Northeast Texas Public Health District-Pubic Health Preparedness (PHP) professionals endeavor to continually maintain proficiency through federally mandated core-competency based education, training and preparedness drills; and is NIMS compliant.

Federal PHP core competencies involve:

• knowledge of the public health role in all-hazard emergency response
• utilization and compliance in the National Incident Command System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS)
• knowledge of the emergency response plan and the health services annex
• knowledge of the PHP function and practicing it in regular drills & exercises
• have the capability to use emergency communication equipment
• utilize crisis and emergency risk communication when dealing with the media and the general public
• utilize analysis expertise in emergency circumstances, and when the situation surpasses current capability, recognize how to access assistance
• ability to identify unusual events that indicate an emergency and implement appropriate action
• ability to use creative problem solving and flexible thinking skills to execute job responsibilities and communicate the effectiveness of actions.

For additional information:
Core competencies
NIMS compliance

Volunteer Training
Introductory Disaster Response courses:
NIMS IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System (ICS)
IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
NIMS IS-700 An Introductory course
IS-800.A National Response Plan (NRP), An Introduction

Public Health Educational Websites
Department of State Health Services-Train Texas
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Public Health Training Network
School of Public Health University at Albany, State University of New York
California Distance Learning Network
Alabama Department of Public Health Training Network
University of North Carolina Institute for Public Health-Grand Rounds