EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARCHIVES
DomPrep Executive Briefing on PS-Prep
Martin D. Masiuk
November 17, 2010
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
UTMB: From Disaster Planning to Long-Term Recovery
Cameron W, Slocum and James Lee Witt
November 10, 2010
Established in 1891 as the Medical Department of the University of Texas and housed in a single building with a class of 23 students, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB Health) today is a sprawling and modern health science center with an annual budget of $1.5 billion. Home to
‘My Loved One Was in That Accident – Can You Help Me?’
Craig DeAtley
October 27, 2010
A plane crash, a toxic-chemical spill, and other “mass-casualty” incidents all represent just the beginning of an extremely complicated response and recovery process. One of the most important “collateral duties” will be the dissemination of timely information to the media, the general public, and the worried families of those dead,
Reducing the H1N1 Risk: Public-Private Social Media Partnerships
Timothy Tinker and Marko Bourne
October 27, 2010
In business, in politics, and in sports, one of the oldest human truths is that, “If you can’t beat them, join them!” That seemingly eternal verity is being tested again, very effectively, by CDC and the nation’s healthcare communities are using widgets, tweets, and Whyville to persuade the public at
Technology and Equipment: Training Needed on Both
Jennifer Smither
October 26, 2010
Baltimore knows, and so do the great states of Oregon and Pennsylvania, that the first requirement in preparedness training is having the right type of equipment – in the quantities needed to meet all possible contingencies. The “other” first requirement is to ensure that all users of that equipment are
U.S. Vaccine Development: Expediting the Process
Diana Hopkins
October 20, 2010
Influenza and many other diseases spread with the speed of summer lightning. The “cure” for these frequently fatal viruses moves at a much slower pace – largely because the testing and validation processes take so long. Fortunately, there are new approaches coming into play to expedite those processes while still
Hospital Emergency Planning: Hospitals Qualify as Critical Infrastructure
Theodore Tully
October 20, 2010
How does one define “critical”? Far too often in today’s interconnected world, that important designation is awarded retrospectively – i.e., after a terroristic attack or major weather disaster. A credible case can be made, though, that major hospitals and other healthcare facilities deserve that description because of their intrinsic value
Another Look at EMS Staffing in Action
Joseph Cahill
October 13, 2010
As this year’s U.S. elections clearly demonstrate, there is a built-in conflict between voters’ desire for more and improved services and the equally compelling requirement, at all levels of government, to reduce expenditures. In the field of emergency medical services, this problem is particularly difficult to resolve because not only
Functional Needs Support Services: A New Paradigm in Emergency Shelter Operations
Bruce Clements
October 13, 2010
Everyone in any given community throughout the world suffers when a hurricane, earthquake, or other disaster occurs. Those who suffer the most, though, are usually those already suffering from other problems, specifically including medical impairments that make it difficult to function on their own, or even with assistance. Fortunately, new
The Reality of On-Scene Medical Control Physicians
Raphael M. Barishansky
October 6, 2010
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system in the United States functions primarily under the philosophy that EMS should – as efficiently as possible – assess, treat, and then quickly transport a patient to the appropriate hospital for definitive treatment by physicians. If needed, Medical Control (MC) is supplied off-line in
NIMS-ICS & the Private Sector – Good Fit, or a Stretch?
Stephen Grainer
September 22, 2010
Nine years later, and nothing has changed! Well, that is not exactly true. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is alive and, although not always moving forward at flank speed, has made considerable progress in several ways. Many relatively new programs should be expanded and upgraded, though, particularly those involving
Resilience: Developing Professionalism, Clarifying the Incentives
Dennis R. Schrader
September 15, 2010
The QHSR, the BUR, NFPA, and PS-Prep are marching in lockstep in their combined efforts to upgrade the nation’s awareness of resilience as a primary goal of preparedness planning, training, and implementation. Here are some helpful guidelines that political decision makers, budget managers, and operating professionals alike might find useful
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