An official website of the United States government.
Emergency responses take place in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and contain multiple components. Community (local) governments serve as a link between rural citizens and federal agency programs. This page provides resources for rural communities and their first responders.
Featured Resources
Resources for First Responders
Disaster Resource Center
U.S. Department of Agriculture.
"The Disaster Resource Center provides information on how to prepare, recover and build long-term resilience during disasters and emergencies."
First Responder Capability
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The First Responder Capability program works with all first responder disciplines in providing technical assistance to enhance their safety, communications, data and information sharing, and cross-nation partnerships.
Disasters
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
"The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, leads the federal government’s response as part of a team of responders."
Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium
Provides no-cost training for emergency first responders in rural communities across the nation.
Tools and Toolkits for First Responders
Disaster and Emergency Assistance
U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)
"ASPR leads the nation's medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies."
Tools for Responders:
- Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit (2018)
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
The "[T]oolkit offers strategies to health care providers, communities, and local governments for developing practices and policies to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths."
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Toolkit
Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
"This EMS Toolkit is a set of resources developed for rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) organizations, which are often run by volunteers. The toolkit addresses common issues that these important community entities face to keep their organizations staffed, funded and running smoothly."