Environmental Health Professionals on Food Protection and Defense

1
Environmental Health Professionals on Food
Protection and Defense

• A NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE
  RESEARCH
• DENIS ROCHEFORT - Michigan State University
• JENNIFER PIERQUET - University of Minnesota

2
Background

• Reischl and Buss (2004)
• Top five training topics, in order
• EH role in emergencies
• Water security
• Food security
• Biological emergency responses principles and
  procedures
• Risk assessment applications for EH emergencies
• Food Security 49

3
Background

• Reischl and Buss (2004)
• Four response themes were summarized as
• Describing the role of EH professionals
• Planning for emergency response
• Identifying key system resources
• Emergency response and mitigation
• Lowest confidence ratings were in describing the
  role of EH professionals in emergency response

4
Method

• Three focus groups of state and county EH
  managers/directors (N15)
• Michigan (N5)
• Minnesota (N6)
• California (N4)
• Availability Sample
• One-hour via telephone conference call
• Calls were recorded and transcribed

5
Knowledge of Intentional Contamination Issues

• Information is limited
• Roles are unspecified
• First responders are the first line of defense
  for anything unusual in a food facility
• Main difference with intentional contamination is
  the involvement of law enforcement and opening
  dispatch

6
Training and Education on Intentional
Contamination Issues

• Training is not specific to intentional
  contamination issues
• Preferred training lacks solidarity
• Preferred delivery method also lacks solidarity
• Biggest training barriers are budget and time

7
Conclusions

• Coordination is key to successful response
• Explore preferred response coordination
  perspectives
• Different training methods are required for
  different knowledge gaps

8
The Next Steps

• Plan of Action
• NEHA Focus Groups
• Web-based survey
• Future Publications developed in partnership with
  both NCFPD and the UMNs Center for Public Health
  Preparedness
• Concluding Remarks

9
NEHA Focus Groups

• NEHAs 71st
• Annual Educational Conference and Exhibition
• June 17th-21st Atlantic City, New Jersey
• Tentatively June 20th 900-1030
  515-645

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NEHA Focus Groups

• Focus group questioning will engage these areas
• Defining roles
• Organizational Structure
• Strengthening communication and coordination
• Education Training
• Networking Outreach

11
Web-Based Survey

• Coordinating with NEHA and industry for survey
  participants
• Data collected will be used for multiple purposes
  and available for public use

12
Future Publications

• CDC and Centers for Public Health Preparedness
• Proposed Title Rural Preparedness and
  Agroterrorism Center for Public Health
  Preparedness Resource Assessment
• FSI Educational Series
• Proposed Title The Minnesota Food Security
  Investigation Results and Analysis
• NEHA
• Proposed Title Reaching Past Knowledge to
  Comprehension Educational Needs of NEHA Members

13
Concluding Remarks

• Training vs. Education
• Definitions
• Difference?
• Blooms Taxonomy
• - Where are we on the scale?

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Blooms Taxonomy
15
Thank You!

• Questions?