The public health and medical services emergency support function plays a vital role in providing additional support, resources and coordinating federal assistance in response to a public health or medical emergency (FEMA, 2008). Additionally, public health and medical services provide assistance to victims and response workers in need of mental and behavioral health …show more content…
The importance of the public health and medical services to offer services that fulfill the ESF #8 annex is vital to the lives of anyone affected by a disaster. Having trained personnel and organized plan that can effectively coordinate and activate multiagency efforts is imperative. ESF #8 covers a wide range of services from identifying victims, providing medical care and health supplies, to getting clean food, water and disposing of waste and animal care, just to name a few. The function of of ESF #8 during times of crisis is very important, because without it many local or state governments would not be prepared and many innocent lives could