Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program and Guidance

The Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement is a critical source of funding for state, local, and territorial public health departments. Since 2002, the PHEP cooperative agreement has provided assistance to public health departments across the nation. This helps health departments build and strengthen their abilities to effectively respond to a range of public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological events. Preparedness activities funded by the PHEP cooperative agreement specifically target the development of emergency-ready public health departments that are flexible and adaptable.

Click here for a map providing jurisdiction-specific emergency preparedness funding information. This includes top 5 capability investments, PHEP-funded staff. and common threats.

Guidance and Technical Assistance

CDC’s experience and public health expertise helps U.S. communities prepare for, withstand, and recover from emergencies. CDC provides annual guidance, technical assistance, and a range of resources to assist health departments with their strategic planning to strengthen their public health preparedness capabilities.

Guidance: CDC provides annual evidence-based guidance to ensure state, local, and territorial jurisdictions have the most current information to better protect their communities.

Technical Assistance: CDC’s expertise includes the operational know-how to ensure public health departments are ready to respond.

Resources: CDC provides public health departments with staffing support, advice, tools and the latest information to improve readiness.  Resources include preparedness field staff, the monthly PHEP Connects webinar series, and the Online Technical Resource and Assistance Center (On-TRAC).