An assessment of emergency preparedness in western Wisconsin.

BACKGROUND Emergency preparedness is important for our national defense. Preparedness has been prioritized in Wisconsin, but little has been done to gauge the knowledge, training, and resource gaps that remain-especially those that are necessary for a coordinated community response. OBJECTIVE To determine the emergency preparedness knowledge, training, and resource needs of community-based professionals in Western Wisconsin, an assessment was conducted during 2004-2005, centering around a coordinated community response training exercise involving more than 100 civilian and military personnel. METHODS The assessment used questionnaires, observation, and interviews to gather data. The target population was comprised of 10 professional cohorts: physicians, nurses, public health and mental health professionals, health educators, veterinarians, pharmacists, dental professionals, law enforcement, and emergency/ fire personnel. The survey was delimited to 7 Western Wisconsin counties. RESULTS The findings revealed that training needs existed across all cohorts, with the most acute training needs being decontamination procedures and communication. The highest awareness and knowledge levels occurred with physicians, nurses, and public health professionals. On-site coordination and communication systems were the weakest aspects of coordinated community response.