About the Course
Course Materials:
This course is designed help a property manager,
such as a public housing authority, implement a comprehensive integrated pest
management (IPM) program by bringing the stakeholders, especially resident
leaders, together to develop the skills and practices needed to effectively
eliminate pests such as cockroaches and rodents from multi-family housing.
The course is based on a model developed for Boston
Housing Authority by Don Rivard of Rivard's IPM Resources, Jim McCarthy of
Boston Housing Authority and Pat Hynes of Boston University. Those three
laid the foundation for the course, piloted it and worked with NCHH to finalize
the materials. The course uses the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Guidance on Integrated
Pest Management as the framework for an effective IPM program.
The course was developed under a contract with Battelle and U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Office of Pesticide Programs.
The target audience for the course is resident
leaders with a common property manager who want to more effective pest control
through integrated pest management (IPM). The course requires the active
participation of the pest control operator / pest management professional as
well as property maintenance and resident support services.
Expectations for Property
Manager
A common property manager who seeks to implement an
effective IPM program should consider this course as part of the overall IPM
effort. NCHH expects that the host property manager will make the
following preparations for the training course to succeed:
1.
Adopt
IPM-based policies and procedures consistent with HUD’s voluntary Guidance on
Integrated Pest Management issued on February 3, 2006 and revised on May 27,
2007. See
www.healthyhomestraining.org/ipm/hud_ipm_5-24-07_pih2007-12.pdf for the May
27, 2007 version of the policy. The HUD guidance identifies ten elements of an
effective IPM program. The host property manager’s policies need to address in
some manner each of the ten elements. There does not have to be a complete
match, but there should be a rationale for the differences.
2.
Arrange
for representatives from the following areas to participate in the training:
a. Maintenance;
b.
Pest
Control Operator / Pest Management Professional; and
c. Resident
Support Services.
The representative of each area needs to:
a. Have
knowledge of the pest control policies and procedures relevant to their area;
b. Respond
to questions in a constructive manner;
c. Give
a brief summary of their role in pest control shortly after lunch; and
d. Be
willing to listen to resident concerns in a productive manner.
3. Provide
facilities for course including:
a.
Training room for 20 to 30 people to sit at tables; and
b. Vacant
housing units close to each other and close to the training room. The units
need to have evidence of cockroach infestation. If the class size is smaller
than 15 people, only one vacant unit is needed. In some circumstances, the
course could be taught in the vacant unit if students have seats and a writing
surface. As an alternative, a common area such as a trash room or laundry room
could serve as one of the vacant units.
4.
Arrange
for participation of resident leaders interested in IPM. A mix of residents
that include representatives of the tenants as well as residents interested in
more effective pest control.
5.
If
possible, adopted a pest control contract consistent with the model RFP at
www.healthyhomestraining.org/ipm/.
6.
Provide
trainer with the following documents:
a.
Pest control contract (if any);
b.
Reports
from pest control operator including a representative report of an inspection of
a unit;
c.
Summary
of pest infestation complaints;
d.
Representative lease for residents; and
e.
Pest control policies and procedures.
7.
Arrange
for lunch for students. Providing lunch will make it easier to stay on schedule
and build communications.
