NACCHO staff contributed to a research study about the role of health departments in responding to disease and health threats. This article, published in the journal PLoS ONE, examines the common themes in health departments’ response patterns that will influence predictions and expectations for the resources and capabilities required to respond to future acute events. More than 120 local health departments shared their experiences with acute public health incidents, such as infectious disease outbreaks, severe weather events, chemical spills, and bioterrorism threats. Read the article to learn more about the study and implications for local health departments.