Public Health is an essential part of our town and our citizens deserve to live in a safe and healthy community.
Public health professionals prevent disease for whole communities. They keep our families safe from outbreaks of communicable infectious diseases, protect and inspect our food establishments, maintain indoor air quality standards as well as sanitary private well and beach water quality, and are responsible for overseeing the proper design and installation of sewage and septic systems.
* Responsible for protecting and promoting resident and visitor health through enforcement of MA Department of Public Health and MA Department of Environmental Protection sanitary and environmental codes and statutes, as well as local regulations and ordinances.
* Works to improve residents' health status by enhancing access to health care for the most vulnerable of the population; limiting youth access to tobacco products; providing vaccines to the health care providers; operating clinics; conducting surveillance of contagious diseases; and collaborating with other agencies that promote health.
* Actively planning for infectious disease emergencies that may be presented by bio-terrorism. Such planning improves our ability to respond to natural threats, as well such as SARS and the Avian Influenza virus.
