Case Study:

Training the front lines.

Preparing for business as unusual.

Years before COVID-19 reshaped emergency response worldwide, public health leaders were already confronting how unprepared many systems were for pandemic conditions. Working within a national training consortium, we helped equip first responders across the United States with practical training for infectious disease response.

  • Following an Ebola outbreak in West Africa, it became clear that many emergency response systems across the United States were not fully prepared to operate safely during a large-scale infectious disease event. First responders were expected to protect their communities while navigating evolving public health guidance, unfamiliar protective equipment, and heightened personal risk.

    In response, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences awarded Duke University a grant to establish a national training consortium focused on pandemic preparedness for frontline responders. George Mason University joined this effort to help translate infectious disease protocols into practical, field-ready training that responders could confidently apply in real-world conditions.

  • As part of the national pandemic preparedness consortium led by Duke University, I contributed to the development, delivery, and expansion of training designed to prepare first responders for infectious disease response scenarios. My role focused on translating complex public health guidance into accessible training materials while supporting curriculum development and national program visibility.

    The work required collaboration with public health experts, emergency response professionals, and institutional partners to ensure training reflected both scientific guidance and real-world operational needs.

  • I produced training materials used nationally throughout the program, including visual infographics demonstrating proper personal protective equipment (PPE) donning and doffing procedures designed for high-risk infectious disease environments. These materials helped convert technical safety protocols into clear, repeatable practices responders could apply under pressure.

    In addition to content development, I helped deliver live training sessions for first responders across the country, providing demonstrations, answering operational questions, and contributing input to the evolving curriculum as agencies shared field-based challenges and lessons learned.

    I also documented training events through photography used for program reporting and outreach, and supported media relations efforts with local and national outlets to raise awareness of the initiative and expand access to the training program nationwide.

  • Through this national initiative, our team helped train more than 1,500 first responders representing fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and emergency response organizations across the United States. Participants gained hands-on experience with pandemic safety procedures designed to reduce exposure risk during infectious disease response.

  • The training program strengthened frontline preparedness at a critical moment in national public health planning. When COVID-19 emerged several years later, many agencies had already received foundational training in pandemic response practices developed through this initiative, reinforcing the importance of early investment in preparedness and responder safety.

More Case Studies
Hands wearing gloves under black light, revealing UV-reactive patterns.
Fire department trucks parked outside a large garage with personnel in white protective suits working inside.
View from inside an ambulance entering a large garage where police and medical personnel are attending to a person on a stretcher. The scene includes a police vehicle reading 'City of Fairfax', and the garage has a sign that says 'Train hard because
Medical personnel in protective gear attending to a patient on a stretcher inside a fire department and emergency services facility, with fire trucks and supplies visible in the background.
A group of people dressed in white protective suits, gloves, face masks, and face shields gathered in a warehouse for a demonstration or training session, with a man in a blue shirt speaking to them.
A group of firefighters and emergency responders working in a warehouse, wearing masks and gloves, packing supplies while a City of Fairfax Fire Department Mobile Command vehicle is parked in the background.
Medical professionals in white protective suits attending to a person lying on the ground, possibly a simulated emergency scenario in a training facility.
Person in a gray shirt with 'City of Buffalo Fire Department' logo, holding a black object in a dark environment with minimal lighting.
Group of people in protective suits, masks, and face shields standing in front of a mobile medical or emergency vehicle with 'City of Fairfax' written on it, inside a large indoor facility.
A group of people in a classroom or training room participating in a CPR training session. One woman in the foreground is smiling, holding a smartphone, and wearing gloves. Other individuals are seated at tables, some with laptops, and others raising
First responders and medical personnel gather inside a fire station. Several fire trucks and ambulances are parked outside the station. Some individuals are standing near tables with supplies, while others are seated or speaking. The station has shel
Emergency personnel and staff gathered inside a fire station or training facility, with fire trucks and equipment visible, during a briefing or assessment.