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Principal Investigator / Institution

Janelle Rios, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator
Tel 713-500-9477
[email protected]

Program Description

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health

The Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (P2R) Consortium is comprised of dedicated experts in health and safety disciplines and an external advisory board of devoted and experienced professionals, whose contributions are critical to the nation’s health and well-being. Guided by a shared vision – to reduce the national burden of work-related harm and improve disaster preparedness and response capacity – the P2R Consortium serves as a training and educational resource for workers, responders, and community members across the country with a targeted focus on the population of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Regions 6 and 8. 

Building on past successes and using responsive and engaging curricula, as well as teaching methods grounded in adult learning, the P2R Consortium delivers health and safety training to workers in various industries. The Consortium places special emphasis on building the capacity of institutions and the community to respond to public health threats prior to the arrival of first responders. Thus, the public health impact of the P2R Consortium is the development and maintenance of a knowledgeable workforce, empowered with the skills and confidence to recognize, mitigate, and manage hazards and the ability to effectively disseminate this knowledge for the health and well-being of their families, colleagues, and neighbors.

Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP)

Established in 2010, the P2R Consortium HWWTP trains workers who are or will be engaged in hazardous waste operations or emergency response. The consortium is comprised of dedicated experts in the safety disciplines that are critical to enhancing occupational health and worker well-being. These experts, along with an active advisory board, share an overall vision to reduce work-related harm and improve disaster preparedness and response. The consortium team operationalizes this vision via two long-term goals to identify and mitigate threats relating to hazardous substances and reduce harm through scientifically-sound and socially-aware curriculum and teaching methods that emphasize hands-on and simulation-based activities. Over the next five-year project period, the P2R Consortium will expand its reach to include informal workers, expand its subject matter to expand its training to include emerging topics critical to worker health and safety, and train over 9,000 workers each year.

HDPTP

Established in 2015, the P2R Consortium Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training Program (HDPTP) trains individuals to respond to local or regional disasters, natural or human-caused, involving hazardous materials. Trainees include HAZMAT clean-up crews, formal response personnel, informal workers, community health workers, and government officials. Comprised of dedicated experts who share an overall vision to reduce work-related harm and improve disaster preparedness and response, the HDPTP team operationalizes this vision by developing and delivering training that prepares individuals, organizations, and communities to protect themselves before, during, and after a disaster occurs. Over the next five-year project period, the HDPTP will recruit and provided tailored, targeted training to key partners in critical infrastructure and employment industry sectors such as health care, oil and gas extraction, petrochemical industry, and first response; and geographically-exposed residential areas to expand the range of individuals, communities, and organizations to whom HDPTP is responsive. Additionally, the HDPTP team aims to train more than 20,000 responders annually, while also increasing the number of courses that can accommodate responders with limited English proficiency and/or hearing loss.

Project Duration

  • August 17, 2025 - May 31, 2030 (HWWTP, HDPTP)

Grant Numbers

  • U45 ES019360 (HWWTP, HDPTP)

Other Participating Organizations