Disaster Strikes Do you have an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan

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Disaster Strikes Do you have an Environmental
Health Emergency Response Plan?

• 2008 Advanced Practice Center Training Conference
• February 19-20, 2008
• Atlanta, GA
• Brian R. Golob, CHMM,REHS
• Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center

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Project Background8 Advanced Practice Centers
Nationally

• NACCHO in collaboration with CDC
• Create products, tools share resources
• Strengthen local public health capacity for
  public health emergencies

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Agenda

• Introduction/Welcome
• Lesson 1 Setting the Stage
• Lesson 2 Overview of EH Roles
  Responsibilities
• Lesson 3 Detailed Roles Responsibilities
• Lesson 4 Starting Your EH Emergency Response
  Plan
• Group Activities

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Disaster Strikes Do you have an Environmental
Health Emergency Response Plan?

• Lesson 1- Setting the Stage

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Disaster Denial Paradigm

• It isnt going to happen.
• If it happens, it will not be as bad as they said
  it would be.
• If it happens, and it is as bad as they said, it
  will not happen to me.
• If it happens and it is as bad as they said, and
  it happens to me, then someone has planned for it
  and is coming to help.

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In the Beginning

• Very Little Information Linking EH and EP in May
  2004
• Environmental Health in Emergencies and
  Disasters, WHO, 2002
• Public Health Management of Disasters The
  Practice Guide, 2001, APHA

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In the Beginning(Cont.)

• Journal of Environmental Health Article, Sept.
  2004
• Disaster Field Manual for Environmental Health
  Specialists, 1994, 1998 2004 CA Assoc. of EH
  Administrators
• Environmental Health Officer Deployment Resource
  Guide CD June 2006

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Initial GoalWrite an EH Emergency Response Plan

• Tracked down many interesting web sites
• Never found an EH Emergency Response Plan
• Realized that roles responsibilities for EHP
  were not defined

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Changed Direction

• Decided not to write an EH emergency response
  plan
• Started thinking about roles responsibilities
  for EHP during a disaster/emergency
• Tremendous need to spell out and document roles
  responsibilities for EHP

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Why Are We Concerned

• Natural man-made emergencies/ disasters can
  occur anywhere and frequently do
• Incidents can affect human health, lives and the
  infrastructure that supports society

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List of Hazards-Natural

• Hurricane
• Earthquake
• Tsunami
• Avalanche
• Volcanic Eruption
• Landslide
• Fires

• Tornado
• Flood
• Severe Wind Storm
• Severe Winter Storm
• Hail Storm
• Drought
• Extreme heat

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List of Hazards-Man-made or Technological

• Dam Failure
• Power Outage/Failure
• Infectious Disease
• Transportation Accidents
• Terrorist Conventional Bomb
• Chemical Terrorism

• Contaminated Water Supply
• Contaminated Food Supply
• Hazardous Material Incident
• Radiological Incident
• Biological Terrorism
• Nuclear Detonation
• Cyber Terrorism

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Defining Key Terms

• Hazard is any phenomenon that has the potential
  to cause damage to humans and their environment
• Emergency is not a disaster in itself, but an
  event requiring immediate response
• Disaster overwhelms the affected community and
  requires outside assistance

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Types of Disasters

• Speed of onset (sudden or slow)
• Scale (minor, moderate or major)
• Cause (natural or man-made)

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Effects of disasters
Blizzard/ Ice storm
Tornado
Flood
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Principles of Environmental Health

• Promote health and quality of life
• Protect the public from health hazards
• Protect the environment from contamination

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General Environmental Health Emergency Response
Actions

• Primary responsibility for the health of a
  community
• Includes basic services such as food safety,
  water supply, shelter, sanitation waste
  management

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Immediate Environmental HealthEmergency
Response Actions

• A rapid initial qualitative assessment to collect
  information needed to begin an appropriate and
  timely response

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Purpose ofQualitative Assessment

• Decide whether local capacity is adequate or
  external assistance is required
• Identify/recognize potential threats and hazards
• Assess health risks
• Determine priorities and recommend intervention
  strategies
• Perform intervention strategies and identify
  resources to address the situation

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Specific EH Functional or Topic Areas

• Food/waterborne outbreak investigation
• Water safety supply
• Food safety
• Sanitation
• Mass care
• Vector control
• Solid waste
• Worker Safety/PPE

• Hazardous waste
• Household hazardous waste
• Medical/infectious waste
• Chemical incident
• Radiological incident
• Flood
• Tornado/wind damage

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New Resource

• Environmental Health
• Emergency Response Guide

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Purpose of the Guide

• Describe and list potential roles/responsibilities
  for Environmental Health Professionals during an
  emergency or disaster based on functional areas
• Each topical area includes
• Introduction
• Emergency Response Objectives
• Priority Activities
• Practical Guidance Information
• Provide quick access to useful, background
  information summarizing 15 EH functional areas

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Contact Information

• Brian R. Golob, CHMM, REHS
• Hennepin County HSPHD
• 1011 First Street South, Suite 215
• Hopkins, MN 55343
• brian.golob_at_co.hennepin.mn.us
• 612-543-5204