xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
(5104)
EPA550-FOO-014
August 2000
www.epa.gov/ceppo/
How to Develop A Health Alert Network:
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, LEPC
The Chemical Safety Network is designed to share successful practices in
implementation, risk communication, and data use. The projects detailed in the Chemical
Safety Network are easily reproducible, low costand promote partnership-building in the
community. This factsheet does not provide extensive information about a project.
Rather, it is intended to help stakeholders generate ideas, identify tools and pinpoint
funding sources for accident preparedness and prevention initiatives.
Purpose
The geographic location of the East Baton Rouge Parish makes it likely that natural
disasters, such as floods, tornados, or hurricanes will occur. The region also has been
declared a "High Risk" area for enemy attack and participates in the federal domestic
preparedness program. The health alert network seeks to enhance the capabilities of
local officials and emergency responders in incidents involving nuclear, biological
and chemical terrorism. The Baton Rouge Local Emergency Planning Committee has
identified people and equipment resources that may be needed during or following a
deliberate or natural biological event.
Partnerships
The Director of Emergency Preparedness serves as the chairperson for the LEPC.
The LEPC formed a Health Care Subcommittee that is chaired by the coroner and
includes a psychologist, a pharmacist, an epidemiologist, a nurse, an emergency
medicine physician, and others. The group is working to enhance their Metropolitan
Medical Response System. This project could serve as a pilot to develop a national
health alert network to deal with public health issues surrounding deliberate and
natural biological events. The federal Center for Disease Control is interested in
developing software aimed at helping State and local officials identify patterns of
symptoms that could be identified quickly should an individual be exposed to
biological contaminants.
Resources
The East Baton Rouge Parish LEPC does not have an operating budget or generate
funds through an industry fee program Grants awarded through federal and state
programs provide funding for projects, which are developed and implemented
through the LEPC. Partnerships serve as an additional source of funding for program
implementation and development.
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
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Tips on Setting up a Medical Response System
The East Baton Rouge LEPC offers the following tips:
• Work toward a cooperative community effort;
• Incorporate the resources and response from jurisdictions that serve in a mutual aid capacity;
• Take a unified approach to communications and training;
• Build relationships with your neighboring communities. Remember, response may often spread
outside your jurisdictional boundaries;
• Involve the right people. Include individuals from the public health service; public and
private hospitals; other health-care facilities; departments of emergency medicine, veterinary
medicine, and the coroner's office; environmental agencies and citizen groups.
• Focus initially on the key components of coordination and response; available community
resources; first-responder education; coordination of plans and operating procedures; and
communications and coordination of information.
For more information, contact...
Name: Joanne Moreau, Chairperson
Organization: East Baton Rouge Local Emergency Planning Committee
Address: Post Office Box 1471
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
E-Mail: jmoreau@ci.baton-rouge.la.us
Telephone: (225) 389-3035
Additional copies of this and other pubications in the Chemical Safety Network series are available from:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
Phone:(800)490-9198
Fax:(513)489-8695
Email: ncepi.mail@epamail.epa.gov
or you can download an electronic copy from the Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office's
web site on the Internet at http://www.epa.gov/ceppo.
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