January 13, 2024- Wildfires have been decimating portions of Los Angeles, California for over a week, according to CNN Weather. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a Public Health Emergency (PHE) for California to address the health impacts of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles County. The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is prepared to deploy responders, along with medical equipment and supplies if requested by the state. ASPR TRACIE, the nation’s healthcare emergency preparedness information gateway, has already shared technical resources with California officials and recently issued the latest version of the Exchange , which specifically includes extreme heat, burns and wildfire topic collections. Volunteers from the Long Beach Medical Reserve Corps unit have been mobilized to assist county and city officials.
The HHS Disaster Distress Helpline is available to provide disaster crisis counseling. Managed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.