DECATUR, Ga. – The March 7 break of a 48-inch water main in Doraville still floats around in the minds of DeKalb County’s food service community. The resulting two-day boil water advisory created major inconvenience and confusion and led to companies’ profits flowing down the drain.
The event revealed just how large an impact a water main break or other community-wide emergencies can have on food service establishments. So, the DeKalb County Board of Health wants to ensure that food service operators are prepared when “the next time” occurs.
The Board of Health’s Environmental Health division is hosting a free workshop on August 22 and again on September 25 from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. in the Richardson Health Center to help food service operators develop an emergency operations plan.
“We realize how valuable it is for our food service operators to stay open and serve the community,” said Food Service Protection Program Manager Jennifer Kirby. “However, it is critical that this is done safely to protect the public’s health during a health hazard event. The workshop’s goal is to stress the importance of having an approved operations plan in place before an event. Unless our division has an approved plan on file, when an event occurs, an establishment may be ordered to close.”
Registration for the workshop is strongly encouraged, as space is limited. However, walk-in registration will be permitted if space allows.
To register, call (404) 508-7900 or e-mail dcboh.eh@dph.ga.gov. For more information about food service operations and requirements, visit dekalbpublichealth.com/envhealth/food-safety.
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