EMAC and environmental health in emergency response.Editor's note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. : NEHA NEHA National Environmental Health Association NEHA National Executive Housekeepers Association NEHA Northern Estates Homeowners Association (Indianapolis, Indiana) strives to provide up-to-date and relevant information on environmental health and to build partnerships in the profession. In pursuit of these goals, we will feature a column from the Environmental Health Services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract Branch (EHSB) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. (CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation ) in every issue of the Journal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EHSB's objective is to strengthen the role of state, local, and national environmental health programs and professionals to anticipate, identify, and respond to adverse environmental exposures and the consequences of these exposures for human health. The services being developed through EHSB include access to topical, relevant, and scientific information; consultation; and assistance to environmental health specialists, sanitarians, and environmental health professionals and practitioners. EHSB appreciates NEHA's invitation to provide monthly columns for the Journal. EHSB staff will be highlighting a variety of concerns, opportunities, challenges, and successes that we all share in environmental public health. What Is EMAC? Ratified by Congress and signed into law in 1996, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is an interstate mutual-aid agreement that provides a mechanism for sharing of personnel, equipment, and other resources among states during emergencies and disasters. EMAC has traditionally been used by states for National Guard and other types of emergency management assistance. Recently, however, it was used with much success during the 2005 hurricane season Hurricane season refers to a period in a year when hurricanes usually form. For more information see: Tropical cyclone#Times of formation. For a lists of past seasons, see:
Key Provisions and Benefits A number of provisions in the compact make its use during emergency response beneficial. First, EMAC provides a sound legal framework and addresses important issues in the areas of worker's compensation, liability and immunity, credentialing and licensure, and reimbursement. For example, Article V of the compact states, "Whenever any person holds a license, certificate, or other permit issued by any state party to the compact ... such person shall be deemed licensed, certified, or permitted by the state requesting assistance to render aid...." If, for example, you are an environmental health professional from Kentucky being deployed on an EMAC mission to Florida, your credentials and licensure are appropriate for emergency response in Florida. EMAC also includes provisions for funding interstate emergency response efforts. Article IX of the compact addresses reimbursement for emergency response assistance by requiring that "Any party state rendering aid in another state ... shall be reimbursed by the party state receiving such aid for any loss or damage to or expense incurred...." This provision is important because all states want to be reimbursed for emergency response assistance rendered during an incident. EMAC also provides a system for facilitating interstate mutual aid in advance of or to supplement federal assistance. EMAC encourages the development of additional mutual-aid agreements among states and local jurisdictions within states. The end result is increased collaboration among states in emergency planning, preparedness, and response. EMAC does not, however, replace federal assistance or support. It also does not affect or supersede To obliterate, replace, make void, or useless. Supersede means to take the place of, as by reason of superior worth or right. A recently enacted statute that repeals an older law is said to supersede the prior legislation. other existing mutual-aid agreements. EMAC also provides a standard methodology for requesting assistance through the use of a formal organizational structure  This article has no lead section.To comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines, one should be written. and standard operating procedures standard operating procedure Medtalk A technique, method or therapy performed 'by the book,' using a standard protocol meeting internally or externally defined criteria; a formal, written procedure that describes how specific lab operations are to be performed. . Specific emergency response roles are predetermined pre·de·ter·mine v. pre·de·ter·mined, pre·de·ter·min·ing, pre·de·ter·mines v.tr. 1. To determine, decide, or establish in advance: and understood by key players within the system. For example, members of an EMAC A-Team are trained in advance and understand that their mission is to coordinate the Request for Assistance (REQ-A) process by serving as a resource conduit between a requesting state and an assisting state. (An EMAC A-Team is deployed to an affected state to assist in coordinating the provision of assistance from one member state to another under the compact.) Authorized representatives know and understand their roles in initiating a REQ-A, obligating state resources, expending state funds for emergency response, and legally approving the response to a REQ-A. This type of organized structure and methodology has allowed for the effective use of EMAC, even during widespread catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. .
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How Can Environmental Health Use EMAC? During the 2005 hurricane season, EMAC was successfully used for environmental health emergency response. On September 3, 2005, a six-member Environmental Health Emergency Response Team was sent from Iowa to Louisiana through an EMAC mission during the response to Hurricane Katrina. The team provided technical assistance, consultation, and support to federal, state, and local agencies in New Orleans New Orleans (ôr`lēənz –lənz, ôrlēnz`), city (2006 pop. 187,525), coextensive with Orleans parish, SE La., between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, 107 mi (172 km) by water from the river mouth; founded and other surrounding parishes in the areas of food safety, water quality testing, shelter inspection and sanitation, and damage assessment surveys (Frank, 2006). Also during the response to Hurricane Katrina, environmental health specialists were sent as part of a public health team from North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. to Waveland, Mississippi Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,674. , on an EMAC mission to identify environmental hazards 'Environmental hazard' is a generic term for any situation or state of events which poses a threat to the surrounding environment. This term incorporates topics like pollution and Natural Hazards such as storms and earthquakes. and implement controls to mitigate risks in a mobile field hospital (Service, 2005a). Finally, environmental health professionals were included on a public health team sent from North Carolina to south Florida on an EMAC mission to conduct community health and needs assessments following Hurricane Wilma Hurricane Wilma was the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Exceeding the 21 storms of the 1933 season, Wilma was the twenty-second storm (including the subtropical storm discovered in reanalysis), thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth (Service, 2005b). These experiences demonstrate that EMAC can be a useful mechanism for environmental health emergency response assistance. To use EMAC in the most effective manner possible, environmental health departments are encouraged to collaborate with their state and local emergency management agencies and other response partners to increase their awareness and understanding of the EMAC system, organization, components, and principles. These departments are also encouraged to participate in education and training on EMAC whenever possible. Other Mutual-Aid Agreements In addition to EMAC, other mutual-aid agreements may be useful for environmental health emergency response. Here are some examples: * Great Lakes Great Lakes, group of five freshwater lakes, central North America, creating a natural border between the United States and Canada and forming the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of c.95,000 sq mi (246,050 sq km). Border Health Initiative (http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-1322945_5104_5279_40279--,00.html), * International Emergency Management Assistance Memorandum of Understanding A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a legal document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action and may not imply a legal commitment. (http://www.scics.gc.ca/cinfo00/85007918_e.html), * Mid-America Alliance (http://www.unmc.edu/dept/midamerica), and * Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement (http://gopher.quux.org:70/Archives/US%20Congress%20Bills/105bills/docid=f:sj35enr.txt). Please consult with your state and local health department, emergency management agency, and other appropriate agencies for details of these and other mutual-aid agreements and their applicability to environmental health emergency response. Additional Information For more information on EMAC and other mutual-aid agreements, please visit the EMAC Web site (www.emacweb.org) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Support for EMAC Web site (www.bt.cdc.gov/planning/emac). Environmental health practitioners deployed on EMAC missions will find useful guidance and information at CDC's Environmental Health Services Emergency and Terrorism Preparedness Web site (http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/ETP). Corresponding Author: Martin A. Kalis, Public Health Advisor, Environmental Health Services Branch, Division of Emergency & Environmental Health Services, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, Mailstop F-28, Atlanta, GA 30341. E-mail: mkalis@cdc.gov. References Frank, C. (2006). The response to Hurricane Katrina: Iowa's interstate cooperation and lessons learned. Journal of Environmental Health, 69(3), 28-29. Service, W (2005a). Public health support of a North Carolina SMAT field hospital, Waveland, Mississippi, September 9-October 22, 2005. Epi Notes, 3, 3-4. Service, W (2005b). N.C. public health team returns to South Florida to conduct community health and needs assessments following Hurricane Wilma. Epi Notes, 4, 1-2. |
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