EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARCHIVES
AI and 911 Call Systems: A New Ally or a Hidden Risk?
Michael Breslin
September 11, 2024
From natural disasters to sophisticated cyberthreats, the risks to public safety are evolving fast. As unexpected events can strike at any moment, the systems designed to protect people – 911 call centers – face unprecedented challenges. Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the landscape by increasing efficiencies and risks. Learn about
Security in and Around D.C. – Following the Informational Dots
Catherine L. Feinman
September 11, 2024
Preparing for any special event includes many unknowns. When an event involves national security, the stakes are even higher. Public safety agencies have been sharing their lessons learned and providing recommendations to prepare the nation for the upcoming election events. Read some of the takeaways they shared at the D.C.
Vulnerability and Exploitation – Human Trafficking After Natural Disasters
Benjamin Thomas Greer and Nathan DiPillo
August 28, 2024
Disasters inherently come with known and unknown threats. One looming emerging threat is human trafficking because traffickers capitalize on the vulnerability these events create to exploit victims. However, when properly trained, emergency management and disaster responders are uniquely positioned to identify, prevent, and mitigate exploitation before and after an emergency.
Return on Investments in Public Engagement
June Isaacson Kailes
August 14, 2024
Public engagement and participation involve community members in problem-solving, decision-making, and policy development. This article shares some new practices for creating actionable opportunities for key stakeholders to participate in decisions that affect their communities. Result-centered engagement can help protect people with disabilities and other community partners from many adverse impacts
Bridging Preparedness: State Medication Reserves for Pandemics and Beyond
Angie Im
August 14, 2024
New human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been confirmed in the United States. Although most cases like this do not escalate to pandemic status, it is critical that communities be better prepared than they were for COVID-19. However, one study shows that preparedness gaps may hinder these efforts.
Lessons in Social Media – Preparing Kids and Community Leaders for Disasters
Patricia Frost and Michael Prasad
August 7, 2024
Addressing children’s needs during a crisis can be challenging. Leveraging social media to create crisis communication campaigns can be an effective way to boost community outreach efforts and raise awareness of the unique needs children have in disaster planning and response. Successful social media campaigns by governmental and non-governmental organizations
Drones – A Life-Saving Time-Saver
Kevin Jones
July 24, 2024
As drone technology continues to evolve, it is important for law enforcement and other first responder agencies to understand the range of possible applications and physical and legal limitations of these tools. This article highlights the uses that save lives and time during incidents.
The Key Bridge Collapse – Through the Lens of Community Lifelines
Michael Prasad
July 17, 2024
The eight major elements of Community Lifelines use traffic-light-type color-coding to categorize the adverse impact status of a disaster. The article’s author has applied this same system to the recovery efforts following the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn how he applied this information-gathering tool to an ongoing recovery
Five Key Domains of Incident Management
Aaron Clark-Ginsberg
July 10, 2024
Effective incident management is a set of activities, not policy box-ticking of doctrine that may or may not be followed. A new free toolkit based on five key domains can help incident management teams assess and improve their effectiveness regardless of the incident, incident management team, and policy doctrine members
Jane Doe – Responding to Vulnerable Patients
Catherine L. Feinman
June 26, 2024
Despite the prevalence of first responders encountering human trafficking victims, they are not always aware of the signs or proper handling of the situation to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of victims. One paramedic shares his experience with an encounter that provided him lessons to share.
Fentanyl Hazards and Detection
Ashley Bradley and Kristin Omberg
June 12, 2024
The deadly opioid epidemic in the United States does not stop at overdoses. It also poses life-threatening exposure to first responders who arrive on scene. Learn about the new ways scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are expanding detection strategies and technologies to keep these responders safe.
Shielding Communities: Public Health Strategies for Natural Hazards
Raphael M. Barishansky and Andrew D. Pickett
May 15, 2024
Public health risks are common concerns when natural hazards occur. However, history shows that the increasing frequency of events and growing population sizes have been increasing the scale of events and the needs of affected populations. To mitigate complex public health challenges, personnel across disciplines must plan, coordinate, and develop
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