NACCHO, in partnership with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), has published a new chemical preparedness handbook designed to assist local health departments (LHDs) in developing effective public health emergency preparedness and response plans for low-probability, high-risk chemical incidents.
Effective chemical preparedness and response at the local level are essential for safeguarding public health, protecting the environment, and ensuring community resilience in the face of chemical emergencies. The handbook contains information on chemical incident planning and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It also contains several planning checklists with recommended steps and actions for LHDs to consider when developing preparedness plans tailored to their community. LHDs should use the handbook in conjunction with existing planning documents and resources for routine emergency preparedness activities.
The handbook encourages LHD staff to define their roles and responsibilities during a chemical incident, familiarize themselves with community needs and challenges, collaborate with agency decision-makers and partners, and engage in interagency coordination to manage chemical incidents that exceed the routine capabilities of standard response agencies like HAZMAT, local EPA, or fire departments.
Complementary to this handbook, NACCHO developed a Chemical Preparedness Resource Library containing evidence-based tools and resources for LHDs to use when planning for chemical emergencies. This toolkit contains background information on chemical emergencies, preparedness and response guidance, training, templates and examples for public communications, case studies, and more.
The resources in this toolkit are organized into the following categories:
- Guidance: Resources in this section include existing guides, strategies, frameworks, and techniques for chemical preparedness, incident response and management, and recovery planning.
- Training and Exercises: Resources in this section are related to courses and training LHD staff can participate in to prepare for chemical incidents.
- Communication Materials: Resources in this section address how to communicate to the public and disseminate messages related to risk communication, individual preparedness, and what to do during a chemical incident.
- Mental Health Resources: Resources in this section provide disaster responders with tools for managing stress before, during, and after a disaster.
- Additional Resources: Resources available in this section include journal articles, reports, and websites related to chemical preparedness, public health response, emergency planning, and studies on previous chemical incidents.
Click here to download the Chemical Preparedness Handbook for Local Health Departments.
Click here to access the Chemical Preparedness Resource Library/Toolkit.
NACCHO and ATSDR are dedicated to supporting local health departments in overcoming challenges related to chemical preparedness, response, and recovery. Visit NACCHO’s Chemical Preparedness webpage to explore more resources.
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