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 mitigate and prepare for infectious diseases – both natural and malicious – have been subdued compared to other preparedness efforts.
The following panel discussion brings together five subject matter experts – including three from the 2009 documentary – to address the gaps as well as the progress in nuclear preparedness over the past five years.
Domestic Preparedness met with Dennis R. Schrader, Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness, FEMA. Schrader, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) deputy administrator for national preparedness – accompanied by Glenn Cannon, FEMA assistant director for disaster operations – discusses the soon-to-be-released final version of the National Response Framework (NRF).
Domestic Preparedness met with Ellen P. Embrey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. The Pentagon’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness outlines the military’s role in national disaster support and medical readiness under Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF 8 –Medical and Health Services), and lists the medical support capabilities her department brings to bear.
Domestic Preparedness met with Glenn Cannon, Assistant Administrator for Disaster Operations, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA’s assistant administrator for disaster operations discusses the “New” FEMA, reorganized in accordance with the 2006 Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, and the reconfigured agency’s operational, pro-active, and situationally-aware orientation.
Domestic Preparedness met with Sir Ken Knight, Commissioner for the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. London’s – and soon the United Kingdom’s – senior first responder discusses his approach to multi-agency incident-management and response operations in light of the 7/7 2005 terrorist attack, the United Kingdom’s approach to resilience, and the several ways in which the U.K. response operations differ from those mandated by the U.S. National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Domestic Preparedness met with Joseph Becker, Senior Vice President of Disaster Services, American Red Cross to discuss the American Red Cross (ARC) concept of operations for disaster preparedness and response under the new National Response Framework, Red Cross support activities in line with ESF 6 (mass care, emergency assistance, housing, and human services) and ESF 8 (public health and medical services), and take-aways from this year’s National Preparedness Month.
Their views on current and future maritime-security operations, the USCG’s relationships with other
agencies, new security standards being considered, and the service’s interface with the Navy, CBP, and
various port stakeholders.
The former FEMA administrator discusses the agency’s reorganization process, the proposed
establishment of a national catastrophic-insurance fund, FEMA’s working relationship with the ARC, and
the rationale for upgrading the agency to cabinet-level.
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 mitigate and prepare for infectious diseases – both natural and malicious – have been subdued compared to other preparedness efforts.
Their views on current and future maritime-security operations, the USCG’s relationships with other
agencies, new security standards being considered, and the service’s interface with the Navy, CBP, and
various port stakeholders. 