Continuing budget constraints will make it very difficult for agencies at all levels of government
– including the nation’s armed forces and homeland-security departments – to upgrade their “hardware”
inventories during the coming year. For first responders, getting the most protection for the lowest
acceptable cost could be a breathtaking challenge. Literally.
The names of the players, the weekly practices, and the physical skills required may be different,
but the principles are the same: Teamwork, advance preparation, proper coaching, and dedication are
essential to final victory – whether the battle is on the football field, at the scene of a
mass-casualty incident, in an ambulance, or in the hospital emergency room.
Emergency communications is key to incident management – and critical, both during and following, mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). On 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers detonated bombs between 8:50 a.m. and […]
The sampling of toxic gases, vapors, etc., at mass-casualty scenes can be no better than the
equipment used to gather the sample, whether intended for on-scene analysis or at a fully qualified
laboratory. Lives are at stake, which means strict adherence to gold-standard measurements: at the
scene, in the lab, and on the protective clothing worn by first responders.
Coming soon: New and highly capable CERFPs and better- trained and -equipped WMD CSTs. The acronyms
are daunting and impossible to pronounce, but they represent another quantum leap in U.S.
homeland-preparedness capabilities, with special significance at the state, local, and community levels
of government.
The well attended 15 November DomPrep Executive Briefing on the Department of Homeland Security’s
new “Private-Sector Preparedness” program not only provided a wealth of information for those
participating but also raised several exceptionally relevant questions – on a broad range of closely
related topics. The one virtually unanimous conclusion (no “official vote” was taken, though) was that
additional briefings, in even greater depth, are urgently needed and should be scheduled just as soon as
possible.
The DP40 and DomPrep readers assessed their opinions on their understanding or interest of the PS-Prep Program. The results suggest that these communities do not yet have the understanding necessary to successfully implement the PS-Prep Program.
Earlier this month – more specifically, on 11 September – the United States observed the ninth anniversary of the most devastating terrorist attack in the nation’s history; the occasion was […]
Among the various threats to the safety and security of a nation, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
attack should not be overlooked. The potential threat of an EMP attack has been recognized since the
early 1960s, but the growing debate surrounding this possibility parallels modern civilizations’ growing
dependency on electronics and the electrical grid. Thus the possibility of this type of attack has more
far-reaching and devastating effects than in past decades. Stratfor Global Intelligence presents this
compelling article about EMP attacks as well as possible scenarios and effects.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announces the allocation of $1.9 billion for new U.S. medical
countermeasure capabilities – plus five “breakthrough” initiatives to get the ship underway and on a
course both straight and true.
Continuing budget constraints will make it very difficult for agencies at all levels of government
– including the nation’s armed forces and homeland-security departments – to upgrade their “hardware”
inventories during the coming year. For first responders, getting the most protection for the lowest
acceptable cost could be a breathtaking challenge. Literally. 