Recorded presentation

Mitchel A Rosen, MS, School of Public Health - Office of Public Health Practice, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 683 Hoes Lane W., Piscataway, NJ 08854, 7322359452, mrosen@umdnj.edu, Jim Morris, Cook College Continuing Professional Education, Rutgers University, 102 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8519, and Sylvia H. Bookbinder, MPH, CHES, Infectious & Zoonotic Disease Program, NJ Dept. of Health & Senior Services, P.O. Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369.

Training is a critical component of New Jersey's public health preparedness and response plan. Through CDC’s Focus Area G funding, Rutgers University and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey have developed a 40-hour training program for local health departments in support of the importance to prepare for public health threats and emergencies. The training includes fourteen modules developed for health officers, health educators, public health nurses, registered environmental health specialists, and other public health professionals at local health departments. Each participant must attend the core modules (three days) which include: planning and legal issues of BT and WMD; Incident Command System 100; overview of biological, chemical, and radiological agents; and epidemiology. The last two days of training are specific to the profession of each employee, and include training in developing emergency preparedness plans; risk communication; planning, conducting and evaluating drills; planning and response for public health nurses; building protection; food and water protection; and a hazardous waste refresher. The training provides a baseline of knowledge to public health officials in terrorism preparedness. In the first year of funding, an extensive needs assessment was conducted, and curriculum development was initiated. The second year is devoted to providing the training. The goal of the project is to train 1,000 public health officials. This presentation will provide a description of the needs assessment outcomes, the process utilized to develop the curriculum and implement the training program, and the participants’ evaluation of the training program.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand the process utilized to develop a terrorism training program.
• Participants will identify the modules presented in the program.
• Participants will identify the number and types of trainees who participated in the program.

Keywords: Training, Bioterrorism

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation