New Online Training and Resource Guide Launched for Preparedness Coordinators in North Carolina
Jane was just hired at her local health department. In addition to working as the communicable disease nurse, Jane is also the designated preparedness coordinator (PC). In North Carolina, PCs are responsible for improving the capacity of local health departments to plan for and respond to public health emergencies. Since Jane is new to the job and does not have a background in emergency preparedness, where will she turn to for trainings and resources?
To address the ongoing need for trainings and resources for North Carolina PCs, the UNC Center for Public Health Preparedness partnered with the Public Health Preparedness and Response Branch (PHP&R) of the North Carolina Divison of Public Health to develop the NC Preparedness Coordinators Tool Kit.
| The NC Preparedness Coordinators Tool Kit provides links to online trainings and resources in the following preparedness topic areas: - Introduction to Public Health Preparedness - Planning - Exercises - Partners - Medical Countermeasures Management - Responder Health and Safety - Disaster Behavioral Health - Disaster Epidemiology - Communication - Legal Issues |
The purpose of the tool kit is to be a quick online training and resource guide to aid PCs and local health department staff in the areas of public health preparedness and planning.
“PCs play in important role in improving the capacity of health departments to plan for and respond to public health emergencies,” said Julie Casani, MD, MPH, Branch Head and Bioterrorism Coordinator for PHP&R. “Since many PCs have other job responsibilities, we wanted to create a tool kit where all the needed resources and trainings are in one central location that can be updated easily.”
Trainings in the toolkit come from UNC CPHP and other trusted training providers. Many provide continuing education credit. While some of the content is specific to North Carolina, many of the trainings are broadly applicable to preparedness staff at the local level in all states and map to key functions in the Public Health Preparedness Capabilities.
Resources for each topic include links to helpful websites and state-specific maps, forms, and handouts.
Visit the tool kit at http://cphp.sph.unc.edu/pctoolkit/.
