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How the Nation Is Failing in Public Health Preparedness

As public health funding and staffing continue to decline, communities are left more vulnerable to the next catastrophic public health emergency. The United States is failing in its public health preparedness efforts. The nation’s resilience depends on the government and public health making critical changes to reverse this downward trend.

Public Health – How Prepared Is the Nation?

Public health encompasses pandemics and bioterrorism incidents as much as injury and illness threats following other types of disasters. The burden of biological threats is often less visible, but can affect economic stability and national security just as much as (if not more than) other types of disasters. Efforts to
Unidentified person looking at a computer screen showing a world map of outbreak areas

Broadening the Public Health Security Agenda

In 2001, almost 3,000 people died after the 9/11 attacks. In 2005, more than 1,800 people died because of Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent floods. Receiving less attention, in the United States alone, more than 3,000 people die of influenza each year. With other public health threats having already crossed

A Unified Strategy for Biodefense Preparedness

Regardless of what many experts perceive as the likelihood of a biological attack, continuing improvements in U.S. public health preparedness programs are necessary to ensure more effective response operations and save countless lives. A cooperative approach to biodefense planning should include an expansion of the nation’s existing arsenal of medical

Public Health Response & Emergency Management Planning

Most disaster responses necessarily include a public health component. Emergency managers must always be aware of that fact when dealing with emerging threats and their possible consequences. By incorporating a public health response into emergency management planning, the nation will be much better prepared for the next pandemic or biological

Counter-Agroterrorism 101

Some biological agents – anthrax and ricin, for example – can be used as weapons against human targets; others specifically attack animals and food crops. Both types of attack, though, can have devastating effects on the economy and on the morale and overall wellbeing of a nation. To mitigate these

Early Warning: The Front Line of Biodefense

During and after a known or suspected biological attack, most events initially play out in local hospitals where the first symptoms caused by a toxic agent are recognized. Raising awareness among medical staff and expanding current training programs will help healthcare providers respond to a possible biological event both more

Identifying & Isolating Bio-Threats Before They Present

An emerging infectious disease or a bioterrorism attack must be prevented from spreading globally even when the effectiveness of predictive measures and detection programs is in question. In addition to current medical countermeasures, defending against biological threats may require the enforcement of control measures that rely on non-medical public health

If & When Needed: The Building of Pandemic Barriers

Infectious diseases such as influenza are invisible, fast-moving, and often extremely lethal. The best and sometimes only way to kill them is to detect them early, stop them before they start to spread, isolate them at the first sign of an outbreak, and have at hand the trained medical professionals,

If & When Needed: The Building of Pandemic Barriers

Infectious diseases such as influenza are invisible, fast-moving, and often extremely lethal. The best and sometimes only way to kill them is to detect them early, stop them before they start to spread, isolate them at the first sign of an outbreak, and have at hand the trained medical professionals,

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Article Out Loud – Mission Ready Packages: New Possibilities

In 2005, the Superdome in New Orleans served as a mass shelter and accommodated over 25,000 people during Hurricane Katrina. Those accommodations, though, were inadequate, with limited power, plumbing, and other resources. To avoid a similar scenario, the Mission Ready Venue Initiative enables stadiums to be a resource for immediate

Article Out Loud – Evolution of a Critical Emergency Response Tool

During a derecho in May 2024, Texas agencies contacted and conducted wellness checks on residents with disabilities or with functional and access needs. One tool facilitated the process, sharing critical information about registrants to the emergency responders and planners who needed to know. Learn about this collaborative process.

Article Out Loud – Why Public Works Needs a Seat at the Planning Table

This is an article by Greg Hoffnung, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, January 8, 2025. Despite their critical role in disaster response, public works agencies are not always included in the emergency planning process. Key steps can help ensure that these and other agencies can more effectively respond

Article Out Loud – Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Emergency Management

This is an article by Alex Hagen and Jon Barr, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 18, 2024. Recent research into the relationship between AI and emergency management uncovered an environment prepared for AI-based solutions. While AI must overcome some infrastructure hurdles, technologies to prevent, mitigate, and recover

ARTICLE OUT LOUD – Introducing AI to the Emergency Management Workforce: A Case Study

This is an article by Lenora G. Borchardt, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 18, 2024. AI can contribute to professional competency and learners’ success while efficiently training emergency management professionals and managing the bottom line. Learn how AI can create competency and outcomes-based learning tailored to each

ARTICLE OUT LOUD – Protecting Critical Infrastructure From Weaponized Drones

Electricity substations are traditionally only protected by chain-link fences and signage warning of the dangers of high voltage. However, this still leaves property vulnerable, especially to weaponized drones attacking from above, a mode of terrorism being used more extensively across the world and at home. Learn about the vulnerability of

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