The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is currently accepting applications for the 2019-2020 Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Preparedness and Response Workgroup.
Having access to clean and safe water during and after emergencies is vital for all communities. When events such as hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, chemical spills, and other water-related emergencies occur, there is a high risk of clean and safe water being unavailable. Drinking water supplies and private wells can potentially become contaminated and unsafe. Hygiene and sanitation needs go unmet, and the potential for waterborne disease outbreaks increases. Recent events have demonstrated the impact these emergencies can have on local communities, and the importance of being prepared for such events. Local Health Departments (LHDs) are often called to respond to WASH emergencies in their community and consequently need to have access to the appropriate tools and resources to prepare for and respond to these complex events in a timely manner.
In order to advance WASH emergency preparedness and response among LHDs, NACCHO is currently accepting applications from LHD staff (including but not limited to professionals from Infectious Disease, Environmental Health and Public Health Preparedness) that have prepared for and/or responded to a WASH emergency in the last five years, to join the WASH Emergency Preparedness and Response Workgroup for the 2019-2020 calendar year.
The workgroup will provide participants with the opportunity to connect with peers from LHDs across the country to share their experiences preparing for and responding to WASH emergencies, identify common challenges in responding to WASH emergencies, share resources and tools used in WASH emergency response and evaluate how existing tools can be improved to better equip health departments.
If selected to participate in the WASH Workgroup, participants will commit to the following activities:
- Dedicate approximately one hour per month to attending workgroup meetings via conference calls and web platforms, and actively participate and contribute to workgroup discussions.
- Give a short presentation in one of the workgroup monthly meetings about your experience in preparing for and responding to WASH emergencies in your jurisdiction (if requested).
- Provide input to documents, guidelines, tools, and other resources related to WASH preparedness.
The application is now open until September 16, 2019 at 5:00pm ET. To complete the application, please click here.
For more information about the workgroup or questions related to the application process, please contact Deise Galan at [email protected].
