Revamping Disaster Response For a New Age

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2019

With the ever-increasing number of devastating wildfires, and other crippling natural and manmade disasters in California, Environmental Health Departments must respond to mutual aid requests and have the training to successfully respond to major incidents.In July of 2017, Placer County Environmental Health (PCEH) developed a program to fully prepare its staff to protect the communities it serves. PCEH has also helped the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) create mutual aid statewide standards and a corresponding training program. Statewide, PCEH staff are expected to be fully capable to provide mutual aid regardless of their specialization. As a result of this comprehensive program, they have mobilized quickly to provide staff resources to mutual aid requests to other counties impacted by devastating wildfires.