EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARCHIVES
Radioactive Sources – An Invisible Hazard
Stephen Jolly
August 21, 2013
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
Radiological Emergencies – Public Health Responsibilities/Challenges
Audrey Mazurek and Raphael M. Barishansky
August 14, 2013
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 addition to planning for responses to naturally occurring disease outbreaks, these agencies are often key partners in responding to weather
Nuclear Meltdown – The Need for Timely & Honest Information
Janette D. Sherman and Joseph J. Mangano
August 14, 2013
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
Special Decontamination Considerations: Bridging the Gap
Ryan Hay
August 12, 2013
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
Hospital Decontamination – High Costs & Limited Benefits
Craig DeAtley
August 7, 2013
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 release is to protect patients, staff, and the hospitals’ own facilities from avoidable contamination. However, unlike many other patient-care procedures
Staple Foods, Grain Tonnages & Daring Rescues
Joseph Cahill
August 7, 2013
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.
Incident Gridlock – Overwhelming a City
Glen Rudner
July 24, 2013
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration concluded in 2007 that there is a weakness in the infrastructure’s ability to handle the movement of people following a natural or manmade disaster. The 2013 Boston Marathon bombings serve as a prime example of how transportation facilities and government agencies manage complex incidents that
A Major Step Forward: Private Sector Resilience Coordination
Joseph W. Trindal
July 24, 2013
Emergency operation centers are no longer the exclusive property of government agencies. Various states are now incorporating centers that specifically focus on the private sector stakeholders the Business Emergency Management Operations Center in Washington, D.C., is one of the latest additions to a growing trend.
When Cyber Space Meets the Real World
Markus Rauschecker
July 17, 2013
Emergency managers should not neglect their basic emergency management principles when faced with a cyber incident. Although information technology (IT) professionals have the technical expertise, emergency managers maintain responsibility for coordinating the response to cyber incidents. Therefore, by working together, emergency managers and IT professionals can provide a more effective
Seeing National Preparedness Through the Public Health Lens
Raphael M. Barishansky
July 17, 2013
Lee caused less damage and fewer fatalities, but vigorously reinforced the lethal lessons learned from Irene less than two months ago – namely, that: (a) There is absolutely no substitute for advance planning; (b) Planning must be as totally comprehensive, in every way, as is humanly possible; and (c)That saving
The Island Life – Isolated But Not Alone
Joseph Cahill
July 10, 2013
Public health emergencies, including infectious disease and natural disasters, are issues that every community faces. To address these threats, it is critical for all jurisdictions to understand how law can be used to enhance public health preparedness, as well as improve coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions. As sovereign entities, tribal
A Roadmap for Improving Cyber Preparedness
Monica Giovachino and Sarah Tidman
July 10, 2013
The U.S. information security and technology communities are no longer solely responsible for protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats – emergency managers also play an increasingly important role in that task. Increasing the overall level of cyber preparedness therefore requires closer coordination, information sharing, and effective planning, as well as
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