8 Healthcare Facility Preparedness – examines the requirements and considerations for preparing a community and associated healthcare facilities to capably respond to and recover from a health or medical emergency. The instruction explores topics such as effective coordination, communication, and establishment of a common operating picture; understandings and agreements with relevant private sector, volunteer, and non-governmental organizations; caching and sharing of critical resources; planning considerations for addressing at-risk and special needs populations; and joint training and exercises to validate and improve community capabilities.