Description

In late October of 2007, wildfires burned over 500,000 acres in Southern California. In this online, interactive session, presenters will describe a local public health department's response to these wildfires, including 1) surveillance of air quality impacts and adverse health effects, 2) issuance of health advisories, 3) use of an emergency management system, 4) roles of public health nurses and environmental health specialists in responding to the needs of displaced families and individuals, and 5) communications with the public and media. Presenters will highlight lessons learned in each of these areas.

Registration Information

Registration for live events is coordinated by individuals representing our partner organizations in the Northwest. See our registration information to find your nearest contact.

Presenters

Deborah Davenport, RN, PHN, MS, has over 27 years of experience in public health as a district public health nurse, public health nurse supervisor, clinical nursing director I, area health officer, and in her current position as director of community health services, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. She oversees a division that operates 13 public health centers and provides clinic and field services with a staff of over 800, including public health nurses, public health investigators, physicians, and support staff.

Jonathan Fielding, MD, MPH, is the director and health officer for Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, responsible for all public health functions including surveillance and control of both communicable and non-communicable diseases, and health protection for the county’s 10 million residents. Dr. Fielding is also a professor in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at UCLA. He formerly served as Massachusetts commissioner of public health and vice president of Johnson & Johnson.

Cyrus Rangan, MD, FAAP, ACMT, is board-certified in pediatrics and in medical toxicology, and has over 10 years of experience as an assistant medical director with the California Poison Control System, as the consulting medical toxicologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and as the director of the toxics epidemiology program at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Dr. Rangan responds to community concerns about toxic exposures and human health, and provides consultative support in the Los Angeles Area.

Learner Objectives

By the end of this session participants will be able to:

• Recognize the growing public health importance of wildfires

• List three roles for local public health departments in responding to wildfires
• Describe how the use of a public health emergency management system can support wildfire response efforts

Target Audience

This session would be appropriate for the following audiences:

• Local and state public health practitioners
• Public health nurses
• Local and state emergency management staff

Slides and Related Resources

Presentation slides

Session Archive

Play the recorded presentation [ 11 MB ]

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