Florence County
Health Department
Healthy People,
Vibrant Communities
Community Health
Local health departments are required to regularly and
systematically collect, assemble, analyze, and make
available information on the health of their community.
In the beginning of 2015, the Florence County Health
Department completed a new Community Health
Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement
Plan (CHIP).
Through the CHA/CHIP process, the department
collaborated with partners representing diverse
viewpoints. Working together, we identified Alcohol &
Drug Abuse and Mental Health as top health concerns
for our community. A coalition was formed to work
toward reducing substance abuse and increasing
education and treatment options in our area.
Community Health Priorities
Florence County, Wisconsin
Other Community Health Priorities
Blue-Green Algae
What are blue-green algae?
Blue-green algae, also known as Cyanobacteria, are a
group of photosynthetic bacteria that many people refer
to as "pond scum." Blue-green algae are most often blue-
green in color, but can also be blue, green, reddish-
purple, or brown. Blue-green algae generally grow in
lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams when the water
is warm and enriched with nutrients like phosphorus or
nitrogen.
Are all blue-green algae dangerous?
There are many species of blue-green algae found in
Wisconsin lakes and rivers, but only certain species can
produce the algal toxins that cause illness. Not all algal
blooms produce toxin; a blue-green algae bloom may not
be producing toxins or producing enough toxin to cause
a health concern. Larger algal blooms have the potential
for higher concentrations of toxin. Unfortunately, there is
no immediate way to know if an algal bloom is
dangerous or not.
When cyanobacteria are present in high numbers, some
swimmers may experience eye, ear, or skin irritation or
gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea.
Pets are especially susceptible to blue-green algae
because they don't naturally avoid smelly, green water.
Because of their relatively small size, animals do not
need to ingest very much tainted water to become ill.
Many dogs have gotten sick and some have died as a
result of drinking water experiencing an algal bloom or
licking their fur after swimming in algae-filled waters. If
you have a pet that enjoys swimming in the lakes and
rivers of Wisconsin, review the information about
keeping your animals safe from blue-green algae at
Merck Veterinary Manual.
See the DNR blue-green algae webpage for more
information.
Environmental Health
FLOODING and MOLD
These resources are available for responding to flooding
as it occurs in our county:
The Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Health
(BEOH) has created a Flood Toolkit and other online
flood recovery guidance that provides important
information on how to safely re-enter and clean a
flooded building or disinfect a private well.
Flood Toolkit includes guidance on:
•
Preparing for a flood: page 8
•
Disinfecting your well and water system: page 10
•
Re-entering your home: page 12
•
Food after a flood: page 14
•
Cleaning after a flood: page 15
For those in your communities with concerns about
mold exposure following a flood, BEOH has also
developed an array of online health information and
cleanup guidance for mold which includes the new Mold
Toolkit.
Mold Toolkit includes guidance on:
•
Mold Concerns: page 3
•
Finding the moisture source: page 5
•
Cleaning indoor mold: page 7
•
Indoor mold and health: page 8
•
Black Mold: page 9
•
Tenant and Lanlord information: page 10
•
Hiring a Mold Contractor: page 11
•
FAQs: page 12
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also offers
information on flooding such as guidance to property
owners about flooding and potential impacts to private
wells.
Fee-exempt well test kits are also available to affected
private well owners. County and tribal health agencies
should contact the State Lab of Hygiene at 1-800-442-
4618 to request fee-exempt test kits and forms, or to
discuss the use of existing well test kits. The Department
of Health Services (DHS) and the DNR recommend that
private wells topped with or surrounded by flood waters
be disinfected prior to testing for bacterial
contamination.
The Partner Communications and Alerting (PCA)
Portal’s DHS Flood Response Dashboard contains links
to Wisconsin Emergency Management Situation Reports
and National Weather Service maps with current and
predicted river and lake levels.
Staying Safe in the Heat!
You can get sick from the heat even on mild days in the
low 80s! Watch this video and follow these tips to stay
safe during hot weather.
Inspecting our Community
The Florence County Health Department (FCHD) became
an agent for the state in July 2017. Since then FCHD has
been responsible for licensing and inspecting
establishments in Florence County. We protect the
community’s health by ensuring that restaurants, hotels,
bed and breakfast establishments, public swimming
pools, water attractions, campgrounds, and tattoo and
body piercing establishments are in compliance with the
respective laws. The communities served include Tipler,
Long Lake, Fern, Fence, Aurora, Commonwealth, Spread
Eagle, and Florence.
All establishment inspections are conducted by
Environmental Health Specialists (EHS), whom are
nationally Registered Environmental Health Sanitarians.
These professionals work with establishment owners
and managers each day to keep the environment and
your food and drinks safe from harmful bacteria, viruses,
physical hazards and chemical contaminates. Interested
in seeing a food establishments most recent inspection
in Florence County? Visit HealthSpace.
Click here for information on Food Service Inspections &
Permits.