HAZMAT ARCHIVES
Where Incident Management Unravels
Charles Bailey
August 3, 2016
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is the mandated national framework for emergency incident management. It is a natural derivative of the Incident Command System developed in California after a particularly disastrous wildfire season in 1970. However, there are some notable reasons that it should not be considered the solution
Social Impact Bonds & Sustainable Disaster Risk Reduction
Justin Snair and Megan Reeve Snair
July 27, 2016
National policy and practice tend to focus efforts and resources on disaster response and recovery, rather than on disaster risk reduction. Understanding disaster risks and incentivizing sustainable risk reduction efforts could help reduce overall disaster costs and even save lives.
Integration of Public Health Into the Whole Community
Kathleen E. Goodwin and Leana S. Wen
July 20, 2016
The Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD) is the oldest, continuously operating health department in the country – founded in 1793 to respond to a local yellow fever outbreak. BCHD is committed to the idea that health is critical to a community’s ability to thrive and thus deserves to be incorporated
Bringing Public Health Preparedness Into the 21st Century
Emily Lord
July 12, 2016
The probability of certain public health threats, the costs and funding related to such threats, and the “silo” effect of the public health sector all contribute to the preparedness gap between public health and other sectors. It is time to bridge this gap and update preparedness efforts to better prepare
Threats Evolving Faster Than Preparedness
Robert C. Hutchinson
July 6, 2016
With the current amount of discussion and media coverage regarding the spreading Zika virus and the mounting concerns over antibiotic drug resistance, public health remains a critical homeland security and emergency preparedness priority. Unfortunately, it is often a fluctuating priority that does not receive consistent attention, action, and funding to
Balancing Risk – Understanding & Preparing for Catastrophes
Catherine L. Feinman
June 22, 2016
Space weather, nuclear, and catastrophic natural disasters are just lying in wait for the right combination of conditions. Although it is not possible to plan specifically for every type of threat – imaginable and unimaginable – it is necessary to weigh the risks associated with various threats and take sufficient
Cascadia Catastrophe – Not If, But When
Arthur Glynn
June 15, 2016
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the Washington and British Columbia coast along the 700-mile Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) – followed by a tsunami with 90-foot or more wave surges in some areas – is possible based on geological factors and historical accounts. Communities in and around the CSZ, and those with
Space Weather & Electrical Grid – GPS, the Weakest Link
Dana A. Goward
June 8, 2016
Among the many important, yet weak, satellite signals that can be disrupted by space weather, the Global Positioning System (GPS) is undoubtedly the most important and the weakest. Two recent public discussions have highlighted the challenges this poses for the national electrical grid, both today and going forward.
Preparing for Everything Under the Sun
Joshua Sparber
June 8, 2016
The Space Weather Conference in Broomfield, Colorado, on 25-29 April 2016 focused on improving space weather models and exploring more diverse and effective research tools. Current U.S. policy has shifted in favor of more research and funding, which can only be accomplished through better cooperation between the public and private
Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East
Jerome H. Kahan
June 1, 2016
Now that the Iran nuclear deal is in effect, it is worth exploring whether this agreement will in fact: (a) constrain Iran’s efforts to build nuclear weapons and inhibit nuclear proliferation in the region; or (b) have unintended negative consequences that the United States and its negotiating partners did not
Assessing the Iran Deal
Jerome H. Kahan
May 25, 2016
With the United States as de facto leader, the five members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany – the so called “5+1” club – spent over two years negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or so-called “nuclear deal,” which is expected to reduce the danger of
Border Control Challenges – A Roundtable Discussion
Robert C. Hutchinson and Catherine L. Feinman
May 25, 2016
The topic of borders – ports of entry, security, and public health concerns – has become politicized, and the focus on true border security has been somewhat lost. Educating politicians and instilling practicality in the public are necessary before any effective border security policy changes can be made. A recent
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