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Training Opportunities

The Denton County HEART offers a variety of trainings designed to increase our readiness level to respond in an emergency situation. The trainings are open to the general public, but are specifically designed with our Medical Reserve Corps, public health and emergency response partners, and our valued medical and mental health community, in mind.

2008 Training Schedule

Denton County Health Department
Health Emergency Alert Response Team (HEART) & Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

January

Strategic National Stockpile Training

January 19, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: C.H. Collins Athletic Complex, 1500 Long Road, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: This course will provide participants with a working knowledge of what the Strategic National Stockpile is and when it is deployed. This course will also cover scenarios of how Denton County would utilize the Strategic National Stockpile, including Point of Dispensing operations.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

Bioterrorism 101

January 24, 2008
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Denton County Government Center (same building as health department), 306 N. Loop 288, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: Those attending this activity will receive information that should allow them to: describe the likely types of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that could be used by terrorists; list the seven most likely agents that could be used in a biological attack; and describe Denton County’s response in the event of a biological attack.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

February

Point of Dispensing Exercise

February 2, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: C.H. Collins Athletic Complex, 1500 Long Road, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: The event will exercise emergency plans to set up a point of dispensing (POD) in a mass prophylaxis scenario. Each participant will simulate his or her role in a POD as we provide preventive medication for the “public”.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: THIS COURSE IS ONLY OPEN TO ACTIVE DENTON COUNTY MEDICAL RESERVE CORP MEMBERS WHO HAVE COMPLETED ORIENTATION. Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

Medical Reserve Corp Orientation

February 23, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Denton County Government Center (same building as health department), 306 N. Loop 288, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: The Denton County Medical Reserve Corp Orientation will include: Medical Reserve Corp Information Session, Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile, Contact and Deployment Procedures, and POD team assignments.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: Please contact Sandi Wiggins at 940-349-2923 or E-Mail.

March

Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS)

March 4, 2008
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Denton County Emergency Management Office, Emergency Operations Center, 9060 Teasley Lane, Denton.
Cost: Free, CEUs will cost $15 (bring to the training).
Course description: BDLS is an 8-hour, in depth training course designed to meet the urgent needs of emergency situations. It provides common organizational plans, terminology, methods of scene evaluation and victim classification for disaster recognition and response. The course introduces the “D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R” paradigm, “mass triage” and management of “all-hazards” events due to chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, explosive and natural disasters. The course also discusses the healthcare provider’s role in the public health and incident management systems, as well as community mental health. The American Medical Association grants BDLS Provider status to persons who successfully complete the course. A medical background is not required to participate in this course.
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for this class to reserve your spot.

Critical Incident Stress Management: Basic Group

March 26-27, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (both days).
Location: DISD Service Center Annex, 230 North Mayhill, Denton 76208
Cost: Free.
Course description: The Basic CISM training program is designed to present the core elements of a comprehensive, systematic and multicomponent crisis intervention curriculum. The 2-day course prepares participants to understand a wide range of crisis intervention services including pre and post incident crisis education, significant other support services, on-scene support services, crisis intervention for individuals, demobilization after large scale traumatic incidents, small group defusings and the group intervention known as Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD).
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

April

Medical Reserve Corp Orientation

April 17, 2008
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Denton County Government Center (same building as health department), 306 N. Loop 288, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: The Denton County Medical Reserve Corp Orientation will include: Medical Reserve Corp Information Session, Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile, Contact and Deployment Procedures, and POD team assignments.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: Please contact Sandi Wiggins at 940-349-2923 or E-Mail.

Critical Incident Stress Management: Individual

April 22-23, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (both days).
Location: Glenmore Savage Community Room; Lewisville Municipal Annex, Civic Circle, Lewisville
Cost: Free.
Course description: Crisis intervention is a specialized acute emergency mental health intervention which requires specialized training. Crisis interventions are typically done individually (one on one) or in groups. This program is designed to teach participants the fundamentals of, and a specific protocol for, individual intervention. The audience for this class includes both emergency services, military, and business/industrial peer support personnel without formal training in mental health, as well as mental health professionals, who desire to increase their knowledge of individual crisis intervention techniques. (13 contact hours)
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

Smallpox Vaccinator Training

April 30, 2008
Time: 7:45 a.m. -12:15 p.m. (morning) or 12:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. (afternoon).
Location: Celebrations Grand Ballroom, 2380 FM 407, Highland Village, TX 75077.
Cost: Free.
Course description: The purpose of this activity is to provide the latest and most accurate information available related to smallpox vaccination techniques and potential scenarios. The goal of this activity is to equip providers with information and skills needed to better prepare for a smallpox bioterrorism event, improve the ability to respond to an event and increase knowledge that will lead to improved personal safety if a mass vaccination is required. YOU SHOULD BE A LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO ATTEND. This training is specifically geared toward those who may be assigned to a triage or vaccinator role during a health emergency, such as smallpox.
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

May

Decontamination/PPE

May 13-14, 2008
Time: 5/13: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 5/14: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Denton Regional Medical Center, 3535 South I-35E, Denton.
Cost: Free, CEUs will cost $15 (bring to the first day of training).
Course description: Decon is a 16 hour, interactive course. First Responders, EMS providers, law enforcement officers, physicians, nurses, allied health providers, public health officials, hospital staff and community leaders (MRC) require a common framework to prepare for, recognize, and respond to disasters. Decon training will provide information on and practice doing decontamination procedures in two days of classroom time, tabletop scenarios, and hands on experience. Meets Hazmat Operations-level training requirements and operations level HAZWOPER training.
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for this class to reserve your spot.

Critical Incident Stress Management: Advanced Group

May 15-16, 2008
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (both days)
Location: DISD Service Center Annex, 230 North Mayhill, Denton 76208.
Cost: Free.
Course description: The Advanced CISM training program has been designed to provide participants with the latest information on critical incident stress management techniques and post trauma syndromes. The program emphasizes a broadening of the knowledge base concerning critical incident stress interventions as well as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which was established in the Basic program. Special emphasis will be placed upon troubleshooting difficult and complex situations. The emphasis will be on advanced defusings and debriefings in complex situations, such as Line of Duty Deaths and suicide of a colleague. Prerequisite: Critical Incident Stress Management: Basic Group.
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for the class to reserve your spot.

June

Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS)

June 4-5, 2008
Time: June 4^th:7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. and June 5^th: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Location: TBD.
Cost: Free, CEUs will cost $15 (bring the first day of training).
Course description: The situation on the world stage today has brought into sharp focus the heightened concerns for security and public safety. Disasters of all types-natural and man-made, intentional and unintentional-mandate efficient and cohesive interoperability within the heathcare community. Everyone needs a common framework to prepare for, recognize, and respond to disasters. ADLS is a two full days of classroom, tabletop scenarios, and hands-on operations-level disaster response training.
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for this class to reserve your spot.

Crisis and Emergency Risk Communications

June 17-18, 2007

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days.
Location: 9060 Teasley Lane, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: Crisis and emergency risk communications is the attempt to provide information that allows an individual, stakeholder, or an entire community, to make the best possible decisions about their well-being, under nearly impossible time constraints, and to communicate those decisions, while accepting the imperfect nature of their choices. Drawing from lessons learned from the anthrax crisis, as well as best practices from the fields of both risk and crisis communication, learn to move forward in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the threat of bioterrorism and emergent diseases, by developing a comprehensive training program. The training curricula brings both the novice up to speed and helps the seasoned professional hone his or her skills in emergency risk communication.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for this class to reserve your spot.

July

Medical Reserve Corp Orientation

July 12, 2008
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Location: Denton County Government Center (same building as health department), 306 N. Loop 288, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: The Denton County Medical Reserve Corp Orientation will include: Medical Reserve Corp Information Session, Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities, Strategic National Stockpile, Contact and Deployment Procedures, and POD team assignments.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: Please contact Sandi Wiggins at 940-349-2923 or E-Mail.

Veterinarian Grand Round: Topic TBD

July 22, 2008 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: TBD.
Cost: Free.
Course description: TBD.
CEU: offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for this class to reserve your spot.

August

Disaster Epidemiology

Date TBA;
Time: TBD.
Location: Denton County Health Department, 306 N. Loop 288, Suite 183, Denton.
Cost: Free.
Course description: This course will provide a basic understanding of epidemiology, including contact tracing, prophylaxis, and community surveillance. The course will also review the Incident Command Structure and epidemiology’s location in the structure.
CEU: not offered.
Registration: Please contact Betsy Haggard at 940-349-2922 or E-mail. Please make sure you register for this class to reserve your spot.

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