Core competency training: An evaluation of the training component of the Memphis and Shelby County Public Health Reserve Corp Program

Background: Terrorist attacks in 2001, anthrax mailings, and natural disasters posed unique challenges for the nation's public health infrastructure. Various organizations have promulgated core competency recommendations to guide public health practice, but there is a paucity of literature pertaining to competency-based training that transcends specific disciplines involved in disaster preparedness and response. The primary and secondary purposes of this inquiry were to assess the perceived competency levels of Public Health Reserve Corp (PHRC) volunteers and to examine the influence of education and repetitive training on reported competency levels respectively. Specifically, the central questions included: 1) what are the perceived core competency levels of PHRC volunteers? 2) were perceived core competency levels greater among volunteers who reported higher educational levels?, and 3) were perceived competency levels greater among volunteers who received additional disaster training from agencies other than the program under study? Methodology: An outcomes program evaluation using a convenience sample (n=179) identified as having received training based on NACCHO core competency recommendations was utilized to evaluate self-reported competency levels. Data were collected using a survey and SPSS Version 15.0 was utilized for data analysis. Results: Findings suggest that educational level and occupation has little impact on competency (p=0.571, p=0.958) respectively, but the single factor that significantly influences overall disaster response competency was whether the volunteer had participated in previous emergency preparedness training (p <.001). Conclusions: Implications entail bridging the gap between academia and practice by integrating disaster preparedness and response training into professional entry-level and graduate public health education curricula.