Public Health Response Unit, Rapid Response Vehicle ready for Carnival season 2-5-26

February 5, 2026

Public Health Response Unit, Rapid Response Vehicle ready for Carnival season

MOBILE, Ala. — The presence of golf carts operated by Mobile County Health Department (MCHD) staff during Carnival season is a familiar sight. The vehicles allow the food inspectors better access to review vendors throughout Downtown Mobile.

To increase its ability to help make sure citizens and visitors have an enjoyable experience up through Mardi Gras, MCHD’s Public Health Response Unit trailer and Rapid Response Vehicle will return to the corner of Dauphin Street and Saint Joseph Street near Bienville Square for the third straight year.

Public Health Response Unit 1 will be used as command center for MCHD’s Inspection Services. It will also serve as a base for MCHD staff that will conduct outreach activities during parades. It is one of the two Public Health Response Units operated by MCHD’s Prevention & Wellness directorate. They were secured with grants to expand public health response for emerging diseases from the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention.

“All the temporary food vendors must meet the food safety regulations as established by the Food & Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said Dr. Derrick Scott, Bureau Director of Environmental Health. “These are the same standards applied to restaurants to ensure food safety and prevention of foodborne illnesses.”

Inspectors conduct spot checks of food vendors every parade night and will continue through the rest of the Carnival season. They will also be on the look-out for any vendors who have not been approved to operate. Those vendors will not be allowed to serve until they are inspected, meet the necessary requirements and have paid any fees due to the City of Mobile and MCHD.

Each location that has been approved will have its score posted in plain view like at any restaurant, along with its temporary food permit. The starting and ending date will be printed on the permit.

Dr. Kevin Michaels, Health Officer for Mobile County, states the Public Health Response Units will help MCHD obtain one of its primary goals: encouraging health interventions by providing collaborative and informative education to the community. Disease prevention, community resource services, health promotion, and health education are many of the services provided by Prevention & Wellness at MCHD.

For more information from the City of Mobile, visit http://www.cityofmobile.org/mardigras/ and https://www.cityofmobile.org/business/revenue/mardi-gras-vendor-information/