Most recently published
On the Anniversary of 9-11, Where Is Homeland Security as an Election Issue
Jena Baker McNeill
September 17, 2008
The campaign platforms of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates differ in many particulars, but they should agree on most homeland-security issues. (Article reprinted courtesy of the Heritage Foundation.)
‘Zero Hour’: A Serious Game for Emergency Responders
James D. Hessman
September 17, 2008
George Washington University plans to convene two “policy summits” focused on the preparedness needs of large cities. One highlight of the meetings will be a bloodily realistic videogame showing how first responders can help turn victims into patients.
The Bruce Ivins Case: Pros and Cons
Michael Allswede
September 10, 2008
Did the suicide of Dr. Bruce Ivins write “finished” to the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks. Perhaps. But questions remain, there are some circumstances yet to be explained, & the case against him may not be as airtight as originally believed.
Undomiciled: Domestic Preparedness for the Homeless
Joseph Cahill
September 3, 2008
When disaster strikes the impact is felt by all members of the community, including those without homes, without power (electric or political), and sometimes (far too often) almost without hope.
Standards for Sharing Intelligence and Information
Diana Hopkins
August 27, 2008
It has taken years to remedy the intelligence-sharing deficiencies reported by the 9-11 Commission, but Congress and the President have worked hard to overcome the ignorance and apathy that once were the norm but are now the exception.When individual professionals, government agencies and other organizations, and the private sector join
New Radiological Tool Kits Available from CDC
Judith L. Kanne
August 27, 2008
A major upgrading of state and local abilities to respond to radiological emergencies is now possible, thanks to CDC’s development and production of two new on-the-scene tool kits.
Local Emergency Management: The CFATS Challenge
Joseph W. Trindal
August 20, 2008
Chemical facilities have always been a concern for local first responders. Most major chemical accidents rapidly overwhelm community emergency-services capabilities. Until the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, U.S. emergency-services agencies viewed chemical incidents as accidental events – and the tragic Bhopal (India) toxic chemical release in 1984 had already
Hospital Decontamination: Many Questions, But Few Answers
Theodore Tully
August 20, 2008
From “two-lane” decon lanes to high-tech detection equipment and personal protective gear, most U.S. hospitals are behind the curve in preparing to deal with mass-casualty decontamination incidents. What can be done about it?
Radiation Detection: Dosimeters Plus Common Sense
Glen Rudner
August 13, 2008
The reality of a radiation emergency differs little from that caused by a chemical or biological release – any or all of them are either accidental or intentional. But in either case the emergency-response community is tasked with determining the type, size, and impact that the incident has on the
Dead Reckoning: EMS, Death, and Resource Management
James Mason
August 13, 2008
The assumption that an accident victim who is not breathing is dead can be a fatal mistake – for the victim. Which is just one of many reasons why so many laws governing the handling of apparent deaths have been enacted by every state in the union.
Standards Organizations: A Helpful Road Map for Emergency Responders
Diana Hopkins
July 23, 2008
Where are standards these days? And who (or what agency) decides on them, determines their content, announces and implements them, and – if necessary and permitted by law – enforces them?
Bournemouth Report: The Conference Where Nothing Happened
Steve Fortado
July 23, 2008
Working in close cooperation with the private sector – Thermo Fisher Scientific, to be more specific – the U.K.’s Dorset Police Department scored what Americans would call a “no hitter” at last year’s Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth.
Customizing the Tool: The Tailoring of Crisis-Management and Mass-Casualty Software
Kate Rosenblatt
September 17, 2008
The U.S. healthcare system is in most respects the best in the world. But keeping the paperwork up with the patient is still a formidable problem, particularly in the handling of mass-casualty patients with several hospitals involved.
On the Anniversary of 9-11, Where Is Homeland Security as an Election Issue
Jena Baker McNeill
September 17, 2008
The campaign platforms of the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates differ in many particulars, but they should agree on most homeland-security issues. (Article reprinted courtesy of the Heritage Foundation.)
‘Zero Hour’: A Serious Game for Emergency Responders
James D. Hessman
September 17, 2008
George Washington University plans to convene two “policy summits” focused on the preparedness needs of large cities. One highlight of the meetings will be a bloodily realistic videogame showing how first responders can help turn victims into patients.
The Bruce Ivins Case: Pros and Cons
Michael Allswede
September 10, 2008
Did the suicide of Dr. Bruce Ivins write “finished” to the investigation of the 2001 anthrax attacks. Perhaps. But questions remain, there are some circumstances yet to be explained, & the case against him may not be as airtight as originally believed.
Undomiciled: Domestic Preparedness for the Homeless
Joseph Cahill
September 3, 2008
When disaster strikes the impact is felt by all members of the community, including those without homes, without power (electric or political), and sometimes (far too often) almost without hope.
Standards for Sharing Intelligence and Information
Diana Hopkins
August 27, 2008
It has taken years to remedy the intelligence-sharing deficiencies reported by the 9-11 Commission, but Congress and the President have worked hard to overcome the ignorance and apathy that once were the norm but are now the exception.When individual professionals, government agencies and other organizations, and the private sector join
New Radiological Tool Kits Available from CDC
Judith L. Kanne
August 27, 2008
A major upgrading of state and local abilities to respond to radiological emergencies is now possible, thanks to CDC’s development and production of two new on-the-scene tool kits.
Local Emergency Management: The CFATS Challenge
Joseph W. Trindal
August 20, 2008
Chemical facilities have always been a concern for local first responders. Most major chemical accidents rapidly overwhelm community emergency-services capabilities. Until the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, U.S. emergency-services agencies viewed chemical incidents as accidental events – and the tragic Bhopal (India) toxic chemical release in 1984 had already
Hospital Decontamination: Many Questions, But Few Answers
Theodore Tully
August 20, 2008
From “two-lane” decon lanes to high-tech detection equipment and personal protective gear, most U.S. hospitals are behind the curve in preparing to deal with mass-casualty decontamination incidents. What can be done about it?
Radiation Detection: Dosimeters Plus Common Sense
Glen Rudner
August 13, 2008
The reality of a radiation emergency differs little from that caused by a chemical or biological release – any or all of them are either accidental or intentional. But in either case the emergency-response community is tasked with determining the type, size, and impact that the incident has on the
Dead Reckoning: EMS, Death, and Resource Management
James Mason
August 13, 2008
The assumption that an accident victim who is not breathing is dead can be a fatal mistake – for the victim. Which is just one of many reasons why so many laws governing the handling of apparent deaths have been enacted by every state in the union.
Standards Organizations: A Helpful Road Map for Emergency Responders
Diana Hopkins
July 23, 2008
Where are standards these days? And who (or what agency) decides on them, determines their content, announces and implements them, and – if necessary and permitted by law – enforces them?
The Gap Analysis Tool: Building Blocks for Preparedness
Kelly R. McKinney and Joseph Picciano
July 16, 2008
Best-case estimates provide a shaky foundation for all-hazards disaster plans; worst-case estimates may cost more in the short term, therefore, but are a better working tool for post-incident response and recovery efforts.
Sorting It All Out: Triage, CERT, and EMS
Joseph Cahill
July 9, 2008
Community Emergency Response Team members are often the only medical “reserve” available to a community hit by a mass-casualty incident. But, like the medical professionals they are helping, they face some difficult questions impossible to answer.
Politics and Science: A Glowing Combination?
Jerry Mothershead
June 25, 2008
How does a democracy work? Not always quite the way it should, particularly when substantive evidence has been presented for only one side of an issue and the media compensates by giving more, and more favorable, publicity to the other side.
Proven Reliability: Always the Most Essential Consideration
Diana Hopkins
June 25, 2008
Those responsible for buying emergency-response products such as instruments and devices can be easily overwhelmed by the huge number of choices available. For that reason, it is important that purchasing departments (and individual buyers) develop and implement a prioritized purchasing system – one that places proven reliability as a principal criterion in
Military and Civilian Burn Management: Lessons Learned
Christopher Holland
June 18, 2008
The U.S. military and civilian medical communities mingle, mix, and learn from one another, particularly in the highly specialized, but extremely important, field of burn care.
Interim Housing Following Disasters: The FEMA Temporary Housing Program
Kay C. Goss
June 18, 2008
After presidentially declared disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers Direct Assistance – in the form of campers, trailers, and mobile homes – to those who are without shelter. Direct Assistance is available to eligible applicants in addition to cash grants.Disaster survivors are often assigned a camper, trailer, or
NIMS Training Plans: An Effort Without End
Stephen Grainer
June 16, 2008
From George Washington’s days to the present, U.S. leaders have adhered to the credo that “Eternal Vigilance” is “the price of freedom.” Today, those wise words of warning are applicable, with only a slight modification, to the efforts of federal, state, and local officials seeking to meet National Incident Management
Plan Nationally, Respond Locally
Joseph Cahill
June 11, 2008
Flexibility, common sense, and operational efficiency are the hallmarks of the new National Response Framework, which builds on the solid but sometimes too rigid foundation of its predecessor doctrine, the National Response Plan.
Developing Competency for Disaster Medical Response Situations
Michael Allswede
June 4, 2008
The treatment of victims of mass-casualty incidents is probably the greatest challenge facing the U.S. medical community – but, in most of the nation’s medical schools, ranks lowest on the academic priority list.
The Intro 650 Debate: NYC’s Controversial Threat-Detector Legislation
Diana Hopkins
May 28, 2008
Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council say that passage of Intro 650 is essential to protect NYC from future terrorist attacks. Opponents see fatal flaws in the bill, and want answers to some important questions.
Backups for Emergency Satellite Communications
Kay C. Goss
May 28, 2008
In today’s fast-moving world comprehensive, rapid, & continuing communications are the key to business success – and, in times of conflict, success on the battlefield as well. But what happens if communications systems are destroyed or made inoperable?
Excellence in Education: Georgia’s New CHEC Course
Gina Piazza
May 28, 2008
The duties & responsibilities of hospital emergency coordinators are extremely complex and specialized. A new course of studies sponsored by the Georgia Department of Human Resources provides the framework needed for three levels of CHEC certification.
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