Agriculture & Food Defense Archives

State & Local Medical Countermeasures: The 12-Hour Push

Kay C. Goss October 17, 2012

Emergency managers are working hard, on a continuing basis, to improve and support the national capability to assist in providing assets to affected areas during an extreme biological incident or emergency requiring medical countermeasures.

Breaking the Rules to Save Lives

Joseph Cahill October 3, 2012

No two emergency scenarios are identical and some may call for “creative” solutions – for example, overriding triage strategies for victims of a weapon of mass destruction or substituting medications for scarce countermeasures. Understanding the rules and how far they can “bend” in a crisis situation may help save not

EPA’s Role in Domestic Preparedness

Erica Canzler September 12, 2012

The terrorist attacks on the United States in September 2001 emphasized the need to better protect the nation against future threats. New government agencies were formed while existing agencies expanded their roles in preventing, responding to, and recovering from a variety of natural disasters and other emergencies. The Environmental Protection

Radiation Resources for First Responders

George Mills August 22, 2012

There is no room for error during a radiological event. For that reason, information must be readily available and as accurate as possible. Listen to subject matter experts from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as they discuss the types of resources available

Beyond Vaccines: Defeating Future Flu Viruses

David Gibson May 16, 2012

Throughout history, invisible enemies such as plague, pandemic influenza, and other infectious diseases have posed a great threat to human life. Public- and private-sector agencies and organizations are diligently working together to prevent future pandemics before they start. The immediate goal is to protect the nation’s warfighters, but the greatest beneficiaries may well

Protecting First Responders from Biological Agents

Christina Spoons April 25, 2012

Bio-weapons are the new “hidden dangers” available to terrorist groups seeking to kill and create widespread havoc. They are low in cost, quickly available, difficult to detect, and – if properly designed – extremely lethal. Moreover, first responders are often the most likely victims – but can save themselves, and

Charting New Waters in Biosecurity

Catherine L. Feinman April 25, 2012

Many businessmen, and homeowners, would quickly buy and read a comprehensive report on how to prevent burglaries. Many burglars would buy and read the same book, but for different reasons. Those who carry out important scientific research face a similar dilemma: They want to help educate their peers, but do not want their

Protecting the U.S. Agriculture and Food Sector

Douglas Meckes April 18, 2012

The well-known military axiom that an army “travels on its stomach” applies equally to a nation – more so now than ever before, primarily because of the massive increase in the international trade of food and agricultural products that has taken place in recent years. For this reason, the accidental

Enterprising Solutions: Buying/Building New State & Local Preparedness Capabilities

Dennis R. Schrader and John F. Morton April 17, 2012

For more than a century, the United States has followed a “forward defense” strategy – in other words, fighting the nation’s battles overseas rather than in the United States itself. The 9/11 terrorist attacks led to the realization that homeland security must now begin at home. The federal government has

Foodborne Outbreaks in Minnesota: Training and Performance

Kimberley Wetherille and Evan Henke April 11, 2012

There are almost 50 million foodborne illnesses “of various types” in the United States, and over 3,000 deaths annually. Those are the grim statistics that persuaded the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the FDA, and NACCHO to expand and upgrade programs already in place to detect, control, and

Food Fight – Bioterrorism & Emergency Response Capabilities

Joseph Cahill April 11, 2012

Infected salad bars and the “improved” technological capabilities of modern-day terrorist groups have combined to make U.S. responders, and the American people, much more cautious about what they eat. Fortunately, that heightened awareness has led to a much closer scrutiny of restaurants, super markets, food-processing plants, and the super-rich diet

Dual-Use Disasters: Lessons for Preparedness Professionals

Earl Stoddard April 4, 2012

Actions have consequences – not all of which are intended, or desired. Some military actions, for example, are intended to intimidate another nation – but instead lead to an outright war. The same is true in the fields of medicine and biological research that, while expanding the range of knowledge

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