Most recently published
IEDs, RDDs, and Other Improvised Hazards
Joseph Cahill
February 14, 2007
When it seems likely that explosives have been used in a mass-casualty incident or “event,” the personnel responding must remember that additional, and bigger, explosions might soon follow and that they, the first responders, may be the target.
Pandemic Preparedness: The Driver for Most Suppliers
John F. Morton
January 31, 2007
Question: Is the United States prepared to deal with a biological-warfare attack? Answer: Not yet – but the nation’s private-sector biotech labs are working closely with state, local, and federal governments to detect, prevent, and/or deal with an attack.
Wicked Problems, Virtuous Solutions: How to Design a Risk-Based Medical Facility
Michael Allswede
January 24, 2007
The setting of national standards for the personal protective equipment worn and training received by first responders working in a hazardous-materials environment is a positive step forward.
Rear Admiral W. Craig Vanderwagen, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response andChief Preparedness Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
W. Craig Vanderwagen
January 24, 2007
His views on, among other topics, his department’s disaster-response missions, capabilities, and accomplishment; the PHS’s team-orientation approach; IRCTs and the HHS “deployable force”; resiliency & prepositioning; and tsunamis & other natural disasters
The Highway Watch Program: Homeland Security on the Open Road!
Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane
January 17, 2007
The innovative DHS/ATA “Highway Watch” program enlists tens of thousands of professional drivers as “Irregulars” in the homeland-security volunteer community and, as a bonus, makes the nation’s highways and byways safer for all Americans.
The EMS Community Looks to the Future
Joseph Cahill
January 10, 2007
The era of “us versus them” is over. In times of disasters affecting the entire local population, all private-sector as well as public agencies must pool their resources in a common effort.
Pandemic Flu Vaccine – Still No Silver Bullet
Jerry Mothershead
December 20, 2006
Several years have passed since the first H5N1 outbreak and there have been speeches, studies, and statistics galore – but few if any nations are even half-prepared to deal with the consequences of a major pandemic.
Imperatives for the Training of Medical Staff
Michael Allswede
December 13, 2006
The U.S. private-sector health care system is probably the best in the world. But it is not prepared to deal with mass-casualty incidents, lacks the funding needed to expand beyond current capacity, and suffers from certain shortages.
Behind the Mask: EMS, Influenza, and Respiratory Protection
James Mason
December 6, 2006
A high-efficiency mask, a procedure mask, an SCBA, or a PAPR – which shall it be? The correct answer determines whether the wearer is part of the solution, or becomes another part of the problem.
Dr. Michael G. Kurilla, Director of the Office of BioDefense Research Affairs and Associate Director for BioDefense Product Development, NIAID
John F. Morton and Michael G. Kurilla
November 8, 2006
Podcast DomesticPreparedness met with Dr. Michael G. Kurilla, Director of the Office of BioDefense Research Affairs and Associate Director for BioDefense Product Development, NIAID. The NIH director for biodefense research and associate director for biodefense product development at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) discusses NIAID’s biodefense
Pro and Con, Yea and Nay – Experts’ Dialogue on the New HICS Guidebook
Michael Allswede and Jerry Mothershead
November 8, 2006
A Point-Counterpoint discussion of California’s new Hospital Incident Command System Guidebook, its strengths and weaknesses, its applicability to the “business” of medicine in the United States, and how it can be used to deal with real-life scenarios.
Midterm Elections – Change Is Certain
Martin D. Masiuk
November 8, 2006
Preparedness to protect and respond against natural and man-made disasters still remains paramount. How will first responders, public health and borders/ports fare under new Congressional leadership? Will there be outreach or gridlock?
Kevin Yeskey, M.D., Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Preparedness and Emergency Operations, HHS
Kevin Yeskey
February 21, 2007
His comments on, among other topics, NIMS compliance efforts, state drug and vaccine distribution programs, state and local response capabilities, and the role of IRCT team leaders.
IEDs, RDDs, and Other Improvised Hazards
Joseph Cahill
February 14, 2007
When it seems likely that explosives have been used in a mass-casualty incident or “event,” the personnel responding must remember that additional, and bigger, explosions might soon follow and that they, the first responders, may be the target.
Pandemic Preparedness: The Driver for Most Suppliers
John F. Morton
January 31, 2007
Question: Is the United States prepared to deal with a biological-warfare attack? Answer: Not yet – but the nation’s private-sector biotech labs are working closely with state, local, and federal governments to detect, prevent, and/or deal with an attack.
Wicked Problems, Virtuous Solutions: How to Design a Risk-Based Medical Facility
Michael Allswede
January 24, 2007
The setting of national standards for the personal protective equipment worn and training received by first responders working in a hazardous-materials environment is a positive step forward.
Rear Admiral W. Craig Vanderwagen, M.D., Deputy Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response andChief Preparedness Officer, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
W. Craig Vanderwagen
January 24, 2007
His views on, among other topics, his department’s disaster-response missions, capabilities, and accomplishment; the PHS’s team-orientation approach; IRCTs and the HHS “deployable force”; resiliency & prepositioning; and tsunamis & other natural disasters
The Highway Watch Program: Homeland Security on the Open Road!
Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane
January 17, 2007
The innovative DHS/ATA “Highway Watch” program enlists tens of thousands of professional drivers as “Irregulars” in the homeland-security volunteer community and, as a bonus, makes the nation’s highways and byways safer for all Americans.
The EMS Community Looks to the Future
Joseph Cahill
January 10, 2007
The era of “us versus them” is over. In times of disasters affecting the entire local population, all private-sector as well as public agencies must pool their resources in a common effort.
Pandemic Flu Vaccine – Still No Silver Bullet
Jerry Mothershead
December 20, 2006
Several years have passed since the first H5N1 outbreak and there have been speeches, studies, and statistics galore – but few if any nations are even half-prepared to deal with the consequences of a major pandemic.
Imperatives for the Training of Medical Staff
Michael Allswede
December 13, 2006
The U.S. private-sector health care system is probably the best in the world. But it is not prepared to deal with mass-casualty incidents, lacks the funding needed to expand beyond current capacity, and suffers from certain shortages.
Behind the Mask: EMS, Influenza, and Respiratory Protection
James Mason
December 6, 2006
A high-efficiency mask, a procedure mask, an SCBA, or a PAPR – which shall it be? The correct answer determines whether the wearer is part of the solution, or becomes another part of the problem.
Dr. Michael G. Kurilla, Director of the Office of BioDefense Research Affairs and Associate Director for BioDefense Product Development, NIAID
John F. Morton and Michael G. Kurilla
November 8, 2006
Podcast DomesticPreparedness met with Dr. Michael G. Kurilla, Director of the Office of BioDefense Research Affairs and Associate Director for BioDefense Product Development, NIAID. The NIH director for biodefense research and associate director for biodefense product development at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) discusses NIAID’s biodefense
Pro and Con, Yea and Nay – Experts’ Dialogue on the New HICS Guidebook
Michael Allswede and Jerry Mothershead
November 8, 2006
A Point-Counterpoint discussion of California’s new Hospital Incident Command System Guidebook, its strengths and weaknesses, its applicability to the “business” of medicine in the United States, and how it can be used to deal with real-life scenarios.
The Need for a National Port Readiness Standard
Gavin O'Hare
October 25, 2006
A terrorist attack on a U.S. seaport could be much more costly, in lives as well as dollars, than the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and the WTC Towers. The DOD Readiness Reporting System could be a good model for a DHS maritime-security variant.
Vayl Oxford, Director, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), Department of Homeland Security
Vayl S. Oxford
October 25, 2006
Oxford’s views on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, the DNDO partnerships with state and local agencies, and a broad spectrum of forward-looking R&D programs and initiatives.
ARNG/USCG Interoperability – A Joint Ops Success Story
Christopher Doane and Joseph DiRenzo III
October 18, 2006
When the nation’s armed services and law-enforcement agencies pool their resources and personnel the result is almost always more missions accomplished, more effectively, and at lower cost to U.S. taxpayers.
Detection Plus Inspection Equals Protection
Martin D. Masiuk and Domestic Preparedness
October 18, 2006
The race is not always to the swiftest, but in the field of WMD weapons it usually is on the side of nations willing to invest their time and talents to detect, deter, and eventually defeat WMD attacks launched by other nations.
Needed: A National EMS Protocol
Joseph Cahill
October 11, 2006
When medical protocols vary from state to state, the result – in a multi-state disaster – could be a towering Babel of confusion. The obvious solution – the writing and promulgation of national EMS guidelines.
DHS Funding. How Much Is Enough?
James D. Hessman
October 11, 2006
The Appropriations Bill signed into law last week was a major step forward. But it could be another case of too little and too late.
Colonel George W. Korch Jr., USA, Commander, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of InfectiousDiseases
George W. Korch Jr. and John F. Morton
September 27, 2006
Korch discusses not only USAMRIID’s own missions but also the close and increasingly important working relationship between the Institute and the nation’s public-health and first-responder communities.
Forensic Epidemiology: On the Threshold of Change
Michael Allswede
September 13, 2006
The highly specialized skill sets of forensic epidemiologists are essential to deal effectively with bioterrorist attacks, but numerous structural and operational as well as bureaucratic obstacles are standing in the way.
DHS Needs a World-Class Acquisition Workforce
Greg Rothwell
September 6, 2006
Like many other federal agencies, the Department of Homeland Security is buying more supplies & equipment each year. But it is not hiring enough procurement professionals to ensure that the taxpayers’ money is being spent wisely & for the right things.
The Illegal-Immigration Issue: A Compromise and a Commission
James D. Hessman
September 6, 2006
The American people are confused about the illegal immigration issue, and angry that neither the president nor the Congress seems to know what to do about it. It says here, that a partial solution is still possible in the current session of Congress.
Telecommuter Security and the Rules Governing Remote Enemy Access
Thomas Kellerman
September 2, 2006
The Age of the Telecommuter collides head-on with the rapidly escalating threat of cyberterrorism. The hackers have motivation, experience, and a tested game plan. Most information-security officers do not.
Thomas J. Lockwood, Director, Office of National Capital Region (NCR) Coordination, DHS
Thomas J. Lockwood
August 23, 2006
Lockwood’s views on the need to work in close coordination with the Washington, D.C., Council of Governments, the prioritization of all-hazards security plans, integrated training requirements, & the special roles played by regional CIOs & CTOs.
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