FIRE ARCHIVES
DomPrep Executive Briefing on PS-Prep
Martin D. Masiuk
November 17, 2010
The well attended 15 November DomPrep Executive Briefing on the Department of Homeland Security’s new “Private-Sector Preparedness” program not only provided a wealth of information for those participating but also raised several exceptionally relevant questions – on a broad range of closely related topics. The one virtually unanimous conclusion (no
Field-Proven Medical Skills for Law-Enforcement Units
Joseph W. Trindal
October 27, 2010
Thanks to major improvements in military medical care, even on the battlefield itself, the U.S. combat KIA (killed in action) casualty rate has declined dramatically for more than half a century. Question: Could the same medical skills, training, and equipment be used to reduce the KIA rate of U.S. police
Technology and Equipment: Training Needed on Both
Jennifer Smither
October 26, 2010
Baltimore knows, and so do the great states of Oregon and Pennsylvania, that the first requirement in preparedness training is having the right type of equipment – in the quantities needed to meet all possible contingencies. The “other” first requirement is to ensure that all users of that equipment are
Hospital Emergency Planning: Hospitals Qualify as Critical Infrastructure
Theodore Tully
October 20, 2010
How does one define “critical”? Far too often in today’s interconnected world, that important designation is awarded retrospectively – i.e., after a terroristic attack or major weather disaster. A credible case can be made, though, that major hospitals and other healthcare facilities deserve that description because of their intrinsic value
Another Look at EMS Staffing in Action
Joseph Cahill
October 13, 2010
As this year’s U.S. elections clearly demonstrate, there is a built-in conflict between voters’ desire for more and improved services and the equally compelling requirement, at all levels of government, to reduce expenditures. In the field of emergency medical services, this problem is particularly difficult to resolve because not only
NIMS-ICS & the Private Sector – Good Fit, or a Stretch?
Stephen Grainer
September 22, 2010
Nine years later, and nothing has changed! Well, that is not exactly true. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is alive and, although not always moving forward at flank speed, has made considerable progress in several ways. Many relatively new programs should be expanded and upgraded, though, particularly those involving
Resilience: Developing Professionalism, Clarifying the Incentives
Dennis R. Schrader
September 15, 2010
The QHSR, the BUR, NFPA, and PS-Prep are marching in lockstep in their combined efforts to upgrade the nation’s awareness of resilience as a primary goal of preparedness planning, training, and implementation. Here are some helpful guidelines that political decision makers, budget managers, and operating professionals alike might find useful
The EMS Role on FAST Teams & HazMat Assignments
Joseph Cahill
September 1, 2010
The risks may be theoretically “controlled” but they are still risks – and controls don’t always work. Which is the reasoning behind the “two-in/two out” rule, the need for an EMS specialist on scene, and the ethical imperative guiding the decisions of political leaders and emergency managers.
The Insurance Industry’s Role in PS-Prep
Donald Byrne
August 18, 2010
The much-revered U.S. “private citizen” has become increasingly critical of all levels of government in recent years, according to most recent polls and surveys. And justifiably so, according to a virtual army of pundits and commentators – and many politicians themselves. But that same beloved private citizen, if he or
Decision-Making in Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) Response
Christopher Wrenn
August 18, 2010
This is the first of a four-part series on Chemical Detection and Decontamination for Multiple Applications. In response to releases of CWA, there may not be one technology or one “answer” that is correct. The responder must take into account all of the clues to determine the presence or absence
Update on Private Sector Preparedness (PS-Prep) Standards
Diana Hopkins
August 11, 2010
The 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks against the WTC Towers & the Pentagon theoretically “galvanized the nation” – but it still took roughly three years before the 9/11 Commission recommended the development and promulgation of “private-sector preparedness standards.” Another six years have passed, and three of those standards are ready
Monitoring the Monitor: Additional Breakthroughs Predicted
Joseph Cahill
August 4, 2010
More and better clot busters, instant timelines, smarter (maybe even genius level) cellular technology, and open-source software. All are part of the still ongoing revolution in medical monitoring devices that started with the EKG and defibrillator and has already saved untold thousands of lives in almost every country in the
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