At a glance
Environmental health practitioners and other emergency response personnel: Learn to address the environmental health impacts of emergencies and disasters. See which EHTER course is right for you and register today.
Learn the basics (online course)
The EHTER Awareness Course is a 7-hour, online training offered in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The course addresses the role of environmental health responders in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies and disasters. It covers issues and challenges in the following areas:
- Disaster management
- Responder safety and health
- Safe water
- Food safety
- Wastewater
- Building assessments
- Vectors and pests
- Solid waste and debris
- Shelters
- Radiation
Practice applying skills (in-person course)
The EHTER Operations Course is a 40-hour course also offered in partnership with FEMA. It takes place at FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. FEMA covers all training costs (travel, lodging, and meals) for state, local, and tribal responders taking the course.
This training involves hands-on operation practice and response to simulated events. Participants will learn to
- Identify problems, hazards, and risks
- Plan for team response
- Select appropriate equipment and instrumentation
- Perform required tasks using environmental health response protocols
- Report and participate in follow-up activities as instructed
Impact
Thousands of environmental health practitioners from the United States and around the world have completed EHTER. Training evaluations consistently show marked improvement in preparedness knowledge after taking the course. We continuously improve the training based on participant feedback and expert reviews.
Participants apply the concepts and information learned, improving response and recovery capacities during actual emergencies and disasters such as
- Power outages
- A train derailment with release of hazardous materials
- Tornadoes
- Hurricanes
- Floods
- Wildfires
Why EHTER is needed
Several assessments demonstrated the need for emergency preparedness and response education and training for environmental health professionals. But, before EHTER, there was no national, comprehensive, standardized education and training program in this area.
To address this need, CDC collaborated with federal, state, and local public health and environmental health partners to develop a comprehensive training program.
Environmental health professionals perform many critical functions during emergency response and recovery. These functions include conducting shelter assessments, testing drinking water supplies, performing food safety inspections, and controlling disease-causing vectors. EHTER prepares environmental health professionals such as sanitarians and environmental health specialists by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and resources to address the environmental health concerns that result from emergencies and disasters.
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