Writing an Environmental Health Emergency Response Plan Advanced Practice Center Roadshow August...

Writing an Environmental Health Emergency

Response Plan

Advanced Practice Center Roadshow

August 11-12, 2009Albuquerque, New Mexico

Brian R. Golob, CHMM,REHSTwin Cities Metro Advanced Practice Center

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

Disaster Strikes – Do you have an Environmental

Health Emergency Response Plan?

Lesson 1- Setting the Stage

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

List of Hazards-Man-made or Technological

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

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

Types of Disasters

Speed of onset (sudden or slow)

Scale (minor, moderate or major)

Cause (natural or man-made)

Principles of Environmental Health

Promote health and quality of life

Protect the public from health hazards

Protect the environment from contamination

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

Immediate Environmental HealthEmergency Response Actions

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

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

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

Contact Information

Brian R. Golob, CHMM, REHSHennepin County HSPHD

1011 First Street South, Suite 215Hopkins, MN 55343

brian.golob@co.hennepin.mn.us612-543-5204