Hill County  Health Department

"Hand in Hand, Keeping Hill County Healthy"

Emergency Preparedness

Ron Knudson
DES Coordinator		 Danielle Golie, RN, CLC
Maternal/Child Health		 Bridget Kallenberger, LPN, CLC
Public Health Nurse		 Andi Everingham
Public Information Officer

The purpose of this grant is to upgrade and enhance local public health capacity to respond to emergent situations, through planning, assessment, and development of critical capacities in the areas of epidemiology and surveillance, information technology, communication, training and education.
 
Hill County will:

  • Collaborate with a broad-based coalition of agencies and organizations involved in emergency preparedness and response in the conduct of the services and development of the deliverables in the grant.  Hill County Health Department is currently a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee and meet monthly on the second Tuesday.  The LEPC has representatives from the Northern Montana Hospital, City of Havre, Havre Public Schools, MSU-Northern, Hill County Sheriff, Havre Police Department, Havre Ambulance and Fire Department, Disaster and Emergency Services, Hill County Commissioners, Rocky Boy Reservation Preparedness Coordinator and local community businesses.
  • Participate in development and implementation of county and multi-county schedules and systems for regular exercise of response plans with all appropriate partners.  Hill County Health Department is a part of the overall disaster and emergency response system and participates in local, regional, and state exercise activities to reduce duplication of effort, create efficiencies and enhance collaboration, coordination and overall readiness.
  • Employ at least 1 FTE to complete all services and deliverables required in the grant.

Some of the activities that the department will do this year include:

  • Distributing materials related to disease reporting  to local agencies
  • Monitor school absenteeism information regarding number and types of illness reported
  • Maintaining an active surveillance network by contacting key providers and laboratories on a regular basis
  • Be available for 24/7 response systems
  • Identify and address any needs directly related to surveillance and epidemiology (
  • Provide a list of food manufacturing and retail establishments that we have discussed food security with to MT DPHHS.
  • Establish a working group to plan for and respond to the community’s medical needs during a pandemic.

For more information contact Ron Knudson, DES and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

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