Status of collaboration between local health departments and school systems for emergency preparedness and response: Local health department perspective

Background: Collaboration between existing systems is important for protecting and promoting public health. This analysis describes the current level of engagement between local health departments (LHDs) and schools/school districts for emergency preparedness and response activities, the amount of assistance provided by LHDs to school systems for these activities, and LHDs' rating of schools/school districts preparedness. Methods: Data are from a multi-stage, stratified random sample of 750 LHDs. Respondents were recruited via a mailed invitation, and responses were collected with an online questionnaire. The response rate was 21%. Results: On average, LHDs felt it was extremely important to engage schools/school districts in emergency preparedness and response (mean=4.76/5). When asked about specific activities to assist schools/school districts, emergency drills/exercises (mean=4.20/5) were rated highest in importance followed by emergency plans (mean=4.18/5), emergency response training (mean=4.07/5), and emergency equipment and supplies (mean=3.65/5). However, less than half of LHDs reported assisting schools/school districts with emergency response training (46.9%), emergency plans (45.4%), or emergency drills/exercises (43.5%), and only a quarter helped with emergency equipment and supplies (28.1%). About 20% of LHDs did not know how prepared local schools or school districts were, and of those reporting a score, the average preparedness level of local schools was rated as 3.5/5, local school districts as 3.6/5, and their own preparedness as 4.4/5. Conclusion: These results help us understand the current nature of collaborations between public health and school systems, which can be used to identify priority areas for developing successful and sustainable joint efforts in the future.