Preparedness Webinars

We aim to improve the capacity of environmental health to address emergency health threats and improve the national preparedness, response, and recovery framework. Review the webinars for up-to-date information on community preparedness topics and resources.

Successes and Challenges of Coordinating Across Sectors to Enhance Preparedness and Response of Environmental Health Disasters

This webinar provides the environmental public health workforce with best practices and strategies for overcoming the challenges of coordinating across sectors to enhance preparedness and response to environmental health disasters. This is a moderated panel session consisting of environmental public health emergency experts from federal, state, local, and tribal organizations.

Digital Tools for Disaster Health Equity

This webinar can assist environmental health professionals with social vulnerability, healthy places, and climate change health vulnerability indicators.

  • Webinar Recording | YouTube
  • Webinar Slide Deck, County of Los Angeles Public Health | PDF
  • Webinar Slide Deck, California Department of Public Health | PDF
  • Webinar Slide Deck, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | PDF

Comprehensive Disaster Assessment and Readiness Toolkit

This preparedness webinar covers a suite of scenario-driven app-based surveys and tools that help standardize how to evaluate if public health and healthcare facilities are prepared for an emergency.

  • Webinar Recording | YouTube
  • Webinar Slide Deck | PDF

Fentanyl Contaminated Properties: How Can We Clean Them Up?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that can be deadly even in small amounts. Emergency responders and hazmat teams risk potential exposure to the opioid when responding to incidents at mixing houses, pill factories, or in makeshift laboratories found in apartments, hotels, houses, garages, and storage facilities. EPA has developed a fentanyl fact sheet to support EPA on-scene coordinators' providing assistance to local, state, tribal, and county hazmat partners in remediation of opioid contamination.

When developing the factsheet, EPA researchers identified research gaps in the sampling and cleanup approaches of fentanyl contaminated materials. Since the fact sheet was developed, EPA researchers have tested multiple off-the-shelf, easy-to-access products for their ability to decontaminate fentanyl on common materials.

  • Webinar Recording, December 2020 | YouTube

Dr. Lukas Oudejans is a Research Physical Scientist with the US EPA Office of Research and Development's Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Over the past twelve years, he has gained vast experience in homeland security programs related to research, development and evaluation of innovative technologies for the decontamination of materials contaminated with chemical or biological agents. Currently, he is leading multiple research efforts to assess and improve on decontamination options for biological and chemical contaminated materials including contamination associated with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogs. Dr. Oudejans holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

EPA's Research on Environmental Cleanup and Disinfection of SARS-CoV-2

EPA scientists are building on a foundation of world-class research by applying their knowledge to reduce the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. This research will help states & territories, tribes, and local governments, including public health agencies guide homeowners, business owners, and others reduce the risk of exposure. This webinar will highlight research EPA is working on related to environmental cleanup and disinfection.

Reducing the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 relies on effective cleaning and disinfection. Presenter and EPA scientist Dr. Shawn Ryan will discuss how EPA researchers are assessing the use of disinfectants on many different surfaces and objects as well as determining the best environmental sample collection methods and the limits of detection for SARS-CoV-2. To determine the effectiveness of these approaches, researchers are also developing a method to quickly analyze surface samples for the live virus, both before and after the disinfection process. Dr. Ryan will also discuss the development of strategies to decontaminate PPE.

  • Webinar Slide Deck | PDF
  • Webinar Recording, June 2020 | YouTube

Speaker: Shawn P. Ryan
Shawn P. Ryan is a chemical engineer for the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA), serving as the Director of the Homeland Security and Materials Management Division in the Office of Research and Development's Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Dr. Ryan also leads the EPA's Homeland Security Research Program. Previously, Dr. Ryan led the Decontamination and Consequence Management Division within ORD's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) since 2010. He also served as the Deputy National Program Director for the Homeland Security Research Program (HSRP) in 2018. Dr. Ryan has been a leader within ORD spearheading EPA partner engagement throughout the research process. He has initiated and led several large-scale interagency projects that have made significant advances in Homeland Security and served as models of partnership between ORD and EPA Program Offices and Regions. Dr. Ryan has over 19 years of experience at the EPA, including 16 years leading research to support EPA's Homeland Security mission. His expertise includes process engineering, reaction kinetics, and environmental engineering, and his research at the EPA has focused on biological and chemical agent-related decontamination. Dr. Ryan received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 2001 and his BS in Environmental Engineering in 1995 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Email: ryan.shawn@epa.gov.

EPA's CyAN Mobile App Provides Early Detection of Algal Blooms in U.S. Freshwater Systems

The CyAN App is a mobile application that uses satellite data to map the location of harmful algal blooms in waters across the US. The app provides weekly information about cyanobacteria concentrations in many of the largest water bodies in the country. This information can be used to inform decisions regarding recreational and drinking water safety. The CyAN App is designed for use on AndroidTM devices and is available for download on Google PlayTM. This webinar will provide a general overview of the app including what it is used for, why and how it was developed, and who it was designed for, as well as state case studies from their beta testing of the CyAN app.

  • Webinar Slide Deck | PDF
  • Webinar Recording, November 2019 | YouTube

Speaker: Blake A. Schaeffer, Ph.D.
Blake is a physical scientist with EPA's Office of Research and Development in Durham, North Carolina. His research focus is on the use of satellite remote sensing technology to monitor water quality in coasts, estuaries, and lakes. Blake's interests generally include integrating remote sensing technologies into water quality management frameworks.

Speaker: John M. Johnston, Ph.D.
John is a supervisory research ecologist with EPA's Office of Research and Development in Athens, Georgia. His research focus is on water quality monitoring and modeling to forecast ecosystem services and their influence on human health. John's interests include life cycle impact assessment, remote sensing, spatial modeling, and sustainability analysis.

Community Tools and Resources: Ways to Mitigate The Adverse Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke Webinar

The impact of wildland fire smoke on air quality and health is an issue growing in importance to many health officials across the country, as well as federal, state and local decision-makers. This webinar gives an overview of EPA's tools and resources available to provide public health guidance and education before, during and after wildfire events.

  • Webinar Slide Deck | PDF
  • Webinar Recording, May 2019 | YouTube

Speaker: Dr. Tom Long
Dr. Tom Long is an Assistant Laboratory Director for EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL).

Environmental Health and Emergency Management Webinar

This NEHA-hosted webinar featured Karla Black, emergency preparedness coordinator at the Kent County Health Department in Grand Rapids, Michigan, who discussed incorporating environmental health response to flooding, Ebola planning, and vapor intrusion. Additionally, Black provided an overview of Grand Rapids Health Department's radiation exercise.

  • Webinar Slide Deck | PDF
  • Webinar Recording, July 2018 | YouTube