Description of Training Material

The training material was developed for EHP in Minnesota and across the country. The initial training program consists of two modules. It has been designed for working professionals to use online. The modules are also available at no charge on a CD for agencies and organizations that want to add this training to their library and for individuals who have only dial-up online service or no Internet service at all.

To obtain a CD, contact Hennepin County Health Protection at 952-351-5200 or email to epi-envhlth@co.hennepin.mn.us Please reference the Preparedness and Response Training CD when placing your order and include a complete mailing address.

The material in both modules addresses basic environmental health concepts - concepts that are important to front line staff with years of experience and to those who are new in the field. For some EHP, this will be a good refresher session and for others it will be new information. For all, these courses are designed to increase awareness of the EHP role in preparedness and disaster response.

The first module is titled Emergency Preparedness and Response Fundamentals. It consists of four distinct, but related lessons.

• Lesson #1 presents an overview of environmental health principles.
• Lesson #2 focuses on communication, which is a key role for EHP.
• Lesson #3 describes responding to emergency events and presents potential emergency response actions (i.e., roles) associated with different situations that an EHP may face in the future.
• Lesson #4 addresses minimizing health implications.

The second module is titled Putting Principles into Practice. The intent of this module is for EHP to apply the principles they learned in Module I to each scenario presented in Module II. It consists of three real world emergency incidents.

• Scenario #1 presents elemental mercury contamination.
• Scenario #2 focuses on an ammonia release.
• Scenario #3 describes a natural disaster (i.e., a tornado).