LAW ENFORCEMENT ARCHIVES
National Strategy for Biosecurity Threats
Robert C. Hutchinson
August 20, 2014
“Unexpected” threats may not be so unexpected, but rather foreseen threats that were not taken seriously. Anthrax, plague, and smallpox were ongoing concerns even before the recent incidents that occurred on U.S. soil. However, local jurisdictions must plan for and be operationally prepared for such no-notice biological incidents.
New York: Public Health Implications of the ‘Soda Ban’ Ruling
Andrew Geltman
August 20, 2014
The New York City Board of Health has a long tradition of creating innovative ways to promote better public health practices, but the recent “soda ban” ruling may hinder that innovation in the future. Although still a strong authority for “traditional” public health threats, the public health implications for “nontraditional”
Incident Response for Nursing & Assisted Living Homes
Steven Maynard
August 20, 2014
Article Out Loud Residents of nursing and assisted living homes are subject to many risks, including fires. Residents tend to be more physically and cognitively impaired, which puts them at a higher risk for death than the general population. Moreover, nursing and assisted living homes have long been recognized as
Georgia: Technologies & Disasters
Charley English
August 13, 2014
For emergency managers, the planning process never ends. Rather, it continues to evolve over time. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency embraces this concept and recently updated its mobile app to meet the changing needs of its local communities. This newly redesigned app serves as a template for agencies in other
Public Health Emergencies – Looking Toward the Future
Audrey Mazurek and Raphael M. Barishansky
August 13, 2014
In January 2014, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Catastrophic Events released a white paper listing seven recommendations to enhance the sustainability of preparedness efforts in the United States. The IOM paper reflects on relevant past accomplishments, the current state of public health
Mass Fatalities – Processing Human Remains
Joseph Cahill
August 13, 2014
The unfortunate truth is – no matter how well prepared a jurisdiction is, no matter how well equipped and staffed, and no matter how good emergency plans are – bad things happen. Unlike most planning efforts, the goal of mass fatality planning is not to save lives, but rather to
Call for a Dedicated Environmental Health & Security Strategy
Justin Snair and Christopher Mills
August 5, 2014
The natural and built environments affect personal and population health, but the effects are often only visible over time. Countering the threat of harmful substances and organisms in food, water, air, and soil requires a multidiscipline approach. Determining where environmental health and security fits alongside public health strategy and homeland
Biothreat Preparedness – Less Talking, More Doing
Catherine L. Feinman
July 30, 2014
An article, a flash poll, and a podcast each addressed the same question: Where does the nation stand on preparedness for biological threats? As the world watches to see how West Africa manages the latest Ebola outbreak, public health officials must continue to train, educate, staff, and fund their forces
Bioterror – The Threat, The Defense & The Future
Richard Schoeberl
July 23, 2014
Adequate defense for a bioterrorism attack requires fortification of the public health infrastructure as well as the establishment and continuance of a good healthcare system. With the potential to spread rapidly with and between communities, bioagents as weapons pose a significant threat to U.S. communities that require greater attention on
Revisiting the Staging Area Manager
Robert Mueck
July 23, 2014
Modern communication methods and social media enable rapid transfer of information. As a result, there is often an influx of responders and onlookers when an incident occurs. To manage those who were not dispatched to the scene, a staging area manager can help establish a check-in post, organize and track
Special Facilities – More Than Just Shelters
Joseph Cahill
July 16, 2014
Many emergency plans call for the establishment of special facilities – each serving a primary function(s) to protect the population – in order to fulfill the public’s needs during or after a disaster. Following a terrorist attack involving a bioweapon such as smallpox, for example, mass inoculations would require establishing
International Public Health Concerns – Not So Foreign
Robert C. Hutchinson
July 16, 2014
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Lassa fever, and other pathogenic infections are just a few of the biothreats that recently have grabbed national attention in the United States. What were once considered foreign diseases are not so foreign in a globalized economy. As such, a national strategy for biosurveillance must
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