The EPAC welcomes your suggestions. Meetings are open to all PHS Engineers, and those outside the Washington, D.C. metro area may attend via conference call by dialing 919-856-4188.

CALL TO ORDER

The meeting was called to order at 1:07 p.m. ET. Roll call was taken. Substantive comment was solicited for the March 25, 1999 meeting minutes, no further corrections were required, and the March meeting minutes were approved. The next meeting will be held May 27, 1999, at 1:00 p.m. in the National Institutes of Health's Natcher Building, Conference Room 'A' in Bethesda, MD. To attend via conference call, dial 919-856-4188.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1.    Office of the Chief Engineer: CAPT Tom Bedick reported the following for RADM Tom Gallegos:

       CPO/PAC Meeting of April 22, 1999:

• Recent Threats to Officers: RADM Moritsugu (Deputy Surgeon General) reported that there had been a recent flurry of activity at various OPDIVs resulting from an advisory letter related to the current conflict in Yugoslavia reporting threats to military personnel. The USPHS was under a Threat-Con Alpha, which means that officers should be aware that there was a credible threat and to be prudent in their actions. There was never an Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) or Division of Commissioned Personnel (DCP) policy statement to change the uniform policy or to permit the wearing of sidearms. The DSG advised that there are certain circumstances under which an OPDIV head might declare that their officers could go out of uniform, but the OSG had placed no credence in this letter. Apparently some agencies elected to go out of uniform, and all OPDIVs have since been contacted and advised that officers are expected to wear uniforms under current policies.
• CCRF: RADM Moritsugu advised that although there have been no alerts of call-ups of the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force (CCRF), one need only look at what is occurring in the world today: Kosovo; refugees possibly arriving at Guantanamo Bay; refugees being admitted into the U.S.; and, the school shooting in Littleton, CO. These are some of the instances which might evolve into call-ups of the USPHS, and the CCRF would be in the front line of such a call-up. The DSG's point was that the commissioned corps (CC) needs to be ready to respond. RADM Moritsugu stated that each of the Chief Professional Officers (CPOs) is responsible for verifying and updating the members of the CCRF from their respective categories, and in validating the capabilities of these volunteers. RADM Moritsugu is issuing a blanket request for a listing of the CCRF volunteers for each category, which will be furnished to each CPO. Finally, each CPO must provide their home phone number for use by the OSG in the event of an emergency.
• Visioning Work Group: RADM Moritsugu stated this work group, made up of three members of the SG PAC, three members of the CPO PAC, and a representative from the DCP is proceeding with merging the categories' strategic plans into one cohesive plan for the year 2000. The DCP requested volunteers for its representative, and received 20 responses; DCP has nominated LT Kellie Clelland for its representative.
• Ceremony Protocols: RADM Moritsugu advised that a work group from DCP and the OSG are developing standard protocols for color guards and honor guards for ceremonies. The OSG is recruiting volunteers for this effort, and interested parties should contact RADM Blackwell.
• EEO Policy Work Group: CAPT Davidson (DCP) stated that an OSG work group is developing an EEO policy for Commissioned Officers (COs). A draft policy has been tendered to the SG, and will be forwarded to CPOs and PAC chairs with comments due May 7, 1999. The policy will be issued as a regulation and a Commissioned Corps Personnel Manual (CCPM) yellow sheet.
• DCP Listserver: CAPT Davidson stated that a mail list is being compiled for the purpose of quickly contacting all officers, and DCP requests that every officer register for the listserver on the DCP web page (http://dcp.psc.dhhs.gov/maillist.htm). Registrants should be aware that they will receive a return message to which they must reply to confirm their registration.
• Promotion Boards:  CAPT Davidson indicated that the last promotion board is currently deliberating. A rank order list of all the board deliberations is expected during the week of April 26, 1999, and CPOs will be contacted soon to review the list for their category. The release date of the list is anticipated to be June 1, 1999. No changes in the percentages from last year are anticipated.
• New Chief Engineer Selection: The selection process for the new Chief Engineer is still not completed.
• D.C. COA: A presentation was made to the D.C. chapter of the Commissioned Officers Association (COA) for its community programs, including serving as judges at science fairs. This has provided positive recognition for COs, and the D.C. chapter has indicated a willingness to provide information on its programs to other COA chapters.

2. EPAC Chair: CAPT Bedick reported the following:

Subcommittee Calendar of Events: All subcommittees are reminded that they should provide copies of their calendars of events.
Subcommittee Reports: Subcommittee chairs should provide reports in electronic format in a timely manner so as to allow the draft minutes to be distributed for review within one week of the meeting, and posting on the web site shortly thereafter.
EPAC Alternates: Members were reminded to submit their alternate designations.

3. DCP Liaison: No report this month.

4. CCRF Liaison: No report this month.

5. COA Liaison: CAPT Rick Barror reported the following:

COA Meeting: May 7, 1999 is the last day for registration at the hotel for the June COA meeting, and May 10, 1999 is the last day for pre-registration for the meeting. Participants in the SG's run/walk must register by May 26, 1999.

6. Job Vacancies: The PHS Engineers Home Page has links to vacancies within all the DHHS OPDIVs at http://usphsengineers.org/joblists.htm.

NIOSH: CDC has a Facility Engineer (GS-12/13) opening for NIOSH's Cincinnati Laboratory.
National Park Service: An Engineer/Sanitarian position (O-4/5, with an O-6 billet) is opening soon in Santa Fe, and the intent is to fill the position with a CO by June 1, 1999. Interested officers can contact CAPT Terry Langan at (202) 565-1118.
St. Elizabeth's Hospital: The Facility Manager position at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, D.C. has been filled.
IHS: The Indian Health Service currently has about twenty-five engineering vacancies; these openings are posted on the PHS Engineers web site (http://usphsengineers.org/vacancy.htm).
 

OLD BUSINESS

Chief Engineer's Newsletter Articles: The deadline for submission of articles to LCDR Jacqui Parker for the next Newsletter is April 30, 1999.
Engineer's Regalement: The regalement will be a cookout format and is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26, 1999 at the National Navy Medical Center picnic pavilions. The announcement will be posted on the web site (http://www.usphsengineers.org/flyer.htm) and mailed to all PHS engineers and retirees in the D.C. Metro area. Please RSVP, with payment, by May 19, 1999.
DCP/CCRF Professional Specialty Codes and Proficiency Levels: The CCRF utilizes the DCP database to identify the specialty skill codes (currently the DCP APPLES codes) of CCRF members. This Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee proposal recommends revisions to the specialty skill codes for engineers be provided to DCP and the CCRF so as to better identify the CCRF engineer members' specializations and proficiency levels within their specific fields. After some discussion regarding additional specialty skill codes, it was decided to distribute the proposed revised listing to all PHS engineers to allow an opportunity for input prior to finalization. Any significant revisions will be presented to the EPAC at the May meeting, prior to forwarding to DCP.
Pittsburgh EPAC Meeting: Following discussions between CAPT Bedick and Mr. Tony Iannacchione, a decision has been made to conduct the EPAC meeting scheduled for October 28, 1999 at the CDC/NIOSH Pittsburgh field office.
 

NEW BUSINESS

Civil Service Engineer Involvement in EPAC: The Career Development Subcommittee was assigned the task of encouraging more Civil Service (CS) engineer involvement in EPAC. Three methods identified by the subcommittee are:

• having a regular article in the Chief Engineer's Newsletter devoted to CS engineers.
• showing civil servants what EPAC has to offer them by having a contest to encourage reading the Chief Engineer's Newsletter. This contest would involve "burying" one CS engineer's name in the text of the Newsletter, and asking readers to call to claim a prize if they discover their name within the Newsletter. To encourage participation, a prize would also be awarded to a random selection from other callers that found the name.
• providing recognition to civil servants for their participation in EPAC and its subcommittees. This recognition may be in the form of a letter to a CS engineer's supervisor acknowledging their efforts, and may also be a form of recognition to consider for COs. This form of recognition will be discussed with the awards subcommittee.

• providing civil servants with awards for EPAC participation. This task will be difficult because of the differences between the OPDIVs.
• expanding the focus of EPAC more towards professional development. The subcommittee believes this would make EPAC more attractive to civil servants, and the change would fall to the subcommittee chairs to be implemented.
• recognizing supervisors that support EPAC activities.

SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS

1. Awards: CDR Maurice West reported the following:

USPHS Engineering Literary Awards:  Scoring of papers is complete and the recommendation of award recipients has been forwarded to the OCE and the EPAC Chair.  The recommended winners have been accepted by the Chief Engineer and the results have been posted on the EPAC web site (http://www.usphsengineers.org/literary.htm).  Plaques for primary authors and certificates for secondary authors have been ordered and will be presented during a ceremony held as part of the USPHS Professional Association Meeting in Alexandria, VA on June 6 - 9, 1999.
Ian K. Burgess Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year (YEOY) Award:  Scoring of the nominations is complete, and the Subcommittee’s recommendation has been forwarded to the Chief Engineer and the EPAC Chair.  This award will be presented at the USPHS Professional Association Meeting in Alexandria, VA on June 6 - 9, 1999.  The Subcommittee received only two nominations this year, and will be looking into ways to better advertise the call for nominations for next year’s award.
Recognition of Contributions to the EPAC:  The Subcommittee is evaluating awards available to recognize individuals or groups that have made contributions to the EPAC.  These would include letters of appreciation, certificates of appreciation, and PHS awards.  Work currently underway includes identifying the protocol and approval chain for the various proposed awards.

2. Building Design & Construction: There was no report from the Subcommittee this month. CAPT Bedick pointed out that the impending retirement of CAPT Dan Hightower necessitated that a new Subcommittee Chair be appointed.

Next Meeting: The next meeting of the BD&C Subcommittee will be May 11, 1999 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

3. Career Development:  LCDR Parker reported the following for Ms. Lisa Hayes:

Welcome Package: The first welcome packages are ready to be sent to new PHS engineers. After the packages are mailed to the new engineers, LT Sean Boyd will contact EPAC members representing the new engineers' OPDIV and ask that they welcome the new engineers, tell them about the EPAC, and answer any questions. The EPAC members will be asked to report back to LT Boyd to allow tracking of the contacts.
Engineers' Symposium: The Engineers' Symposium agenda (http://www.coausphs.org/agenda.html) is complete. The Subcommittee is still obtaining biographies of speakers necessary for continuing education units (CEUs) for the symposium. The COA will be arranging the CEUs.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Career Development Subcommittee will be May 18, 1999 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

4. Emergency Preparedness: CAPT Rodenbeck reported the following:

CCRF Training Modules: The Subcommittee continued developing the basic training modules to be taken by engineers to be fully qualified for the CCRF. The Subcommittee has identified several potential reference materials for the training. This project should be completed by the end of this summer.
WEF 2000 Conference: The Subcommittee is working with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) to develop a session for the WEF 2000 conference. The Subcommittee would coordinate a session on bio-terrorism and its impact on water systems.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee will be May 6, 1999 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

5. Information: CAPT Kevin Chadwick reported the following:

Display for USPHS Professional Association Meeting: The Subcommittee is in urgent need of photos from OPDIVs of engineers at work for the display at the USPHS Professional Association Meeting.  Photos should be forwarded to CAPT Chadwick for incorporation into the display.
PHS Engineers E-mail List: The Subcommittee has completed compiling an e-mail list of all PHS Engineers, and preliminary testing of the list has proved successful.  The list will be utilized for the first time to distribute the CCRF/DCP professional speciality code revisions proposed by the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee.
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Information Subcommittee will be April 29, 1999 at 11:00 a.m. ET.

6. Recruiting and Retention: No report this month.

7. Rules: CAPT Cris Kinney reported the following:

EPAC Self-Nominations:  The Subcommittee plans to notify all engineers by May 15, 1999 of the need for self-nominations for the 2000 EPAC, which are due by June 30, 1999.  Notification will be by e-mail, the PHS Engineers web page, and the Chief Engineer’s Newsletter.
Current EPAC Member Term Renewal:  All current EPAC members whose term will expire in 1999 are asked to make their intentions known as to whether  they wish to remain for another term.  Those who wish to extend their term must fill out a self-nomination form and provide a curriculum vitae, both of which
will be submitted to the Rules Subcommittee chair. According to the bylaws, the following fall into this category: CDR Maurice C. West (ATSDR); LCDR Kenneth R. Mead (CDC); LCDR Jacqueline Parker (IHS); and, Ms. Lisa Hayes (At Large).  The following members will complete their second term at the end of 1999: CAPT James A. DiNovo (FDA); and, CDR Robert W. Faaland (FDA).
Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Rules Subcommittee will be May 13, 1999 at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 2:34 p.m. ET.
 

EPAC Meeting Participation

Participants (Members in bold, with alternates attending matched by number to the members absent):
CAPT Richard F. Barror (Ex Officio), CAPT Thomas M. Bedick (NIH), CAPT Kevin S. Chadwick (IHS), CAPT Terry L. Christensen (NIH), CAPT James A. DiNovo (FDA), CDR Robert W. Faaland (FDA), Ms. Cristina Gomberg (CDC)¹, CDR Jo Ann Griffith (EPA), CAPT E. Crispin Kinney (IHS), CDR Louis A. Lightner (HRSA), CDR Kenneth F. Martinez (At Large), LTJG Mathew J. Martinson (FDA), LCDR Kenneth R. Mead (CDC),LCDR Jacqueline Parker (IHS), CAPT Sven Rodenbeck (At Large), CAPT Gene Sullenger (FDA), CDR Maurice C. West (ATSDR), Mr. F. Mitchell Williams (Ex Officio)

Members Absent:
CAPT Joseph Cocalis (CDC)¹, CDR Eric L. Crump (EPA), CDR Kevin R. Dermanoski (Ex Officio), LTJG Alan R. Fogarty (IHS), RADM Thomas G. Gallegos (Ex Officio), Ms. Lisa Hayes (At Large), CAPT Daniel L. Hightower (NIH), Mr. Anthony Iannacchione (CDC)
 

Authorization

I have recorded the above EPAC meeting minutes:

/signed/                                                14 JUN 99
F. Mitchell Williams, P.E.                           Date
Executive Secretary, EPAC
 

I have read the above minutes which accurately describe this meeting, and on behalf of the EPAC approve their distribution:

/signed/                                                22 JUL 99
CAPT Thomas M. Bedick, P.E.                 Date
Chairperson, EPAC
 

I authorize distribution of these minutes:

/RADM Robert C. Williams for/          22 JUL 99
RADM Thomas G. Gallegos, P.E.             Date
Chief Engineer, USPHS
 

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