The EHTP course is designed to help prepare and train sanitarians, including those presently and aspiring to be employed in local health departments, in a variety of areas important to the field of environmental health. Topics covered in this course include, but are not limited to, food sanitation, sub-surface sewage disposal, and general environmental health topics such as lead, water, and asbestos.

In addition to greatly increasing one's knowledge in the area of environmental health, successful completion of the course:

• makes those aspiring to work in the field more marketable for entering the workforce,
• reduces the amount of time an individual must be employed in a health department before sitting for the Registered Sanitarian (R.S.) exam by six months, from two years to 18 months, and
• qualifies Certified Health Education Specialists for a total of 9 CHES continuing education credits—3 for each completed segment of the course.

The EHTP course is designed to meet the needs of its students. Therefore, the entire course or any combination of the three sections offered can be taken. Again, the three sections are Food Sanitation, Sewage Disposal, and General Environmental Health Topics.

Completing the Food Protection portion of the course is the first step towards food inspector certification. The course will provide students with basic knowledge that will prepare them for when they do become employed by a local health department and are then eligible to begin the formal food inspector certification process. The course also provides those interested in a food protection career path with an introduction to other aspects of the subject.  Successful completion of the Food Protection Training course also makes those aspiring to work in the field more marketable for entering the workforce. The course focuses on the current Connecticut regulations that inspectors will enforce once certified.

Public health professionals—regulators, microbiologists, and epidemiologists—will present critical topics, such as foodborne pathogens, outbreak investigations, how to conduct an inspection, enforcement, ethics, and the new food inspector certification process. Successful completion of this course is required for those interested in becoming certified and provides the foundation of knowledge necessary to continue the certification process.

In addition to those interested in pursuing food inspector certification, others may find the course beneficial. Directors of Health who are not certified and food industry personnel may find the course helpful in gaining a better understanding of the FDA Food Code and the food establishment inspection process.

The steps to become a Certified Food Inspector in Connecticut are:

1. become employed by a local health department in Connecticut;
2. complete Phase 1 certification training provided by this Environmental Health Training Program
3. complete field standardization with the Connecticut Department of Public Health Food Protection Program Field Standardization Officer; and
4. receive certification from the Commissioner of Health.

Please note:  While anyone can take the Food Protection course, candidates for food inspector certification must possess a bachelor's degree and be employed by a local health department. In lieu of the education requirement, three years of experience in a regulatory food protection program, acceptable to the Connecticut Department of Public Health Food Protection Program, may be approved. Candidates for field certification shall not be involved in the ownership or management of a food establishment located within their jurisdiction. Please call the Connecticut Department of Public Health Food Protection Program at (860) 509-7396 if you have any questions regarding the Food Protection module of the EHTP or the food inspector certification process.

Successful completion of the Sewage Disposal portion of this course shall meet the requirements for Phase 1 Certification by the Connecticut Department of Public Health for those employed in local health departments. 

Those not employed by a local health department may complete the whole course or selected parts and sit for respective exams. Sewage certification and credit for the food sanitation classroom requirement become active for you when you are hired by a local health department and the health director makes a request to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health specifically picked Southern as the site to offer the EHTP course. Such a comprehensive offering is not found anywhere else in Connecticut. 

Register as soon as possible. Space is limited. 

After registering for the course, you should quickly pay for the course fee as directed on CT TRAIN. Upon receiving your registration, we will post your confirmation on CT Train and will also include the exact location of the sessions, directions, and practical information on other topics including parking.