August 31, 2007

Contacts:
Ken Ma
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5354
kennma@nova.edu

Alan Hancock
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5385
hancocka@nova.edu

Nova Southeastern University Providing Emergency Preparedness Training for Legal Community

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University will train Florida’s legal community on Saturday, Sept. 8, to prepare for emergencies during National Preparedness Month.

NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Center for Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness (CBAP) is joining forces with The Shepard Broad Law Center to offer free emergency preparedness training for lawyers throughout Florida. The training, to be held at the law center, is dubbed, “Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness ---- Implications for the Legal Community: Are You Ready?”

“Since 9-11, South Florida’s vulnerability to acts of terrorism has compounded its susceptibility to all hazards. So in addition to natural disasters such as hurricanes and to the potential for a pandemic due to avian influenza, we have to be prepared to respond to additional major catastrophes,” said Leonard Levy, D.P.M., M.P.H., CBAP’s director.

Levy said how we respond often has major legal implications. Judges, prosecutors, and attorneys in the community need to have an awareness of these public health emergencies so that they will be able to appropriately understand their potentially vast legal implications.

The daylong training will include topics such as introduction to all-hazards emergencies and preparedness, planning and preparedness for the frail, elderly and other vulnerable populations, and the public health law perspective in an emergency. Some of the presenters will include Levy, Daniel Stier, J.D., a public health analyst with the Center of Disease Control’s Public Health Law Program; and Joshua Perper, M.D., M.Sc, LLB, Chief Medical Examiner of Broward County.

Lawyers attending the training seminar will receive nine legal education credits (CLE).

For more information about the CBAP and Shepard Broad training, please call 954-262-1850 or register online at http://www.nsulaw.nova.edu/events/rsvp.cfm. For other CBAP training, please call 954-262-1688.

 

Because September is National Preparedness Month, CBAP will also be offering training sessions throughout the country. Here’s a list:

Sept. 5:     Basic Awareness Course, Broward Community College
Sept. 7:     FloridaOsteopathic Medical Association Tampa, Pandemic Flu
Sept. 11:   Intermediate Awareness Course Barry University, School of Podiatry
Sept. 14:   Advance Job Fair, West Palm Beach, Florida
Sept. 15:   Intermediate Awareness Course, Westside Regional Hospital, Ft. Lauderdale
Sept. 16:   Day for Children, Nova Southeastern University
Sept. 21:   Basic Awareness Course, Broward Community College
Sept. 27:   Bird Flu Summit, Las Vegas
Sept. 29:   American Dietetic Association, Food and Nutrition Conference, Philadelphia

NSU’s Center for Bioterrorism and All-Hazards Preparedness in the College of Osteopathic Medicine is one of one of seven national centers funded by the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CBAP is a local, state, and national interdisciplinary training resource.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 300 beautiful acres in Davie, Fla., Nova Southeastern University is a dynamic fully accredited institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 26,000 students and is the sixth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The university awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctorial, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, psychology and other social sciences. For more information visit www.nova.edu.

About National Preparedness Month: National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort held each September to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and schools. National Preparedness Month 2007 is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The goal of the month is to increase public awareness about the importance of preparing for emergencies and to encourage individuals to take action.