Doug Murphy, Fargo Cass Public Health emergency preparedness and response lead, briefed the board on regional emergency-preparedness services the department provides to six southeast North Dakota counties.

Murphy said Fargo Cass Public Health serves Steele, Traill, Cass, Ransom, Sargent and Richland counties under funding from the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, which in turn is funded by the CDC. He described core services including assistance for entities that care for people overnight or who may need evacuation help (hospitals, long-term care, group homes), hazardous-material monitoring and response, respiratory fit testing and train-the-trainer programs to support turnover in first-responder and health-system staff.

Murphy reviewed mass-dispensing and mass-vaccination planning undertaken during the COVID-19 response and said the region conducts regular training and exercises. He said the office provides 24/7 response coverage and partners closely with county and city emergency managers, with notification channels through state radio and coordinated public alerts.

The board asked how boundaries of responsibility are divided; Murphy said larger infrastructure issues are led by county emergency management while public-health staff focus on protecting people at risk and coordinating health-system needs. Murphy said the region is required to be able to pivot during a novel event and cited lessons from the COVID-19 response.

Ending
The board accepted the briefing and staff will continue to coordinate regional preparedness contracts and training under NDHHS/CDC funding.