In Citrus County, the Emergency Operations Division under the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office is supported by 18 Emergency Support Functions or “ESFs” – including ESF-8, Health & Medical. Just as the regional Health Care Coalitions were formed to address the health & medical preparedness issues of the counties they represent, the Citrus County ESF-8 Working Group (Citrus ESF-8 WG) was established to address local issues as a subordinate committee to the Tampa Bay Health & Medical Preparedness Coalition (Tampa Bay HMPC). Focusing on engaging all aspects of the community in disaster planning, the Citrus ESF-8 WG addresses issues related to medical surge, training, exercises, supplies, equipment, and disaster response in Citrus County. The group partners with various governmental and non-governmental organizations to share strategies, resources, and funding that enhance the county’s response capacity and capability. Keeping FEMA’s “Whole Community Concept” in mind, the group works towards creating an environment where the entire community becomes more resistant to the impacts of future disasters and can even recover quicker after a catastrophic event occurs.
To coordinate and improve the delivery of healthcare services during and after large scale emergent events or disasters by, engaging all sectors of the health & medical system, promoting effective communication between local, regional, and state entities, ensuring disaster readiness through the coordination of training and exercises, and promoting disaster preparedness through standardized practices and integration with all partners.
The CCHCC conducts meetings held on the last Wednesday bi-monthly at the Citrus County Emergency Operations Center. The EOC is located at 3549 Saunders Way Lecanto, FL 34461. Our meetings are open to the public.
