Health Emergencies

In addition to the efforts of the local Health Department, members of the emergency management team meet on a regular basis with others in the region* to plan for, and optimize response to, any health emergency. Over the past several years, with guidance from the State, this Regional Coordinating Committee (RCC) has developed and refined an “all-health-hazards” plan and various supporting components.

The basic plan, as adopted, calls for the opening of a Multi-Agency Coordinating Entity (MACE) at a regional level, should a major health emergency occur and the towns find themselves in need of additional resources. This would be set up to facilitate communications and resource allocation, to coordinate response, and to provide a central point of contact with State and other agencies, including dissemination of public information through the local media.

Plans have also been developed to set up what is known as a Point of Distribution, or POD, in the event of a situation requiring mass distribution of medicines, water or other supplies. Chesterfield would serve as the POD site for the residents of Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Westmoreland and Winchester. Testing of some plan elements has already occurred, and further refinements are ongoing.

In the event of a health emergency, information will be made available through as many sources as possible, including on this website, with the best and most up-to-date reference and guidance we are able to obtain. As always, your family doctor is the best source of specific health advice for you and your family.

*Regional health emergency planning takes place under the auspices of the Greater Monadnock Public Health Network, formerly the Cheshire Public Health Network, hosted at Cheshire Medical Center in Keene. Information on this group and its efforts is available at: http://co.cheshire.nh.us/PublicHealth/