Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Disaster Response: HHS Should Address Deficiencies Highlighted by Recent Hurricanes in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Examines the federal public health and medical services response in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico following the 2017 hurricanes, Irma and Maria. Identifies shortcomings of the response and provides recommendations to improve future response efforts.
Additional links: Full report
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Hospital-Based Incident Command Systems: Small and Rural Hospitals
Provides slides and additional links from a webinar featuring case studies of how rural, Indian Health Service, and Critical Access Hospitals responded to emergencies and used Incident Command Systems in Tennessee, Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota, Georgia, and Utah. Features training examples and actual situations - shooting incidents, school bus accidents, water contamination, and more - addressing challenges faced and lessons learned.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
view details
Planning and Partnerships: Coordinating Rural Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Discusses how rural healthcare facilities can prepare for natural and man-made disasters, the need for flexibility, and the importance of learning from others' experiences. Includes examples of rural communities and providers responding to a tornado in Iowa, an earthquake in Alaska, and an armed hostage standoff in South Dakota.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
2019 National Tribal and Rural Training Needs Assessment
Reports findings from a survey of rural and tribal first response organizations to understanding their training needs. Includes information on demographics, core capabilities, training needs, and training information and delivery preferences.
Author(s): Kay Lang, Christopher Murtagh, Richards P. Davis
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Best Practices in Law Enforcement, Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium
view details
Medical Surge and the Role of Health Clinics
Results of a study exploring the scope and level of implementation of emergency management activities among health clinics, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics. Uses information from 175 online surveys with health clinic leaders from 38 states. Features statistics from participating clinics, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, rural, and remote locations, and type of clinic.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
view details
Rural and Frontier Healthcare Coalitions: A Preparedness and Response Snapshot
Summarizes interviews with rural and frontier healthcare coalitions from nine states. Describes the characteristics of healthcare coalitions. Covers strengths, barriers, and opportunities for rural and frontier healthcare coalitions.
Author(s): Shannon Davis
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
view details
Picking Up the Pieces: Restoring Rural Housing and Communities After a Disaster
Acts as a guide to inform and identify resources for rural survivors, local organizations, and communities to rebuild housing and communities after a disaster with an emphasis on housing assistance.
Additional links: Special Supplement
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details
School District Crisis Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Plans — United States, 2006, 2012, and 2016
Examines crisis preparedness in schools, with data on urban, suburban, town, and rural areas. Includes information on district requirements for school preparedness related to family reunification procedures, pandemic influenza or other infectious disease outbreak response, provisions for special needs or mental health services, and funding for or provision of crisis preparedness training.
Author(s): Judy Kruger, Nancy Brener, Rebecca Leeb, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(30), 809-814
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Emergency Preparedness and Recovery: A Toolkit for Rural Communities
Provides information and resources to assist a long term recovery group (LTRG) responding to a disaster and implementing recovery plans in a rural community. Addresses the infrastructure and health needs of rural residents in a disaster. Offers considerations for establishing a LTRG in a small and/or rural area and covers topics specific to rural areas, such as organizing volunteers and financial management.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Planners4Health, Texas Public Health Association
view details
Mass Shootings and Rural Areas
Interview with Mandi Sralla, director of the emergency department of Connally Memorial Medical Center in Floresville, Texas. Describes the facility's response in the wake of a mass shooting in nearby Sutherland Springs in November 2017.
Author(s): John Hick
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 10/25/2024