In the late 1960's, far too many firefighters were dying in the line of duty when the fires were fighting involved hazardous materials. One man, Ludwig Benner, realized that changes were needed, both in the way firefighters were being trained and in the
Shockingly enough, Tasers are becoming the most humane working tool available to law-enforcement personnel and correctional officers who have no choice but to use force in dealing with aggressive and/or demented individuals who are threatening the peace a
The National Guard creates new units to deal with mass disasters. After the first responders come the WMD-CST teams, and behind them, providing a second protective shield for the American people, come the twelve CEFRP units, stationed in FEMA regions thro
Breathing is not easy for anyone involved in the responses to and cleanup of hazardous materials. The task is much more difficult, though, when the equipment provided to first responders is less than adequate, and deficient in many other ways.
The recent spate of articles and commentaries about the "Minuteman" group that, without invitation, helped the U.S. Border Patrol apprehend over 300 illegal migrants is a timely reminder that other citizen groups have provided significant homeland-defense
Crime-fighting goes high-tech with the introduction and increasing use of affordable, relatively compact, and user-friendly OCR and ALPR technology. Today, speeders are the most likely target. Tomorrow and the day after it will be known criminals and/or s
The war against bioterrorism moves forward - at less than flank speed--from the water-based decon agents of the 1990s to faster and much more effective peroxide-based solutions that can be used to deactivate biological pathogens and TICs as well as the CW
The handgun, the shotgun, and the rifle - each has its advantages and disadvantages. But today's law-enforcement officer needs at least one effective weapon not only to carry out his duties but also to protect himself and the thousands of innocent people
An all-hands effort is needed to set up and staff a decon line. Hoods and rubber gloves also are required, but the first essential step is gaining approval from upper management.
Tomorrow's fire departments will still fight the flames first. But then they will have other burning problems to cope with - chemical spills, for example; and a fast-growing spectrum of biological hazards now available over the counter or at the local ter
