The Planning and Preparedness section leads the development and maintenance of state-level all-hazards preparedness and response plans to support public health and medical emergencies. Plans outline key partners, resources and processes to support incident coordination, communication and resource support during public health emergencies. Once plans and processes are developed, staff are trained and equipped with resources to support potential response operations. Plans are evaluated through the design and implementation of discussion-based and functional exercises. Corrective actions identified through exercises and real-world incidents are incorporated into plans to support this continuous improvement cycle.

At the local and district level, local health departments (LHDs) and healthcare coalitions (HCCs) develop and maintain preparedness and response plans.