On January 25, 2011, President Barak Obama will deliver the annual State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress from the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol. The State of the Union gives the President the opportunity to report on the condition of our Nation and outline his legislative agenda and priorities to Congress and the American people.
During that time, HHS will provide public health and medical assets, including provide highly trained medical personnel and resources, as part of a larger inter-agency effort to ensure a safe environment in and around the U.S. Capitol buildings. If an incident occurs, HHS will coordinate the Federal public health response through the
HHS Secretary’s Operations Center (SOC).
The SOC serves as the focal point for real-time situational awareness related to public health issues, facilitates information sharing, and supports operations communication with its partners to improve the health security. The SOC is providing support for the State of the Union Address under the
Emergency Support Function 8 of the National Response Framework, which relates to Public Health and Medical Services.