The smallest members of a community have the potential to make the biggest changes. Smokey Bear was created in the 1940s to help prevent forest fires. "Duck and Cover" was created in 1951 to teach personal protection in case of a nuclear explosion. The 2010s need a new campaign to help families prepare for a broad range of potential disasters.
Emergency response, information technology, and healthcare communications are three scenarios in which notification systems play a critical role. Recent disasters have demonstrated the benefits of crowdsourcing during response efforts, so notification systems are leveraging this responsiveness through two-way communication technology that can both disseminate and receive information.
In the first week of December 2015, professionals involved in epidemic preparedness at the national level participated in a forum convened by graduate students from Emerging Leaders in Science and Society (ELISS), a leadership development program hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in Washington, D.C.
Recent advances in genetics, genomics, and biotechnology could have devastating implications for bioweapons and genetically engineered diseases. As such, these developments raise the question of whether it makes sense to pull attention away from "classic" biothreat targets, in favor of more technologically advanced options. Immediacy and ease of use may be determining factors.
Despite ongoing political controversy about climate change, one leading organization released a position statement that supports scientific research on weather extremes, which are some of the visible indicators of a changing climate. Changes in weather and habitats need to be addressed to mitigate the potential negative consequences to health and critical resources.
Emergency responders who attend the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) training can easily become qualified to share that training with their colleagues back home through the CDP's Indirect Training Program. Several CDP courses offer a "train-the-trainer" option by taking an additional day of training at the CDP's Anniston, Alabama, campus.
by James R. (Chip) Coldren Jr. & Zoë Thorkildsen -
Policy makers and the legal system must often make tough decisions that affect the future. In the case of violent criminals, the decision to release or retain in incarceration could determine life or death for future potential victims. As such, decision makers need the right tools to ensure more statistically accurate predictions of future outcomes.
Detection of hazardous materials can be a very costly endeavor. However, there are ways to simplify the process, reduce costs, and increase the performance of previously purchased legacy equipment. Leveraging the operating environment and informing personnel to make better decisions are two methods for achieving these goals.
Security checkpoints help law enforcement officers enhance public safety by detecting chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives, and other threats. With advancements in multiplexed luminescence technologies, the detection of trace amounts of explosives can expand beyond stationary checkpoints using handheld tools that are cost-effective and simple to use.
Some exercises require a hands-on environment, whereas others can thrive in a virtual training space. FUSION X is one federally sponsored exercise that has evolved from a tabletop event at a single location to a virtual training for participants, who require flexibility and cost-effectiveness, at various locations throughout the United States.
