The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced that it has awarded a $20 million cooperative agreement to Colorado State University (CSU) to establish the Community Resilience Center of Excellence, in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service have developed an improved method for analyzing outbreak data to determine which foods are responsible for illnesses related to four major foodborne bacteria.
KD Analytical Consulting, Inc. recently announced that Kevin Good has joined the company to further develop its growing portfolio of accounts in the emergency responder and critical infrastructure protection markets.
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.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently assessed and listed the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test Kit (Corgenix, USA) as eligible for procurement to Ebola affected countries. The antigen test is rapid, easy to perform and does not require electricity it can therefore be used at lower health care facilities or in mobile units for patients in remote settings.
Emergency service fields traditionally have relied on hands-on educational strategies. However, online options are becoming more attractive because of their flexibility, availability, and cost. By matching a person's learning style with an educational environment that is conducive to that style, professionals can continue their educational journey in new and exciting ways.
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.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently announced that technology from its Cyber Security Division Transition to Practice (TTP) program has been licensed for market commercialization. The technology, Hyperion, developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is a malware forensics detection and software assurance technology that has been licensed to R&K Cyber Solutions LLC.
These are remarks by Rose Gottemoeller, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, before the University of Virginia, Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, in Charlottesville, VA.
This report presents basic information about the measles, its history in the United States, available treatments to prevent individuals from contracting measles, and the federal role in combatting measlesfrom funding, to research, to the authority of the federal government in requiring mandatory childhood vaccinations. The report provides additional resources for information on measles and recommendations for vaccination against the disease.
Sandia National Laboratories has won the Federal Laboratory Consortium's 2015 Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer for a credit-card-size device that can detect bacteria that cause anthrax. BaDx (Bacillus anthracis Diagnostics) works in places with no power, refrigerated storage or laboratory equipment. It requires minimal or no training and makes anthrax testing safer, easier, faster and cheaper.
The oversight of medical products was added to the High Risk List in 2009 because the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) was facing a variety of difficulties that threatened to compromise its ability to protect the public health. The 2009 report is updated here. While progress has been made, challenges remain.
The 2015 National Snapshot of Public Health Preparedness is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) seventh preparedness report, demonstrating how federal investments enhance the nation's ability to respond to public health threats and emergencies. This snapshot presents the activities that occurred during 2013 and 2014, in the framework of CDC's three priorities.
Preparedness involves a careful balance between training and education. Successful homeland security enterprises are able to conceptualize this blend of training and education to adequately prepare their workforces and accomplish their missions. It is not enough to just know how to do something, it is equally important to know why.
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.
This is a statement by Karen Midthun, M.D., director at the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives.
From natural disasters and search-and-rescue operations to campus security and public events, Mission Manager's cloud-based emergency management software helped first responders save lives and property - and also manage training and exercises - in nearly 1,300 missions in its first year since the company re-launched the software as a subscription-based model.
The Certificate in Emergency and Disaster Management is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in consequence and crisis management. American Military University's Emergency and Disaster Management program is recognized through the Foundation of Higher Education in emergency management and homeland security.
The president's new National Security Strategy provides a vision and strategy for advancing the nation's interests, universal values, and a rules-based international order through strong and sustainable American leadership. The strategy outlines the principles and priorities that describe how the United States will lead the world toward greater peace and prosperity.
Zwipe, a global leader in biometric authentication technology, announced that HID Global's iCLASS® and 125kHz ProxCard® users can now easily integrate the Zwipe Access biometric card, thus eliminating the need to add biometric readers to an existing HID Global®iClass® or Prox-based system.
The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) has selected Intergraph® to update its incident response technologies. Intergraph's computer-aided dispatch solution (I/CAD) and Mobile for Public Safety (MPS) will provide the foundation for dispatch and emergency operations for fire and emergency medical services throughout New York City.
A new Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center is being created under the auspices of the director of national intelligence, to coordinate intelligence among government agencies to better respond to cyberattacks. The center will serve a similar function for cyber as the National Counterterrorism Center does for terrorism.
This report briefly describes the shift in the international security environment that some observers believe has occurred, and identifies some defense-related issues for Congress that could arise from it. Congress's decisions on these issues could have significant implications for U.S. defense capabilities and funding requirements.
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.
The evolution of emergency management has necessitated an expansion of higher educational offerings. However, in this relatively new discipline, there is no comprehensive database of the many academic programs around the world. The International Association of Emergency Manager's Global Student Council seeks to fill this gap.
American Military University (AMU) has partnered with several statewide law enforcement associations to develop an academic program that prepares police chiefs and other key law enforcement command personnel for their leadership roles.
Formalizing a partnership with the KEYW Corporation, the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) was awarded a contract to pilot a cybersecurity policy training course. Under the contract, CHHS will develop and deliver a pilot program on cybersecurity policy for KEYW clients, which include the intelligence, law enforcement, and private sector communities.
Remarks by Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and the accompanying report provide a progress update for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the calendar year 2014.
Following the conclusion of a two-year project initiated by the National Association of State EMS Officials Medical Directors Council, the National Model EMS Clinical Guidelines are now available. The project was developed to help state emergency medical services (EMS) systems ensure a more standardized approach to prehospital patient care.
Immunovaccine Inc., a clinical stage vaccine and immunotherapy company, recently announced that three different recombinant protective antigen (rPA) vaccines formulated with its novel DepoVax enhancement technology protected animals against a lethal anthrax challenge after a single vaccination.
According to a January 2014 Pew Research Center report, 58 percent of adults surveyed in the United States use smartphones. With a growing dependence on these devices, it is important to educate the public on how they can prepare for times when cellular service is not available. During a disaster, smartphones can still be "smart" with the right applications installed.
When the deadly Ebola virus travelled into the United States, many healthcare workers were not adequately prepared to manage the care, treatment, and transport of such patients. As a result, hospitals and other healthcare facilities now are scrambling to educate their personnel on this and other deadly biothreats before the next incident occurs.
Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), gave a report to the United Nations agencys Special Session of the Executive Board on Ebola, in Geneva, Switzerland, on 25 January 2015. WHO shared this transcript of the report.
School Specialty Inc. recently announced the launch of SSI GUARDIAN, a new curriculum-based security initiative designed to keep schools and children safe. SSI GUARDIAN provides schools, school districts, and those responsible for the safety of children, with current, credible, and Ph.D.-authored content that will better prepare them to cope with crisis scenarios.
The National Association of State EMS Officials released the emergency medical services' (EMS) domestic preparedness improvement strategy, which consists of goals, strategies, tasks, and activities to mitigate the 10 most significant gaps in EMS preparedness and response.
American Military University is offering an undergraduate certificate in emergency management that will provide the core knowledge needed to manage disaster planning and emergency operations in corporations, organizations, and communities.
A new online resource, called the Biosurveillance Gateway, is in place at Los Alamos National Laboratory, providing a centralized portal for all news, information, resources, and research related to biosurveillance at the laboratory. The site offers a variety of Los Alamos-developed tools that can be used for decision support in disease surveillance.
There is a downward trend of new cases in Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Ebola management centers across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, with just over 50 patients currently in MSFs eight centers. Although this is a promising development, the medical-humanitarian organization cautions that loss of vigilance now would jeopardize the progress made in stemming the epidemic.
