The setting of national standards for the personal protective equipment worn and training received by first responders working in a hazardous-materials environment is a positive step forward.
The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is charged with augmenting the nation’s medical response in support of state and local authorities. To accomplish its mission, the NDMS has employed Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs) – consisting of professional medical personnel, supported by logistics and administrative teams – across the country. A major mission of DMAT teams is to support healthcare facilities during a disaster or other event that overwhelms normal operations.
Unsecured and non-declared nuclear and radiological materials make a deadly combination, particularly attractive to terrorists. Forestalling the threat of any attack using weapons of mass destruction requires careful consideration of not only the sources of the materials used and the technological capabilities of those building such weapons but also the security at facilities where the materials may be stored.
Medical and industrial facilities, universities and colleges, cargo containers, and floodwaters have something in common with nuclear power plants – all of them can be a source of nuclear radiation. Knowing where radiation might be “hiding” within a community is the first step that emergency managers should take to protect those who are most likely to be in contact with those sources.
Over the past decade, U.S. public health agencies (local, state, and federal) have seen an increase of responsibility in preparing for, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating emergencies. In […]
In a passenger aircraft, there is nowhere to run when something suddenly goes wrong. Which is the primary reason that U.S. air marshals are now flying, strategically seated, on many domestic and international flights to thwart a possible terrorist threat against the aircraft and its passengers. The air marshals are armed – but their principal weapons are excellent training and continued situational awareness.
Similarities can be drawn between two nuclear disasters that occurred 27 years apart, in different countries. Dealing with a nuclear disaster in the United States or elsewhere still requires having accurate information – which must be delivered in time to help emergency responders deal with potentially major consequences. As long as nuclear plants exist, so does the potential threat of a meltdown.
Following exposure to radiological or other hazardous materials, decontamination efforts often focus on the people directly involved, but other concerns also must be considered – the use of weapons and/or possible harm to animals, for example. Pennsylvania’s Lehigh County has developed a best practices approach to ensuring that response teams are prepared to cope with non-routine decontamination situations.
Article Out Loud The primary reason why the Emergency Department of almost any U.S. hospital or other healthcare facility should be ready and able to respond to a hazardous material […]
It takes special equipment, and specially trained people, to rescue anyone trapped in a massive silo containing thousands of bushels of grain. Knowing what to do and how to do it – safely and successfully – could prevent fatalities caused by suffocation, toxic inhalation, or even an explosion.
The setting of national standards for the personal protective equipment worn and training received by first responders working in a hazardous-materials environment is a positive step forward. 