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Public health plays a vital role in emergency preparedness. After major disasters, public health workers are often called upon to participate in a coordinated response and to protect residents from disease outbreaks and other hazards due to contaminated food and water, chemical releases, insect-borne diseases, and unmet medical needs.
In Milton, the health department and other first responders guide the town's emergency preparedness efforts. The department is focused on health emergencies that could potentially harm many people, such as pandemic flu, foodborne diseases, hazardous releases, natural disasters, and terrorism.
In addition to local preparedness activities, the Milton Board of Health is coordinating preparedness activities with 27 other communities that comprise Massachusetts Emergency Preparedness Region 4b. To appropriately address regional public health threats, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has divided the state into 7 regions. Milton is located in Region 4b, which has a total population of 980,000 people located throughout the Boston metropolitan area. Designated health department staff members from each community meet monthly to strengthen the regions collective capacity to effectively respond to emergencies.
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