Most recently published
Technology Development & Science-Based Solutions
Rachel A. Bartholomew and Richard Ozanich
October 21, 2015
Science-based research is useful in analyzing and reducing risks through the development of new technologies for detecting, sampling, and studying various contaminants and unknown substances. Teams of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory play a large role in ensuring that first responders have the necessary tools to perform their critical
Modular Solutions for Compounding Pharmacies & Biosafety Facilities
Jessica Wambach Brown and Allan Swan
October 21, 2015
A decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, the effects of underprepared healthcare systems are still apparent. Nearly a year after the first case of Ebola was diagnosed on U.S. soil, the West African nations most affected by the disease remain burdened by insufficient infrastructure to properly isolate
The Continuing Battle Over Privacy vs. Security
Ellen C. Cornelius
October 14, 2015
In this electronic age, there is a constant struggle between sharing critical information and protecting individual privacy with adequate security to prevent data and documents from falling into the wrong hands. To address these concerns, expectations of privacy, knowledge of liabilities, and development of policies must be examined.
Running to the Police, Not Away From Them
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
October 7, 2015
Building sustainable communities is a long-term effort that includes reestablishing positive relationships between police departments and the communities they serve. Repairing these damaged relationships means changing the visual perception, improving communication, providing education, and building awareness for the community members.
In Honor of National Preparedness Month
Domestic Preparedness
September 30, 2015
As National Preparedness Month comes to a close, DomPrep would like to remind its readers that preparedness is a year-round process that involves practitioners at all levels. One good example of this type of outreach comes from Baltimore City’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen, who hosts a live weekly call-in
Congress to Decide Funding for Public Health Emergencies
LaMar Hasbrouck
September 28, 2015
Federal spending on public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery has been falling since 2005, and Congress is now considering how much to spend in the 2016 fiscal year. The final spending figure will play a key role in determining how well the American people are protected from disease, injury,
A Federal Agency’s Journey to Protect Its Workforce From Infectious Diseases
Robert J. (Bob) Roller
September 23, 2015
From a presidential executive order to comprehensive workforce protection, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s infectious disease protection process is constantly evolving. The department’s centralized guidance/decentralized execution planning paradigm with reliance on a robust lessons learned process ensures an increasingly resilient workforce against biological threats and hazards.
The Politics of School Safety & Security
Wayne Bergeron
September 23, 2015
Sir Earnest Benn, political publisher and British baronet (1875-1954) once said that, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” For school safety and security, the stakes of getting it wrong are too high to
Public Health & Political Knowledge
Audrey Mazurek and Raphael M. Barishansky
September 16, 2015
Public health professionals fill vital roles in homeland security preparedness. One of these roles is to ensure that government decision makers are well informed on issues that may affect the life and health of – perhaps not all, but at least most of – their community members.
The Politics of Presidential Disaster Declarations
Kay C. Goss
September 9, 2015
Following a disaster, communities, tribes, and states typically experience years of rebuilding and recovery work. Understanding the presidential disaster declaration process and how to access supplemental disaster relief funds helps to speed the recovery efforts and potentially build back even better than before the incident. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Role of Local Government in Counter-Radicalization
Romeo Lavarias
September 9, 2015
The war against terror cannot be won solely on the battlefield, but instead must be fought with a counter-radicalization strategy. Implemented at the local level (i.e., mayor’s, sheriff’s, and/or governor’s offices), with the coordinated effort of federal, state, and local organizations, this strategy could address and counter the critical factors
Setting & Maintaining Realistic Recovery Expectations
Stephen Grainer
August 26, 2015
There are many challenges as well as numerous nuances associated with disaster recovery operations that must be addressed by all levels of governmental, nongovernmental, and private sector agencies and organizations in order to ensure ongoing attention to all facets of the recovery effort, effectively building a resilient community.
Technology vs. Good Planning & Training
Steven P. Bucci
October 28, 2015
There is no single solution to cybersecurity concerns. Technology is advancing, but nothing can replace solid planning and training. All three pillars are necessary to balance cyberthreats. If too much emphasis is placed on one pillar, the vulnerability gap will expand. Ensuring the constant growth and evolution of this trilogy
Technology Development & Science-Based Solutions
Rachel A. Bartholomew and Richard Ozanich
October 21, 2015
Science-based research is useful in analyzing and reducing risks through the development of new technologies for detecting, sampling, and studying various contaminants and unknown substances. Teams of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory play a large role in ensuring that first responders have the necessary tools to perform their critical
Modular Solutions for Compounding Pharmacies & Biosafety Facilities
Jessica Wambach Brown and Allan Swan
October 21, 2015
A decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, the effects of underprepared healthcare systems are still apparent. Nearly a year after the first case of Ebola was diagnosed on U.S. soil, the West African nations most affected by the disease remain burdened by insufficient infrastructure to properly isolate
The Continuing Battle Over Privacy vs. Security
Ellen C. Cornelius
October 14, 2015
In this electronic age, there is a constant struggle between sharing critical information and protecting individual privacy with adequate security to prevent data and documents from falling into the wrong hands. To address these concerns, expectations of privacy, knowledge of liabilities, and development of policies must be examined.
Running to the Police, Not Away From Them
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
October 7, 2015
Building sustainable communities is a long-term effort that includes reestablishing positive relationships between police departments and the communities they serve. Repairing these damaged relationships means changing the visual perception, improving communication, providing education, and building awareness for the community members.
In Honor of National Preparedness Month
Domestic Preparedness
September 30, 2015
As National Preparedness Month comes to a close, DomPrep would like to remind its readers that preparedness is a year-round process that involves practitioners at all levels. One good example of this type of outreach comes from Baltimore City’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Leana Wen, who hosts a live weekly call-in
Congress to Decide Funding for Public Health Emergencies
LaMar Hasbrouck
September 28, 2015
Federal spending on public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery has been falling since 2005, and Congress is now considering how much to spend in the 2016 fiscal year. The final spending figure will play a key role in determining how well the American people are protected from disease, injury,
A Federal Agency’s Journey to Protect Its Workforce From Infectious Diseases
Robert J. (Bob) Roller
September 23, 2015
From a presidential executive order to comprehensive workforce protection, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s infectious disease protection process is constantly evolving. The department’s centralized guidance/decentralized execution planning paradigm with reliance on a robust lessons learned process ensures an increasingly resilient workforce against biological threats and hazards.
The Politics of School Safety & Security
Wayne Bergeron
September 23, 2015
Sir Earnest Benn, political publisher and British baronet (1875-1954) once said that, “Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.” For school safety and security, the stakes of getting it wrong are too high to
Public Health & Political Knowledge
Audrey Mazurek and Raphael M. Barishansky
September 16, 2015
Public health professionals fill vital roles in homeland security preparedness. One of these roles is to ensure that government decision makers are well informed on issues that may affect the life and health of – perhaps not all, but at least most of – their community members.
The Politics of Presidential Disaster Declarations
Kay C. Goss
September 9, 2015
Following a disaster, communities, tribes, and states typically experience years of rebuilding and recovery work. Understanding the presidential disaster declaration process and how to access supplemental disaster relief funds helps to speed the recovery efforts and potentially build back even better than before the incident. The Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Role of Local Government in Counter-Radicalization
Romeo Lavarias
September 9, 2015
The war against terror cannot be won solely on the battlefield, but instead must be fought with a counter-radicalization strategy. Implemented at the local level (i.e., mayor’s, sheriff’s, and/or governor’s offices), with the coordinated effort of federal, state, and local organizations, this strategy could address and counter the critical factors
Screening Risk Analysis Tools for Resilience of Critical Infrastructure & Regions
Jerry P. Brashear, Paula Scalingi and Ryan Colker
August 19, 2015
Resilience, a central element in any recovery, is established before potentially disastrous events. Twenty-one federally sponsored risk methods and tools were screened for possible use as the core of a defensible, repeatable risk/resilience management process that would capture the greatest benefits for available budgets. None was fully ready for this
Correlation Between Land Use Decisions & Recovery Efforts
Charles (Chuck) Perino
August 12, 2015
This research develops a way of answering the question, “Should we continue to build there?” Past catastrophic disasters can help identify the economic, geopolitical, and social factors of each community’s recovery following catastrophic disaster. Equipped with a better understanding of these factors, communities can identify and address future recovery
Having the Right Tools to Shorten Periods of Chaos
Gordon Hunter
August 12, 2015
Disasters often lead to chaos, but how long the chaos lasts depends largely on the actions of the affected communities and whether all local resources are being used effectively. The longer it takes businesses to become fully operational, the longer it takes for the community as a whole to
New York City’s Commodities Distribution & Recovery Planning
Paula M. Carlson and Thomas F. Healy
August 5, 2015
When planning and training for major disasters, communities often place more emphasis on the response rather than the recovery effort. However, it is critical that the recovery effort begins concurrent to the response in order for communities to be more resilient. New York City recognized this need and exercised one
National Laboratory Support for First Responders’ Biodetection Needs
Richard Ozanich and Cynthia J. Bruckner-Lea
July 29, 2015
In an ever-changing biological environment, laboratory support is necessary to help responders identify, categorize, and manage incidents involving biological threats. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one source that provides valuable testing data to help today’s first responders collect, screen,identify, and ultimately protect against such threats.
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Food Defense and Emergency Coordination Update – New Food Related Emergency Exercise
Domestic Preparedness
July 27, 2015
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making available a new food related emergency exercise to help public health and other officials understand and coordinate their roles and responsibilities, and prepare for a food-related emergency.
Local Public Health’s Role in Large-Scale Chemical Incidents
Rachel Schulman
July 22, 2015
Public health departments play, or have the ability to play, a key role in large-scale incidents caused by hazardous materials. By clearly defining their roles and collaborating with local partners, health departments have the ability to help emergency planners and responders prevent, mitigate, plan for, and respond to chemical hazards
Response Management: Back to Basics
Stephen Grainer
July 22, 2015
When a seemingly unrealistic incident occurs, emergency managers must be equipped with the base knowledge necessary to respond to the previously unknown scenario. Acronyms are a good way to remember what to do when stress levels are high and time is short. By getting back to the basics, managers are
No Defensive Strategy to Address a Growing Terrorist Threat
Richard Schoeberl
July 22, 2015
As the Islamic State group increases its threats around the world, the United States is grossly unprepared to track radicalized members and sympathizers, or to even know how many there are in the United States and abroad. At this point, an international coalition effort is the best hope for thwarting
Superheroes in Waiting: Emergent First Responders
Wayne Bergeron
July 15, 2015
Although they may not want to be called “heroes,” military members and veterans can fill a critical gap in emergency and disaster response. Their unique qualities of training, discipline, leadership, and teamwork make them the perfect emergent responder either as a member of an organized team, or simply by being
Dangerous Suicides
Stuart K. Cameron
July 15, 2015
Although most suicides injure only the suicide victims themselves, others may cause injury to anyone within close proximity. With law enforcement officers typically being the first on the scene of such incidents, they should be aware of the hazards and be able to recognize the signs of potential residual threats.
What It Takes to Be a Public Health Emergency Preparedness Professional
Raphael M. Barishansky
July 15, 2015
In the relatively young subspecialty of public health emergency preparedness, effective public health preparedness managers mustentify the essential elements of their roles and the skills or requirements necessary to be effective in their positions. Although there is no set recipe for success, diverse and field-related skills are a must.
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