the quality of milk that is produced and sold to the public. This branch also monitors the development of product standards of identity and legal labeling for all dairy products as mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Kentucky adopted the 2017 edition of the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, a federally mandated ordinance which ensures certain quality standards and which allows milk produced and processed in Kentucky to be produced, processed, transported and sold to all other forty-nine states.

The Food Safety Branch provides regulatory oversight to Kentucky's multi-billion dollar food industry. The branch provides training and technical consultation to local health department (LHD) employees who inspect food service establishments, retail food stores, vending machine companies, tattoo studios, body piercing facilities, boarding homes, tanning facilities, and bed and breakfast establishments in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases and injuries. The branch also directly regulates food manufacturing and storage programs and the farmer's market for program compliance with state regulations. The branch responds to and investigates food recalls and works closely with the federal FDA on outbreak investigation involving regulated foods. The Food Safety Branch is also actively involved during natural and man-made disasters to protect the food supply.

The Drug and Supplement Branch is responsible for the regulatory oversight of Hemp-Derived Cannabinoid, Delta 8, Kratom and Dietary Supplement products in Kentucky. This branch aims to ensure the safety and well-being of Kentucky residents by the managing and overseeing the production and distribution of these substances.

The Environmental Management Branch is responsible for the oversight and regulatory requirements involving public facilities, including hotels/motels, public restrooms, schools, state confinement facilities, public swimming and bathing facilities, mobile home/recreational vehicle parks/communities, and youth camps through annual operating permits and routine inspections as required by law. The branch provides technical assistance and training to the sixty-one (61) LHDs which provide direct inspection of the regulated entities. The branch is also responsible for conducting initial certification and ongoing specialized trainings to LHD environmental staff, providing continuing education for septic system installers, approving septic system components and experimental designs, providing consumer education on such issues as mold and bedbugs, operating a radon education program, and providing support for both the rabies control program and issues regarding private water sources. The branch additionally is responsible for maintaining certifications and tracking continuing education for certified radon professionals.

This branch ensures that public health nuisances (illegal garbage dumps, accumulation of trash and garbage, rodent infestations, mosquito infestations, and untreated sewage) are investigated and abated by LHD inspectors. Through its education, investigation, permitting, and inspection activities, the Environmental Management Branch has a direct effect on protecting the lives of the public as well as, the operation of most private business entities.

The Public Safety Branch is responsible for the regulation and certification of lead abatement professionals and clearance testing of mitigated properties. This branch also oversees the public swimming pool construction program and the methamphetamine contaminated properties program. Public Safety provides epidemiological support for disease cluster investigations and supports statistical and standardized reporting of environmental data. This branch houses the CDC funded program that provides data to the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to establish links between the environment and health outcomes.

The Public Health Workforce Readiness Branch is structured to include a public health workforce education section and public health student education section. This structure supports department programs and initiatives to recruit, train and sustain a competent and diverse response-ready public health workforce for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The Harm Reduction Branch focuses on improving the health and safety of Kentuckians through prevention, promotion, and protection. The branch works to deliver harm reduction services that aim to reach individuals who are not otherwise accessing healthcare services by providing naloxone, wound care kits and drug testing strips. Its work is made possible through community involvement and collaboration with Kentucky's local health departments and other community-based organizations.

The Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch is responsible for enhancing the capacity of the Department for Public Health (DPH), local public health departments, and the health care system to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from the adverse health effects of public health emergencies. DPH is the lead agency for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF-8) for coordination of public health and medical-related preparedness, and this branch works with 38 external ESF-8 partners to conduct response and recovery activities for emergencies, exercises, and planned events. The state ESF-8 Plan builds capacity for: