Summary
FEATURES - Author abstract
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Extract
Say what? Who? Me? Right here in the trenches? Collaborate on what?--Seeking common ground in regional all-hazards preparedness training.
Introduction
Recent challenges with respect to environmental health issues have led to the development of new tools and techniques for use by first responders, including simple and rapid detection of bacterial spores in powder (Min, Lee, & Deininger, 2006). In the future, if the world's trepidation is justified regarding the potential for an avian-flu pandemic, then, as Nelson Fabian put it, "undoubtedly, many environmental health professionals are going to be in the middle of these containment decisions and activities, as it will take every resource of local health departments to deal with the burdens that a flu pandemic could cause" (2006, page 51). Thus, in addition to benefiting from new techniques for solving today's problems, environmental health specialists may also benefit from interdisciplinary training shaped with other first responders, especially when the training focuses on the need for multidisciplinary collaboration among teams of professionals responding to crisis situations. While sharing challenges, successes, and lessons learned from the development of a regional all-hazards preparedness training program, this article encourages readers to reflect on certain phrases from its title, namely: "Say what? Who? Me? Right here in the trenches? Collaborate on what?" Th...See the full content of this document
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