Emergency Preparedness & Response
The Baltimore City Health Department Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response (OPHPR) is committed to preparing Baltimore City for public health emergencies such as large-scale disease outbreaks, bioterror events, and other emergencies with an impact on the health of the community.
We do this by:
- Talking to residents and community leaders about ways we can prepare ourselves for health emergencies.
- Planning together with government agencies and local healthcare for the response.
- Monitoring information from hospital emergency department visits, the weather, and other data to identify risks to health or possible health emergencies.
- Partnering with the city, state, private partners, and community groups to identify resources to meet the needs of the public during emergencies that include extreme heat (Code Red) and extreme cold (Code Blue).
Our office is grant-funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).
Code Red Extreme Heat
- See the Code Red page for details
Code Blue Extreme Cold
- See the Code Blue page for details
Maryland Responds (Maryland's Medical and Public Health Volunteer Corps)
- See the Maryland Responds page for more information on how to register/apply.
Health concerns in natural disasters
- CDC Earthquakes
- CDC Floods
- CDC Tornadoes
- CDC Hurricanes
- CDC Landslides/Mudslides
- CDC Lightning
- CDC Winter Weather
Community health resilience and outreach
To request a presentation on community health resilience and emergency preparedness or to request our participation in your health fair/community event, call us at 443-984-2622 or email us.
Bioterrorism preparedness
Health system preparedness
- National Hospital Preparedness Program: Guidance, reports, and research
- National Healthcare Coalition Resource Center
Infectious disease preparedness
- Infectious disease after a disaster
- Flu planning and preparedness
- Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever information
- Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68 )
Local and state preparedness and response partners
- Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management
- Baltimore City Fire Department
- Baltimore City Police Department
- Baltimore City Recreation and Parks
- Baltimore Department of Public Works
- Baltimore City Department of Transportation
- Maryland Department of Health Office of Preparedness and Response
- Maryland Emergency Management Agency
- Governor’s Office of Homeland Security
- American Red Cross
Contact Information:
Phone: 443-984-2622
Email Us: