The Northwest Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Center (NWPERLC) will develop and provide training and related activities to strengthen the ability of the Northwest states to prepare for and respond to emergencies that affect the health of the public. Housed in the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (Northwest Center) at the University of Washington School of Public Health, NWPERLC develops and provides competency-based training to strengthen public health emergency preparedness and response, in collaboration with public health organizations in the six Northwest states. Partnership organizations include state, local, and tribal public health agencies and other organizations that are important for responding to public health aspects of emergencies. By using nationally-applicable frameworks as a basis for its activities, the NWPERLC will ensure that its trainings and materials will reflect the current public health and emergency preparedness knowledge and goals, and will be applicable beyond the region. The frameworks that will be used include the Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEP&R) Core Competency Development Project, the National Health Security Strategy and Interim Implementation Guide, and the National Response Framework. The NWPERLC will also incorporate the evolving evidence base through active engagement with the other PERLCs across the country, the Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers (PERRCs), the Advanced Practice Centers (APCs), and the public health practice-based research networks. The NWPERLC will build on the experience, networks and resources of the Northwest Center, including 10 years as a respected and successful Center for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP). The Northwest Center has a 20-year history of providing training, evaluation and technical assistance to the state, local, and tribal public health agencies and organizations of the six states of the Northwest region (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming). The emergency preparedness training activities of NWCPHP have been conducted through practice and academic networks and partnerships, with the goals of strengthening the capabilities of individual organizations and states while also strengthening collaboration and joint response capabilities within the region. The primary focus of the NWPERLC and its network will be to develop a competency-based training program to train public health practitioners, as stated in the 2006 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. This will include both the development of new training that responds to emerging needs and priority areas of the region and of the nation, and the revision and updating of existing training. All training will incorporate the (PHEP&R) core competencies. Using a competency-based approach, the trainings will promote the development of behaviorally based, observable skills for the workforce to prepare for and respond to all-hazards scenarios consistent with the National Response Framework and Target Capabilities List, with particular emphasis on those hazards of highest likelihood or greatest risk in the region.
