Following September 11, 2001 the country became more aware that terrorism is a very real threat. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) felt bioterrorism was where public health departments and hospitals would play a large role in planning to be prepared for such tragedies.

In September 2002, IDPH received grant funding from the CDC for public health preparedness and funding from HRSA for hospital readiness efforts.  All Iowa public health departments and hospitals are responsible for these efforts in their counties.  Building infrastructure has become a very important part of these efforts especially in public health. The IDPH has set up six regions across Iowa to work together in these planning and preparedness efforts. Crawford County belongs to Region 3, which consists of 16 counties in Northwest Iowa.