695,170
COVID-19 2020 Funding: $4,567,500

PHEP-Funded Staff

Epidemiologists: 1
Laboratorians: 3
Nurses: 1
Planners: 14
Other: 16*

*Includes IT specialists, administrative staff, statisticians, and other positions

CDC Preparedness Field Staff

1 Career Epidemiology Field Officer

Top 5 Preparedness Investments

Medical Materiel Management and Distribution
Community Preparedness
Public Health Laboratory Testing
Volunteer Management
Information Sharing

Stories from the Field

CDC in Action–PHEP Ensures Delaware’s Most Vulnerable Residents are Safe during Emergencies

PHEP helps Delaware exercise and improve emergency response plans so jurisdictions can keep residents—especially those who are most vulnerable—safe during many types of emergencies. In June 2018, the Division of Public Health led a two-day, full-scale exercise with more than 200 staff to test a mass care plan outlining roles and responsibilities for each health department social services division and establishing a support center for people with special needs. Lessons learned from this PHEP-supported exercise are helping Delaware develop updated Radiation Reception Center and Family Assistance Center plans.

Developing a Mass Care Plan for Vulnerable Residents

Following Superstorm Sandy, staff from the Department of Health and Social Services developed a comprehensive department wide Mass Care Plan that identifies roles and responsibilities for each division. A key part of the plan was the development of a Functional Information and Support Center (FISC), where trained experts (state agencies and community organizations) provide technical support and information for people with access and functional needs (AFN) during response and recovery. As a result, Delaware’s most vulnerable residents are better equipped to stay safe during future emergencies.