Divisions of Office of Readiness and Response

Coordinates CDC’s preparedness, assessment, response, recovery, and evaluation prior to and during public health emergencies. The CDC Emergency Operations Center is staffed around the clock. It provides worldwide situational awareness of public health emergencies.

Develop and implement the science of readiness and response; build scientific expertise to address health disparities and community mitigation; evaluate STLT readiness and response; and inform a broader framework for evaluating the agency’s readiness state.

Oversees the Federal Select Agent Program, which regulates all entities that possess, use, and/or transfer biological agents or toxins that could pose a severe threat to public health and safety. Ensures compliance with select agent regulations by providing guidance to registered entities and conducting evaluations and inspections.

Manages the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreement, which supports preparedness nationwide in state, local, tribal, and territorial public health departments. The cooperative agreement currently funds 62 awardees including all 50 states, eight U.S. territories and freely associated states, and four localities.