Enhancing Laboratory Preparedness through Emergency Response Full-scale Exercises
Oral Presentation
Prepared by J. Scheller
CSC Science and Engineering, 6361 Walker Ln, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA, 22310, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 301-879-3053
ABSTRACT
When drinking water contamination events occur, a coordinated response from water utilities, state and federal agencies, public health organizations, emergency responders, and the laboratory community is needed to effectively respond to the situation. One of the critical components of the response is obtaining high quality environmental data that can support emergency response decision-making to protect public health and the environment. To address the need for coordinated laboratory response during drinking water contamination events, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted five laboratory emergency response full-scale exercises (FSE) that involve coordination of laboratory support during a combined environmental and public health emergency.
This presentation will focus on the laboratory emergency response FSEs that EPA planned and conducted in 2013 and will conduct in 2014 in collaboration with multiple drinking water utilities. These FSEs mark a change in focus from previous EPA-led exercises. Whereas previous FSEs focused on large, multi-regional responses coordinated by EPA regional laboratories, the 2013 FSE provided the first opportunity for utilities to play this key coordination role. As all emergency responses begin locally, this change of focus is vitally importantly to practice a more localized chain of command that involves utilities closely coordinating with the laboratories that are analyzing their samples.
This presentation will highlight the benefits of participating in the FSEs and how the FSEs enhance overall Water Sector preparedness including:
•Increasing utility and laboratory participants’ familiarity with WLA Response Plan (WLA-RP) and other response “best practice” procedures
•Building relationships between utilities, laboratories, and other stakeholders that are essential for effective emergency response coordination of laboratory support
•Assisting utilities, laboratories, and participating government agencies in identifying areas of improvement in their standard operating procedures
•Building laboratory proficiency, and nationwide analytical capability and capacity, by providing laboratories an opportunity to use newly optimized methods for unregulated contaminants of concern
This presentation will summarize the results and lessons learned from previous FSEs which included identifying the need for:
•Enhanced communication methods between utilities, laboratories, and other response partners
•Improved training and guidance on data reporting
•Cross-training of utility and laboratory staff to provide support during an emergency
•Additional outreach to make utilities and laboratories aware of available technical resources to answer questions about analytical methods, data reporting, data interpretation, etc.
This presentation will also provide information on upcoming laboratory emergency response FSEs. These exercise will build upon the lessons learned from previous exercises and will continue to provide opportunities for water utilities and laboratories to learn more about best practices for coordinated laboratory response to water contamination events.
Oral Presentation
Prepared by J. Scheller
CSC Science and Engineering, 6361 Walker Ln, Suite 300, Alexandria, VA, 22310, United States
Contact Information: [email protected]; 301-879-3053
ABSTRACT
When drinking water contamination events occur, a coordinated response from water utilities, state and federal agencies, public health organizations, emergency responders, and the laboratory community is needed to effectively respond to the situation. One of the critical components of the response is obtaining high quality environmental data that can support emergency response decision-making to protect public health and the environment. To address the need for coordinated laboratory response during drinking water contamination events, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted five laboratory emergency response full-scale exercises (FSE) that involve coordination of laboratory support during a combined environmental and public health emergency.
This presentation will focus on the laboratory emergency response FSEs that EPA planned and conducted in 2013 and will conduct in 2014 in collaboration with multiple drinking water utilities. These FSEs mark a change in focus from previous EPA-led exercises. Whereas previous FSEs focused on large, multi-regional responses coordinated by EPA regional laboratories, the 2013 FSE provided the first opportunity for utilities to play this key coordination role. As all emergency responses begin locally, this change of focus is vitally importantly to practice a more localized chain of command that involves utilities closely coordinating with the laboratories that are analyzing their samples.
This presentation will highlight the benefits of participating in the FSEs and how the FSEs enhance overall Water Sector preparedness including:
•Increasing utility and laboratory participants’ familiarity with WLA Response Plan (WLA-RP) and other response “best practice” procedures
•Building relationships between utilities, laboratories, and other stakeholders that are essential for effective emergency response coordination of laboratory support
•Assisting utilities, laboratories, and participating government agencies in identifying areas of improvement in their standard operating procedures
•Building laboratory proficiency, and nationwide analytical capability and capacity, by providing laboratories an opportunity to use newly optimized methods for unregulated contaminants of concern
This presentation will summarize the results and lessons learned from previous FSEs which included identifying the need for:
•Enhanced communication methods between utilities, laboratories, and other response partners
•Improved training and guidance on data reporting
•Cross-training of utility and laboratory staff to provide support during an emergency
•Additional outreach to make utilities and laboratories aware of available technical resources to answer questions about analytical methods, data reporting, data interpretation, etc.
This presentation will also provide information on upcoming laboratory emergency response FSEs. These exercise will build upon the lessons learned from previous exercises and will continue to provide opportunities for water utilities and laboratories to learn more about best practices for coordinated laboratory response to water contamination events.
