One responder sits in a room listening to an instructor and discussing key concepts and issues with other participants. Another responder sits at a computer during odd hours going through tutorials and posting on discussion groups. Although both types of trainings are effective, the deciding factors between instructor-led, web-based, or a combination of both trainings are personal.
An Ebola-infected American flown from Sierra Leone lies in critical condition at the National Institutes of Health. A nurse who contracted Ebola in 2014 when caring for a patient is suing Texas Health Resources for not properly training its employees. As these events demonstrate, biological threats to hospital workers still exist, and training must go beyond simply donning and doffing.
Public health and healthcare funding is a priority during a disease outbreak such as Ebola. However, when ongoing funding is unavailable, government agencies must scramble to find ways to support public health response efforts. Three funding opportunities may help address these current gaps and avoid disease-specific funding for response efforts after the threat is realized.
Across the United States, incidents of police officers being targeted in ambush-style attacks have raised great concern. The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police addressed this rising concern by creating reality-based training scenarios that build situational awareness and test officers on incidents they are likely to encounter during routine traffic stops.
Equipment, plans, and personnel are only as good as their ability to perform when needed. When disaster strikes, it is imperative that local, state, and federal levels of government, emergency management, volunteer organizations, and healthcare coalitions are all operationally ready and trained to use all of the “stuff” they have acquired over the years.
As conflicts arise between law enforcement agencies and the communities in which they serve, police cadet leadership programs could reduce crime, increase community relations, and change lives. Through education, community service, and public safety, these programs promote highly trained police departments and break down socioeconomic barriers.
A deliberate enemy attack on U.S. infrastructure may be a credible threat but, if the warning is
provided at the wrong time, in the wrong place, or to the wrong audience, the message will have no, or
possibly even a negative, response. An effective presenter is able to tell a story, be credible, choose
wisely, get help, and ask for action.
In December 2014, an unknown patient zero visited Disneyland in California. Whether that person knew that he or she was carrying a highly contagious infectious disease is not as important as the speed in which the disease spread and the reason behind it. There is a correlation between the resurgence of measles and vaccination practices in modern families.
As the old saying goes, there are “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The reality of how statistical data is gathered, compared, and used can make the decision-making process more difficult. In emergency medical services, setting the bar based on available statistics affects both lives and budgets, so decisions must be made wisely.
Modern emergency management agencies want more than education, more than training, and more than experience. They want it all, which makes it more difficult for an emergency management student to secure a job directly out of college. By collaborating with these agencies, universities can help their students gain the skills required for emergency management positions.
One responder sits in a room listening to an instructor and discussing key concepts and issues with other participants. Another responder sits at a computer during odd hours going through tutorials and posting on discussion groups. Although both types of trainings are effective, the deciding factors between instructor-led, web-based, or a combination of both trainings are personal. 
An Ebola-infected American flown from Sierra Leone lies in critical condition at the National Institutes of Health. A nurse who contracted Ebola in 2014 when caring for a patient is suing Texas Health Resources for not properly training its employees. As these events demonstrate, biological threats to hospital workers still exist, and training must go beyond simply donning and doffing. 