Terrorism & Chemical Emergencies
Bio-terrorism agents
Bioterrorism is the intentional release of toxic biological agents to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified six "priority agents" that require special preparedness planning by public health departments:
Botulism (Clostridium botulinum toxin)
Tularemia (Francisella Tularensis)
These priority agents pose the highest risk to national security and public health because they result in high mortality rates, and they can easily be disseminated or transmitted from person to person.
The City of Appleton Health Department routinely updates, tests, and improves its emergency plans as they relate to bioterror. The Appleton Health Department is committed to continuing its work with public and private sector partners to ensure any biterror threat is managed as efficiently as possible using nationwide best practices.
Chemical Emergencies
A chemical emergency occurs when a hazardous chemical has been released and the release has the potential for harming people's health. Chemical releases can be unintentional, as in the case of an industrial accident, or intentional, as in the case of a terrorist attack.
Here is a listing of the types of harmful chemicals along with information related to what you need to know and how to best protect yourself.
Radiation Emergencies
Radiation emergencies may be intentional (e.g., caused by terrorists) or unintentional. Types of radiation emergencies include a nuclear bomb, dirty bomb, or nuclear power plant failure among others. If a radiation emergency occurs, you can follow three easy steps to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your pets.