Pillars of Governmental Environmental Public Health | A Guide to Scalable Environmental Public Health Programs
Funding Sources/Barriers For many jurisdictions, vectorborne program funding orig- inated with local general funds. Some participants shared that their programs receive some funds from the state through property taxes. Federal funding through grants like the Public Health Emergency Preparedness grant or the Epi- demiology Laboratory Capacity Cooperative Agreement has provided resources for activities like laboratory testing for pri- ority diseases, such as mosquito testing for West Nile virus. Grants through member-based organizations have pro- vided some one-off funding for some programs, but pur- suing these types of opportunities can sometimes require adapting the program to meet funding requirements rather than the needs of the communities the departments serve. For a few participants, funding is a multifactorial pro- cess that takes into consideration the tourism industry
and public opinion and support. Media coverage of dis- ease outbreaks, such as a West Nile virus outbreak or even resulting lawsuits, can garner public attention and incentivize politicians to allocate more funds to the vec- torborne program. This method of funding, however, can be unpredictable and unsustainable but has provided a much-needed funding boost for the programs that other- wise would not have received it. Potential sources of revenue for this program could be through a variety of taxes or fees on the populace—mos- quito abatement fees on utility bills, income taxes, prop- erty and parcel taxes, or pet registration taxes. Participants spoke about an instance where the National Park Service was able to negotiate an agreement with a local public health program to pay them for services. Using the funds from this agreement, the environmental public health pro- gram was able to hire an FTE for this program.
Emergency Preparedness
Program Overview and Core Services/Activities
PROGRAM
RECOMMENDED WORKLOAD
EDUCATION AND CREDENTIALS
EQUIPMENT
KEY METRICS
Emergency Preparedness
As needed basis
• Bachelor’s in science or other degree • REHS/RS credential • ICS 100, 200, 700, 800 • EHTER courses
• Communication systems • Emergency power sources • Specialized
• Number of staff with required certifications • Response time • COOP plan review currency
response equipment • Laboratory access
Definition The role of EPH programs in emergency preparedness is primarily thought of as a program concentrating on human health and the environmental effects in the preparation and response to natural and human-made emergencies and disasters. EPH professionals are important to the assessment and restoration of many services in the com- munity such as food supply, sewage treatment, drinking water, solid waste disposal, and other essential services. It is important to note that many state public health agen- cies have an emergency preparedness program; however, disaster response is profoundly local. EPH responders are not typically thought of as first responders, but they have a vital role in response and recovery.
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