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Knowledge of and Preparedness for Use of Environmental Assessments in Shelters During Disasters: Results of the 2013 State and Territorial Use of Shelter Assessments Survey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2016

Miguel A. Cruz ,
Muni Rubens ,
Stephanie J. Garcia ,
Josephine Malilay ,
Karen L. Levin  and
O. Dale Williams
Miguel A. Cruz*
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Muni Rubens
Affiliation:
Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Stephanie J. Garcia
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida;
Josephine Malilay
Affiliation:
National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Karen L. Levin
Affiliation:
School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, New York, New York.
O. Dale Williams
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, Florida;
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Miguel A. Cruz, PhD, MPH, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA (e-mail: mcruz@cdc.gov).
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Abstract

Objective

Environmental health assessments of disaster shelters are critical for monitoring the living conditions of the occupants. However, knowledge and levels of utilization of these assessments have never been estimated in the United States or its territories. We aimed to conduct a cross-sectional survey to ascertain knowledge and Utilization of environmental health disaster shelter assessments.

Methods

The State and Territorial Use of Shelter Assessments Survey (STUSA) of environmental health department directors (N=56) was carried out in 2013.

Results

Survey responses were received from 55 of 56 targeted jurisdictions. Of those respondents, 92% of state jurisdictions and 100% of territories reported having knowledge about shelter assessments. However, only 40% of states and 60% of territories reported receiving formal training, and 53% of states and 50% of territories reported having operational procedures for shelter assessments. High levels of knowledge and familiarity and low levels of training and processes for operationalizing assessments were assessed.

Conclusions

Because environmental health assessments may provide useful information in disaster settings, we need to understand the barriers to their implementation. The results of these assessments may also help to validate their usefulness in protecting shelter occupants during disasters. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:11–14)

Keywords

disaster assessmentspublic healthdisaster sheltersvulnerable populationsrisk assessments
Type
Brief Reports
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 11 , Issue 1 , February 2017 , pp. 11 - 14
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2016 

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