Healthcare Preparation for and Response to Local Civil Unrest

Recent incidents of civil unrest have affected critical infrastructure components (including healthcare facilities) in many cities across the U.S. Several have recently experienced incidents, some just once or twice, some for an extended period, and many during the COVID-19 pandemic. Civil unrest can affect traffic; patient and staff access to the emergency department and other healthcare services; emergency medical services safety and hospital access; and patient and staff safety around and inside the hospital. ASPR TRACIE met with representatives from several cities who shared lessons learned from these incidents and, in some cases, how these lessons have been incorporated into their plans.