Applying the incident command system to public health: Developing a self-guided training for local health departments on using incident command with outbreak investigations

All local health departments are now expected to use the incident command system (ICS) to manage public health emergencies, particularly those requiring a multi-agency response. However, standardized ICS trainings offered by federal agencies are designed primarily for emergency management, fire, and other first responders, and are often difficult for health departments to apply in practice. To address this training gap, the North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness in the North Carolina Institute for Public Health at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health partnered with one of North Carolina's seven regional response teams, Public Health Regional Surveillance Team 6, to develop an ICS training program for local health departments. The self-guided 2-hour training program applies ICS to a common public health activity: investigating a disease outbreak. The training program, intended for staff in small to medium-sized rural health departments, was designed to supplement, rather than replace, existing standardized ICS trainings. It features didactic materials reviewing key ICS concepts, filmed interviews with local public health professionals describing the use of ICS in an actual public health emergency, and a participant workbook with activities. The program also includes a facilitator's guide for leading group-based learning and a web-based toolkit of resources for further study and application. We will discuss the curriculum development process, including the collaboration between the Preparedness Center and Public Health Regional Surveillance Team 6, the resources necessary to develop materials, and feedback mechanisms such as establishing a national review group and pilot testing.