In response to the events during the fall of 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a Forensic Epidemiology training course for public safety and public health agencies. The purpose of the course is to enhance the joint effectiveness of law enforcement and public health in the event of a threat or attack involving biological weapons. The CDC predicted that all Maryland counties should have completed the training by fall 2004. If your agency has not completed this training, do not be discouraged. The Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness is able to assist in the facilitation and delivery of this training by sending our training specialists to your location. Course Objectives By the end of the course, participants will be able to: 1. Criminal and Epidemiological Investigative Methods - Demonstrate an understanding of the similarities and differences in public health and law enforcement investigative goals and methods
- Show an understanding of crime scene procedures
- Describe specimen collection and establishment of chain of custody of evidence
- Understand the inclusion of "intentionality" in the epidemiologic differential diagnosis and investigation
2. Operations and Procedures - Demonstrate an understanding of controlling laws and sources of authorities for actions
- Demonstrate an understanding of legal issues surrounding the issue of bioterrorism
- Determine jurisdictional lead responsibilities
- Identifiy additional resources to call and when to call
- Recognize when to involve the other discipline after the problem is acknowledged
- Coordinate public health and law enforcement activities during responses and investigations
- Coordinate local, state, and federal resources
- Describe on-scene control measures and interventions
3. Communications - Communicate and share information
- Differentiate between treatment of information (eg., privacy, confidentiality, public disclosure)
- Describe media relations and risk communication
| Suggested Participants | City, county, & state epidemiologists | Other city, county, & state public health professionals | Public health investigators, nurses, emergency
preparedness representatives, and public information officers | Health department attorneys | Emergency room staff | Infection control nurse | City police (officers, detectives, SWAT) | County police (officers, detectives) | Sheriff | State police | United States Attorney's Office representative | State Attorney's Office representative | Judges | Law enforcement public information officers | FBI WMD coordinator | FBI Crisis Management Coordinator | Emergency medical services representatives | City & county fire department | HAZMAT | Public health laboratory representatives | Forensic/crime lab representatives | Public safety | United States Postal Service inspectors | Military representatives | Food and Drug Administration | Medical examiner's office | Other law enforcement agencies located in
nearby locations | Trainers from law enforcement academies | Airport police representatives | Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) representatives | Port authority police | Emergency preparedness representatives |
If you are interested in having the Johns Hopkins CPHP facilitate this training for your agency, please contact the Center at 443-287-6735 or cphp@jhsph.edu.
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