Title: Disaster Strikes Do you have an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan
1Disaster 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
2Project Background8 Advanced Practice Centers
Nationally
- NACCHO in collaboration with CDC
- Create products, tools share resources
- Strengthen local public health capacity for
public health emergencies
3Agenda
- 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
4Disaster Strikes Do you have an Environmental
Health Emergency Response Plan?
- Lesson 1- Setting the Stage
5Disaster 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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9In 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
10In 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
11Initial 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
12Changed 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
13Why 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
14List of Hazards-Natural
- Hurricane
- Earthquake
- Tsunami
- Avalanche
- Volcanic Eruption
- Landslide
- Fires
- Tornado
- Flood
- Severe Wind Storm
- Severe Winter Storm
- Hail Storm
- Drought
- Extreme heat
15List 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
16Defining 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
17Types of Disasters
- Speed of onset (sudden or slow)
- Scale (minor, moderate or major)
- Cause (natural or man-made)
18Effects of disasters
Blizzard/ Ice storm
Tornado
Flood
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21Principles of Environmental Health
- Promote health and quality of life
- Protect the public from health hazards
- Protect the environment from contamination
22General 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
23Immediate Environmental HealthEmergency
Response Actions
- A rapid initial qualitative assessment to collect
information needed to begin an appropriate and
timely response
24Purpose 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
25Specific 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
26New Resource
- Environmental Health
- Emergency Response Guide
27Purpose 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
28Contact 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