1 / 23

Writing an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan

Writing an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan. Advanced Practice Center Roadshow August 11-12, 2009 Albuquerque, New Mexico Brian R. Golob, CHMM,REHS Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center. Agenda. Introduction/Welcome/Pre-Test Lesson 1: Setting the Stage

tamira
Download Presentation

Writing an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Writing an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan Advanced Practice Center Roadshow August 11-12, 2009 Albuquerque, New Mexico Brian R. Golob, CHMM,REHS Twin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center

  2. Agenda • Introduction/Welcome/Pre-Test • Lesson 1: Setting the Stage • Lesson 2: Potential EH Roles & Responsibilities • Lesson 3: Developing Your EH Emergency Response Plan • Group Activities • Break • Post-Test and Overall Evaluation

  3. Disaster Strikes – Do you have an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan? Lesson 1- Setting the Stage

  4. Disaster Denial Paradigm • It isn’t 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.

  5. 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

  6. 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 • Many NACCHO APC Products

  7. Initial Goal:Write 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. Hurricane Earthquake Tsunami Avalanche Volcanic Eruption Landslide Fires Tornado Flood Severe Wind Storm Severe Winter Storm Hail Storm Drought Extreme heat List of Hazards-Natural

  11. Dam or Bridge 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 List of Hazards-Man-made or Technological

  12. 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

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

  14. Principles of Environmental Health • Promote health and quality of life • Protect the public from health hazards • Protect the environment from contamination

  15. 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

  16. Immediate Environmental HealthEmergency Response Actions • A rapid initial qualitative assessment to collect information needed to begin an appropriate and timely response

  17. 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

  18. 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 Specific EH Functional or Topic Areas

  19. Contact Information Brian R. Golob, CHMM, REHS Hennepin County HSPHD 1011 First Street South, Suite 215 Hopkins, MN 55343 brian.golob@co.hennepin.mn.us 612-543-5204

More Related