Most recently published
Healthcare Reform: Major Effects on Hospital Preparedness
Theodore Tully
May 2, 2012
No matter what the Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of the healthcare reform act, U.S. hospitals must prepare now for major changes in their planning, everyday operations, and both budgetary and personnel resources. Many of those changes may be costly. Most will be time-consuming and/or difficult to implement. But
If & When Needed: The Building of Pandemic Barriers
Patrick P. Rose and Katherine Duncan
May 2, 2012
Infectious diseases such as influenza are invisible, fast-moving, and often extremely lethal. The best and sometimes only way to kill them is to detect them early, stop them before they start to spread, isolate them at the first sign of an outbreak, and have at hand the trained medical professionals,
FY 2012 AFG Grant Workshops – Now Available
Domestic Preparedness
May 1, 2012
During the month of May, the Regional Fire Program Specialists in the 10 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) regions will host workshops on the FY (fiscal year) 2012 AFG (Assistance to Firefighters Grant) Program and upcoming application period. The workshops will help potential applicants understand the purpose of the FY
Protecting First Responders from Biological Agents
Christina Spoons
April 25, 2012
Bio-weapons are the new “hidden dangers” available to terrorist groups seeking to kill and create widespread havoc. They are low in cost, quickly available, difficult to detect, and – if properly designed – extremely lethal. Moreover, first responders are often the most likely victims – but can save themselves, and
Protecting the U.S. Agriculture and Food Sector
Douglas Meckes
April 18, 2012
The well-known military axiom that an army “travels on its stomach” applies equally to a nation – more so now than ever before, primarily because of the massive increase in the international trade of food and agricultural products that has taken place in recent years. For this reason, the accidental
Enterprising Solutions: Buying/Building New State & Local Preparedness Capabilities
Dennis R. Schrader and John F. Morton
April 17, 2012
For more than a century, the United States has followed a “forward defense” strategy – in other words, fighting the nation’s battles overseas rather than in the United States itself. The 9/11 terrorist attacks led to the realization that homeland security must now begin at home. The federal government has
An Exercise in Utility: The Role of Public Health
Raphael M. Barishansky and Audrey Mazurek
April 11, 2012
The federal funding streams that improved U.S. preparedness capabilities, at all levels of government, so significantly in the first decade after the 9/11 attacks have already declined, and additional reductions are just over the horizon. But a lack of funds can be overcome, at least in part, by careful planning,
Foodborne Outbreaks in Minnesota: Training and Performance
Kimberley Wetherille and Evan Henke
April 11, 2012
There are almost 50 million foodborne illnesses “of various types” in the United States, and over 3,000 deaths annually. Those are the grim statistics that persuaded the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the FDA, and NACCHO to expand and upgrade programs already in place to detect, control, and
Food Fight – Bioterrorism & Emergency Response Capabilities
Joseph Cahill
April 11, 2012
Infected salad bars and the “improved” technological capabilities of modern-day terrorist groups have combined to make U.S. responders, and the American people, much more cautious about what they eat. Fortunately, that heightened awareness has led to a much closer scrutiny of restaurants, super markets, food-processing plants, and the super-rich diet
First Responder HazMat/CBRN Training SURVEY
Domestic Preparedness
April 5, 2012
Your Opinion Matters! DomPrep wants to know your opinion on preparedness and training efforts related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) warfare and hazardous material incidents. In today’s environment of reduced funding, maintaining these efforts can be even more challenging than in the past. How prepared is your jurisdiction?
Dual-Use Disasters: Lessons for Preparedness Professionals
Earl Stoddard
April 4, 2012
Actions have consequences – not all of which are intended, or desired. Some military actions, for example, are intended to intimidate another nation – but instead lead to an outright war. The same is true in the fields of medicine and biological research that, while expanding the range of knowledge
Aligning Priorities with Healthcare Coalitions
Andrew R. Roszak
April 3, 2012
Growth in the number and capabilities of the nation’s healthcare coalitions will undoubtedly continue for the foreseeable future – as will the operational capabilities of those coalitions. Helping that growth, and making the coalitions both more capable and more cost-effective, is a new plan (going into effect this summer) to
If & When Needed: The Building of Pandemic Barriers
Patrick P. Rose and Katherine Duncan
May 2, 2012
Infectious diseases such as influenza are invisible, fast-moving, and often extremely lethal. The best and sometimes only way to kill them is to detect them early, stop them before they start to spread, isolate them at the first sign of an outbreak, and have at hand the trained medical professionals,
Healthcare Reform: Major Effects on Hospital Preparedness
Theodore Tully
May 2, 2012
No matter what the Supreme Court decides on the constitutionality of the healthcare reform act, U.S. hospitals must prepare now for major changes in their planning, everyday operations, and both budgetary and personnel resources. Many of those changes may be costly. Most will be time-consuming and/or difficult to implement. But
If & When Needed: The Building of Pandemic Barriers
Patrick P. Rose and Katherine Duncan
May 2, 2012
Infectious diseases such as influenza are invisible, fast-moving, and often extremely lethal. The best and sometimes only way to kill them is to detect them early, stop them before they start to spread, isolate them at the first sign of an outbreak, and have at hand the trained medical professionals,
FY 2012 AFG Grant Workshops – Now Available
Domestic Preparedness
May 1, 2012
During the month of May, the Regional Fire Program Specialists in the 10 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) regions will host workshops on the FY (fiscal year) 2012 AFG (Assistance to Firefighters Grant) Program and upcoming application period. The workshops will help potential applicants understand the purpose of the FY
Protecting First Responders from Biological Agents
Christina Spoons
April 25, 2012
Bio-weapons are the new “hidden dangers” available to terrorist groups seeking to kill and create widespread havoc. They are low in cost, quickly available, difficult to detect, and – if properly designed – extremely lethal. Moreover, first responders are often the most likely victims – but can save themselves, and
Protecting the U.S. Agriculture and Food Sector
Douglas Meckes
April 18, 2012
The well-known military axiom that an army “travels on its stomach” applies equally to a nation – more so now than ever before, primarily because of the massive increase in the international trade of food and agricultural products that has taken place in recent years. For this reason, the accidental
Enterprising Solutions: Buying/Building New State & Local Preparedness Capabilities
Dennis R. Schrader and John F. Morton
April 17, 2012
For more than a century, the United States has followed a “forward defense” strategy – in other words, fighting the nation’s battles overseas rather than in the United States itself. The 9/11 terrorist attacks led to the realization that homeland security must now begin at home. The federal government has
An Exercise in Utility: The Role of Public Health
Raphael M. Barishansky and Audrey Mazurek
April 11, 2012
The federal funding streams that improved U.S. preparedness capabilities, at all levels of government, so significantly in the first decade after the 9/11 attacks have already declined, and additional reductions are just over the horizon. But a lack of funds can be overcome, at least in part, by careful planning,
Foodborne Outbreaks in Minnesota: Training and Performance
Kimberley Wetherille and Evan Henke
April 11, 2012
There are almost 50 million foodborne illnesses “of various types” in the United States, and over 3,000 deaths annually. Those are the grim statistics that persuaded the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the FDA, and NACCHO to expand and upgrade programs already in place to detect, control, and
Food Fight – Bioterrorism & Emergency Response Capabilities
Joseph Cahill
April 11, 2012
Infected salad bars and the “improved” technological capabilities of modern-day terrorist groups have combined to make U.S. responders, and the American people, much more cautious about what they eat. Fortunately, that heightened awareness has led to a much closer scrutiny of restaurants, super markets, food-processing plants, and the super-rich diet
First Responder HazMat/CBRN Training SURVEY
Domestic Preparedness
April 5, 2012
Your Opinion Matters! DomPrep wants to know your opinion on preparedness and training efforts related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) warfare and hazardous material incidents. In today’s environment of reduced funding, maintaining these efforts can be even more challenging than in the past. How prepared is your jurisdiction?
Dual-Use Disasters: Lessons for Preparedness Professionals
Earl Stoddard
April 4, 2012
Actions have consequences – not all of which are intended, or desired. Some military actions, for example, are intended to intimidate another nation – but instead lead to an outright war. The same is true in the fields of medicine and biological research that, while expanding the range of knowledge
A Helping Hand from the Defense CBRN Response Force
Jamie Stowe
March 28, 2012
The recent upgrading of the Defense Department’s former CBRN Consequence Management Response Force means that states, cities, and smaller communities throughout the country will have much greater medical response capabilities – personnel as well as equipment – than was ever before possible.
Libya’s Missing Chemical Caches: The Weapons of Armageddon?
Richard Schoeberl
March 27, 2012
There are several “known” unknowns – namely, how to develop, produce, and deploy chemical and biological weapons that are more toxic than ever before possible. There also are some “unknown” unknowns, the most important of which is this: Where are the tons of chemical weapons that disappeared from Libya’s reported
Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI) Roundtable
W. Ross Ashley
March 27, 2012
In the 21st century, combatting terrorism could be as simple as seeing something and saying something. Suspicious activity may signify terrorist activity, but that can only be determined if the right information gets into the right hands. Listen to W. Ross Ashley’s audio roundtable discussion on the Nationwide Suspicious Activity
The Detection Triage – A Systematic Approach to Identification
Glen Rudner
March 21, 2012
Success in any field of human endeavor usually requires not only education and training but also having at hand the best “tools” available to do the job – no matter what that job entails. In hazmat or CBRNE incidents, the tools used by emergency responders include a broad array of
Narrowing the Search for the Best Detection Devices
Thomas Norstrand
March 21, 2012
Even the best trained and most highly motivated responders can be no better than their equipment. This means that the search for and purchase of the best equipment available must always be a top priority for senior management with critical decision-making responsibilities.
Equipment Standardization – A New-Old Approach
Jordan Nelms
March 21, 2012
The so-called “standardization” of equipment is intended to lower costs, simplify procurement decisions, and also improve training and operational capabilities – theoretically, at least. When the standards previously approved are not followed, though, or are simply ignored, new and complex difficulties follow in short order. When those difficulties complicate CBRNE
New HazMat Challenges for Modern EMS Units
Joseph Cahill
March 14, 2012
In today’s increasingly complex and ever more dangerous world, EMS units in U.S. communities both large and small are learning to cope with a broad spectrum of mass-casualty incidents and events never before encountered by their predecessors. Here are a few common-sense cost, training, political, legal, and operational suggestions that
HELP: A New Approach to Volunteer Management
Tony Lamberth
March 14, 2012
From the Pre-Colonial Era to the present, America has been a nation of volunteers. The tradition of neighbors helping neighbors is probably more important today, though, than ever before. The cost of dealing with a “relatively minor” CBRNE incident is prohibitively expensive, and it is likely to be years before,
Advances in Medical Countermeasures for Chemical Terrorism
Bruce Clements
March 13, 2012
With the potential to kill thousands in a single attack, chemical warfare agents have been an ongoing threat to nations around the world since World War I. Although efforts have been made to reduce the production and stockpiling of these deadly chemicals, there remains a need not only to stockpile
Hospital Preparedness for ‘Chemical/Detergent’ Suicides
Craig DeAtley
March 7, 2012
The Hospital Accreditation Standards established by The Joint Commission, and followed by almost all of the nation’s healthcare facilities, mandate that U.S. hospitals should be prepared to decontaminate patients who have been exposed to hazardous materials. However, although thousands of incidents involving hazardous materials occur annually in the United
Emergency Responses to CDLs: The Hidden Dangers
Christina Spoons
February 29, 2012
Meth labs are another clear and present danger not only to individual users and the nation as a whole, but also to the lab workers, innocent “civilians” living in the same neighborhood, and – most of all, perhaps – firefighters and other first responders who are risking their own lives
Addiction in Emergency Services: Coworkers Help, Denial Hurts
Victor Welzant
February 22, 2012
Major stress and constant pressure are all part of the job for emergency-services personnel and other responders. A less obvious but greater danger is caused by drug and alcohol addictions. Professional help is available, but not always wanted. What is most needed, and in the long term most effective, is
Follow Us
Get Instant Access
Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.
