Anthrax Prevention – Risks vs. Benefits

Thanks at least partially to the “do no harm” precept mandated in the Hippocratic Oath, the practice of medicine has for centuries been built on a firm foundation of acceptable ethics. Which is why some highly respected medical experts are now raising questions about current U.S. policies governing the proper approach to dealing with new anthrax attacks in the post-9/11 era.

Beyond an Active-Shooter Scenario: Countering a Multimodal Martyrdom Operation

Throughout history, the most difficult enemy to stop has been the lone-wolf assassin willing to sacrifice his/her own life for what he/she considers a noble cause. When that person is part of a larger team of would-be martyrs, the task becomes immensely more difficult and broader in scope. Advance training helps – but not enough – to stop what, in the 21st century, has become a clear and present danger in all peace-loving nations in the world.

Emergency Preparedness: The ABGs of Radiation

Although radiation hazards are not a new concern, the impact of such hazards on first responders and emergency managers has been brought to the forefront with events such as the

Resurrection & Remembrance: The World Trade Center

During the fall of the twin towers, many responder groups, and individual responders, were forced to scatter. In addition, responder vehicles and equipment were lost, unit cohesion collapsed, and the air thickened into an almost opaque fluid. As the world’s visible edge moved closer and closer to the viewer on the street, even several blocks away from the towers, various “shapes” could be seen moving about. It was easy to become convinced that everyone known to be on the scene but not within view was lost. After that, everyone newly found had risen from the dead.

Improving Situational Awareness During a Nuclear/Chemical Attack

California’s Ventura County uses forward-looking tracking capabilities to plan for mass evacuations. Its emergency planners are already focusing on the worst-case scenarios of a future nuclear or chemical attack, including the possibility that hundreds of thousands of refugees from Los Angeles might see the county as their destination of choice in a future time of sudden disaster.

The Next Pandemic: Understanding the Public Health Role

In coping with pandemics, public health authorities play one of the most important roles in the overall process of planning, preparedness, response, and recovery. Although the term “pandemic” refers to a wide range of infectious diseases – e.g., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), plague, smallpox, and tuberculosis – the current focus of public health preparedness planning is on influenza (flu) pandemics.

Resilience – 2001 to 2011, and Beyond Survey

Defining “resilience” across multiple sectors has been a challenge over the years but, in and of itself, does adequately describe what the nation as a whole must do to achieve greater resiliency. DomPrep wants to know your opinion on the nation’s present state of “resilience” and the effectiveness of current resiliency plans, the emphasis placed on resilience, and the potential role for volunteers in supporting the resilience mission. Take the Survey Now!

The Growing Complexities of Port Rescue Operations

Disaster-response operations are always risky, and almost always complicated. The risks and complications are demonstrably much greater, though, when the incident occurs in a major port, which is already a dangerous place to work and, in addition, has in recent years become a particularly attractive target for terrorists.
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