This is the fifth year in a row that the county has received funding from the DSHS for “activities in support of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to advance public health preparedness,” according to the contract.
Of those “activities,” the county will be responsible for preparing to withstand and recover from both short- and long-term public health incidents, among other duties under the contract.
Goals outlined by the county include working on community preparedness and recovery, emergency public information and warning, emergency operations coordination and more.
For increased community preparedness, the county's objective is to "provide a consistent message by using web and social media for community preparedness" and plan to host community events and an emergency preparedness fair, according to the agenda documents.
The county has also outlined plans to identify vulnerable local populations, such as new county residents and new Texas State University students, and build a volunteer organization trained in case management and disaster assessment.
To increase emergency operations coordination and strengthen relationships with new personnel and staff, the county will coordinate with the office of emergency services for public health concerns related to current disaster response plans.
Additionally, the county has identified vulnerable populations with whom they plan to work with: the elderly, non-English speakers, homeless individuals, individuals with end-stage kidney failure, individuals with chronic health conditions, individuals with mental illness, uninsured children, immigrants, refugees and economically disadvantaged individuals.
The county stated it will work with the vulnerable populations "on a regular basis" in exercises and on the Hays County Emergency Planning Committee and will perform outreach activities to keep them engaged.
The grant funding contract runs from July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023.
