Emergency Preparedness and Response Services (EPRS)
The Emergency Preparedness and Response Services (EPRS) division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health protects and promotes the health and safety of Oklahomans through mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery from public health emergencies, including infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and acts of terrorism.
A major disaster that causes numerous fatalities, severe illness, injuries, disruption of normal life, and/or property loss has powerful impacts on Oklahoma’s economic, physical, and social infrastructures. EPRS coordinates emergency response planning and operations across the agency and with other state agencies, hospitals, EMS agencies, healthcare coalitions, local and tribal governments, and response partners. To prepare for and respond to an emergency of great severity and magnitude requires surveillance, rapid response, dependable communication systems, a trained and available workforce, and volunteers to help perform essential tasks.
EPRS is a federally funded, statewide program seeking to ensure the state of Oklahoma can respond to a variety of public health threats through the administration of the following grants:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Emergency Preparedness Services grant
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Hospital Preparedness Program grant
- Public Health Crisis Reponse cooperative agreement
- Other supplemental emergency response grants such as:
- 2020 COVID Crisis Response
- 2021 COVID Public Health Workforce
The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is the lead agency for public health initiatives including public health and medical systems emergency preparedness and response activities; and the OSDH Emergency Preparedness and Response Service (EPRS) coordinates emergency response planning and operations for the agency.
Publicly Available
- Oklahoma Public Health & Medical System Emergency Response Plan
- Suspicious Substance Guidelines
- Oklahoma Catastrophic Health Emergency Plan
- AFN FAQ
- Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Resource Guidance Book
- Resource Guidance for Access and Functional Needs (AFN) of Children and Youth in Disaster Planning
Email SitRm@health.ok.gov
- Medical Countermeasures Distribution and Dispensing Plan
- Public Health & Medical System Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNe)
- Response Plan
- Public Health Nuclear Radiological Response Plan
- Administrative Preparedness Plan
- Continuity of Operations
- The Epidemiological Follow-Up of Communicable Diseases in Oklahoma Manual
- Infection Prevention and Control Manual
- Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) Plan
- Pandemic Response Plan
- Public Health Laboratory Incident Plan
- Hospital Crisis Standards of Care
- High-Consequence Pathogen Plan
- OKMRC Handbook
- OKMRC Policies and Procedures
Director, EPRS & Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Health Preparedness
Director/Asst Deputy Commissioner - Michael DeRemer
- Preparedness Manager – Sheila Lawson
- Training & Exercise Coordinator – Greg Van Ness
- Nurse Training Specialist (Districts 1,2,5,6,8,10) – (vacant)
- Nurse Training Specialist (Districts 3,4,7,9) – Tamah League
- Exercise Specialist - (vacant)
- Hazardous Materials Training Specialist - Casey Hedrick
- MCM Coordinator – Mark Schultz
- OKMRC Coordinator – Lezlie Borak
- At Risk Populations Coordinator – Glenda Ford-Lee, MHR
- All-Hazard Planning Coordinator – Kerry Stafford
- All-Hazard Planning Specialist – Anthony Degeare
- All-Hazard Planning Specialist – Matthew Bryan
- Training & Exercise Coordinator – Greg Van Ness
- Emergency Response Manager – Scott White
- Tribal Preparedness Liaison – John Curtis
- State HPP Coordinator – Elyce Holloway
- Technical Planning Coordinator – Jack Dimpsey
- EPRS Statistical Research Specialist - Ryan Baldrachi
- EPRS Statistical Research Specialist - Amanda Cavner
- Administrative Program Manager – Sharon DellaVecchio
- Grants Coordinator – Stana Friend
- Contract Coordinator – Rachel Jones
- Administrative Assistant – Bennie Butler
- Logistics Manager – Jamie Doepel
- Material Management Specialist – Caleb Selfridge
- Material Management Specialist – Garrett Cox
- Material Management Specialist – Jalon Rhodes
- Material Management Specialist – Cole Shipman
Local Preparedness Readiness Liaison – Jessica Dean
Contact Information
Mailing Address:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
Emergency Preparedness and Response Service
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., Ste 1702
Oklahoma City, OK 73102-6406
Physical Location:
Oklahoma State Department of Health
123 Robert S. Kerr Ave. 16th Floor
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Phone: (405) 426-8600
