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Health and Safety Preparedness

Being prepared can play an important role in staying safe and healthy. This is true for individuals, organizations, communities, and the state. This page provides preparedness basics and links to information that can help you be prepared to stay safe and healthy.

How Maine Prepares for Large Events

There are many organizations, partners, and people involved in preparing for large events. Some of the the key steps taken by the Maine CDC to help prepare include:

  • Conduct or participate in drills and exercises, on our own and as part of multi-agency events.
  • Ensure preparedness plans are updated using feedback from partners and lessons learned from drills and exercises.
  • Work with Health Care Coalition of Maine to help health care systems through inter-facility collaboration.
  • Utilize systems that would be employed during an event as part of our day-to-day operations whenever possible so the transition from normal business to a response posture is as seamless as possible.

Tips to Stay Healthy This Summer

Summer activities bring unique health and safety risks, but a few precautions can reduce illness and injury. Take these simple steps to help make summer fun and healthy:

  • Prevent bites from mosquitoes and ticks. Wear long-sleeves and pants and use EPA-approved repellents.
  • Know the signs of heat illness and who is most at risk. When it is hot out, check on family, friends, and neighbors who are more vulnerable to heat-related illness.
  • Beat the heat. Keep cool, drink fluids, and take breaks in the shade and air conditioning. Make sure pets have access to clean drinking water and shade.
  • Protect your skin from too much sun. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, apply SPF 30 or higher sunscreen, check the UV Index before spending a long time outdoors, and wear clothing and sunglasses with built-in UV protection.
  • Be aware of the air quality forecast and how it may affect your health.
  • Keep your distance from wildlife to reduce the risk of rabies.
  • Practice food safety. Wash your hands, keep foods at safe temperatures, and avoid raw or undercooked meat, fish, and shellfish.
  • Stay safe around water. Supervise children near water and wear a life jacket when boating, paddling, or doing other water activities. Even with warm air temperatures, bodies of water may be dangerously cold. Take precautions if you will be on, in, or near inland or coastal waters.
  • Help prevent the spread of illness in the water. Do not swallow water while swimming. Do not swim if you have diarrhea.
  • Stay up to date on your vaccinations. Vaccines help prevent diseases, like measles, that can spread during travel and at large gatherings.
  • Before traveling, check travel requirements and recommendations for your destination. Talk with a health care provider about vaccines, medicines, and steps you may need to address before your trip. Visit the U.S. CDC Travelers’ Health website for destination-specific health information.
  • Most public gathering places in Maine are smoke-free. This includes state parks and beaches, concert venues, sports venues, and indoor/outdoor dining areas. Thinking about quitting smoking or vaping? Contact the Maine QuitLink at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Weather and Environmental Health

Environmental factors often have a direct impact on health. Learn how the environment effects health and steps you can take to reduce risk. Be on the lookout for extreme weather by following the National Weather Service in Gray/Portland and in Caribou.

Warm Months

  • Air Quality Forecast: This daily air quality forecast includes health effects based on the forecast.
  • Heat-related Illness: Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and how to avoid them.
  • Drought Monitoring: A drought has many impacts, including private wells. Stay up to date on current conditions.
  • Sun Safety: Learn ways to protect yourself from harmful UV rays - sunscreen, hat, shade, sunglasses, etc.
  • Maine Healthy Beaches: Make sure the beach you want to go to is safe for swimming.
  • Wildfire Danger Map: Assess the risk of fire and plan activities appropriately.
  • Cooling Centers: When there is extreme heat, cooling centers open and are listed here.

Cold Months

  • Cold-related Illness: Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia, and how to avoid them.
  • Warming Centers: When there are extreme winter conditions, warming centers open and are listed here.

Infectious Diseases

  • Infectious Disease Dashboard: An interactive dashboard with Maine data on reportable infectious diseases.
  • From Insects (Ticks, Mosquitoes, Rabies, Browntail Moth): Learn about insects that can make you sick and how to protect yourself.
  • From Animals (Rabies, Hantavirus, Trichinosis, etc.): Learn about diseases animals can spread to humans. Enjoy wildlife from a distance…do not touch wildlife.
  • Food Safety and Foodborne Illness: If food is not stored, prepared, and cooked safely, it can lead to illness. Make sure your summer cooking doesn't make anyone sick.
  • Travel: Planning travel? Find out if there are any health related travel requirements and recommendations for your destination.

Other Preparedness Resources