Federal resources

These links go to other Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) divisions and federal agencies that give support before, during, and after an emergency.

• Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) helps disaster survivors get their prescription medications.
• Public Health Emergency Declarations (PHE) are made when the Secretary of the DHHS, under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, finds that:
  • A disease or disorder presents a public health emergency, or
  • A public health emergency, including significant outbreaks of infectious disease or bioterrorist attacks, exists.
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has resources for emergency health professionals about public health, natural, and man-made emergencies.
• Food & Drug Administration (FDA) plays a major role in protecting the United States from infectious disease threats and man-made emergencies.
• Office of the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) has resources for people, their families, and communities who are facing disasters and public health emergencies.
• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) gives communities and responders behavioral health resources that help them prepare, respond, and recover from disasters.
• Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) is the main federal agency for improving access to health care for people who are geographically isolated or economically or medically vulnerable, through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and new programs.
• National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a federally coordinated healthcare system and partnership of the DHHS, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. Together, they support state, local, and tribal authorities after disasters and emergencies by adding health and medical systems and response capabilities.
• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Declaration is the process state governors and tribal authorities use to ask for a Stafford Act emergency declaration that gives the President authority to offer federal disaster assistance.  
• Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coordinates federal operations and logistical disaster response capability needed to save and sustain lives, minimize suffering, and protect property as soon as possible in communities overwhelmed by disasters.