July/August 2019: Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services
Direct From CDC/Environmental Health Services Column
July/August 2019 Journal of Environmental Health (Volume 82, Number 1)
Editor's Note: NEHA strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we feature a column on environmental health services from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in every issue of the Journal.
In these columns, authors from CDC's Water, Food, and Environmental Health Services Branch, as well as guest authors, will share insights and information about environmental health programs, trends, issues, and resources. The conclusions of these columns are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of CDC.
Insights Into the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Emergency Preparedness and Response Program
Kerton R. Victory, MSc, PhD, REHS, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Jill Shugart, MSPH, REHS, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Sherry Burrer, MPH-VPH, DVM, DACVPM, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Chad H. Dowell, MS, CIH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Lisa J. Delaney, MS, CIH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Description
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Program was created in 2002 following the events of 9/11. The goal of the NIOSH EPR Program is to coordinate emergency preparedness and response within NIOSH and improve NIOSH's ability to respond to future emergencies and disasters. The NIOSH EPR Program protects the health and safety of emergency response and recovery workers through the advancement of research and collaborations to prevent diseases, injuries, and fatalities in anticipation of and during responses to natural and human-induced disasters and novel emergent events.
The NIOSH EPR Program participates in response planning at the local, state, national, and international levels to ensure the timely identification of health hazards associated with emergency responses and implementation of adequate protection measures; supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's emergency response efforts; and uses the Disaster Science Responder Research Program to identify research needs to protect emergency response and recovery workers while identifying solutions to rapidly support research during emergencies. Training for emergency response and recovery workers is an integral part of the NIOSH EPR Program. This column highlights the NIOSH EPR Program training opportunities and activities.