Please submit your events  by mid-June to the July edition of EP Monthly through
the following online form. We would love to share our resources and opportunities
with the growing New England EP Monthly community.

Trainings/Exercises:

Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Training Course
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009 - Friday, July 31, 2009
Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Eastern Maine Health Care System Cianchette Building in the Auditorium Room
43 Whiting Hill, Brewer ‚ Maine
Overview: The HSEEP Training Course incorporates exercise guidance and best practices from the HSEEP Volumes. Throughout the course, participants will learn about topics including exercise program management, design and development, conduct, evaluation, and improvement planning. The HSEEP Training Course is an interactive course that allows participants to share personal lessons learned and best practices while gaining practical experience. In addition to the instructor-led course presentations, the course includes small group activities, videos, and group discussions. The course also provides overviews of HSEEP-related initiatives such as technology (e.g., the HSEEP Toolkit) and capabilities-based planning (e.g., Target Capabilities List [TCL]). This blended approach will give participants hands-on experience that readily translates to real-world exercise skills. Activities include creating exercise documentation, conducting exercise planning conferences and briefings, and practicing exercise evaluation. The course has been developed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) using input from Federal partners, subject matter experts (SMEs), and State and local representatives. HSEEP is a capabilities-based exercise program that includes a cycle, mix, and range of exercise activities of varying degrees of complexity and interaction. The purpose of HSEEP is to build self-sustaining exercise programs and provide a standardized methodology for designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating all exercises.
Contact: Jeremy Damren (jeremy.damren@maine.gov), 207-624-4410

Maine's Elders and Emergencies: Working for the Future
Overview: "The Maine Center for Public Health, the Maine Office of Elder Services and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Maine Emergency Management Agency and the Harvard School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Preparedness (HSPH-CPHP) are pleased to present an online course intended to improve emergency preparedness planning for and among the elderly population titled: "Maine's Elders and Emergencies: Working for the Future." This course is designed for city and state officials, representatives of community-based organizations and other service providers, adult caregivers, first responders, elder adults, and any individual who wants to participate in promoting emergency preparedness for elder community needs. This course will provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary to prepare and respond to elders in an emergency. It is professionally narrated and has non-graded quizzes that will allow one to test their responses as well as printable facts and other downloadable information. We encourage you to share this online course with anyone involved in emergency preparedness or other groups/individuals who may benefit from it."

* Become eligible for a $50.00 gift certificate when you complete the course evaluation *

Visit: http://www.cphp.sph.harvard.edu/
User name: Elder
Password: Elder
***Please note, the above user name and password are case-sensitive****
Certificates of completion will be sent via us mail 4-6 weeks from time of course completion.
Contact: Rubim Rwakabuba, 617-384-9696

Webcasts:

Responding to Victims with Burn Injuries in Disaster Events
Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (ET)
Overview: "Fire killed more Americans in 2007 than all natural disasters combined, and most of those deaths were a result of infection. Find out how improved evaluation, triage and management of burn injuries can impact victim outcomes."

"Live Response-911- Medical Emergency" (Details Pending - Save The Date
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Time: 1:00PM - 2:00 PM ET
Overview: "Live Response looks at some of the unique hands-on training currently taking place at Noble - the only hospital facility in the nation dedicated solely to training hospital & healthcare professionals in disaster preparedness & response. The 162,000 square foot center includes classrooms, exercise/simulation areas & two prototype mass casualty decon lanes. Courses highlighted will include Pandemic Influenza Planning & Preparedness; Hospital Emergency Response Training for Mass Casualty Incidents & Healthcare Leadership Administrative Decision Making. We'll look at how the CDP is now partnering with the DHS Office of Health Affairs and CDC to further enhance medical training being offered to first responders nationwide. The show will also include a fascinating round table discussion about the current state of disaster preparedness & how we are working to meet the challenges of future events in today's healthcare world. Objectives: - Understanding the threat."
Contact: Ed Kronholm (dlnets@aol.com), 877-820-0305

Immunization Update 2009
Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM (ET)
Overview: "This live satellite broadcast & webcast will provide up-to-date information on the rapidly changing field of immunization. Anticipated topics include influenza (including H1N1 influenza), rotavirus, vaccine safety & vaccine supply. So-called "alternative" vaccine schedules & other emerging vaccine issues will also be discussed. The 2.5-hour broadcast will occur live from 9:00 - 11:30 am and will be re-broadcast that day from 12:00 noon - 2:30 pm (Eastern Time). Both broadcasts will feature a live question-&-answer session in which participants nationwide can interact with the course instructors via toll-free telephone lines."

News/Resources:

Coastal Communities Get Hurricane Preparedness Tips
WABI TV5 News, Acadia National Park
By Amy Erickson
Overview: "Emergency Management officials from around the state say they'll be better prepared the next time a hurricane bears down on Maine."

Research:

Protecting Home Health Care Workers: A Challenge to Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Planning.
Baron S, McPhaul K, Phillips S, Gershon R, Lipscomb J.
Supplement 2, 2009, Vol 99, No. S2, American Journal of Public Health
Overview: "The home health care sector is a critical element in a pandemic influenza emergency response. Roughly 85% of the 1.5 million workers delivering in-home care to 7.6 million clients are low-wage paraprofessionals, mostly women, and disproportionately members of racial and ethnic minorities. Home health care workers' ability and willingness to respond during a pandemic depends on appropriate communication, training, and adequate protections, including influenza vaccination and respiratory protection. Preparedness planning should also include support for child care and transportation and help home health care workers protect their income and access to health care. We summarize findings from a national stakeholder meeting, which highlighted the need to integrate home health care employers, workers, community advocates, and labor unions into the planning process."

Conference: