HazMat and EMS technicians across the nation will be working from the same text, thanks to new biological-sampling techniques developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
While U.S. hazardous-materials response teams are still learning to cope with early-model improvised explosive devices, upgraded "new" versions are being developed that pose an even greater challenge.
Terrorist suicide-homicide bomber attacks used to be isolated incidents; in Iraq they are now daily occurrences. The same rare-to-frequent pattern may soon hit the United States, & police agencies should be, but are not, prepared to handle such attacks.
PortSTEP is the latest member of a growing family of exercise & training programs mandated to ensure that first-responder agencies are fully prepared to meet the ever-increasing challenges posed by terrorist attacks & mass-casualty events.
The acquisition and operation of multipurpose high-tech communications systems is one of the more important goals of U.S. decision makers at all levels of government. The cost of these systems, though, is beyond the reach of many smaller cities.
The Association of Public Health Laboratories says, without proper validation, field tests of suspected biological and/or chemical agents might yield either false positives or, worse, false negatives & therefore would be, "dangerously misleading."
U.S. hospitals have less than 18 months to upgrade their emergency preparedness & response capabilities to the levels mandated by the National Incident Management System. The task is a daunting one, & resources are limited, that challenge must be met.
A high-level national-security unit created in the aftermath of 9-11 is a major component of the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing program linking federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies in a coordinated effort to deter future attacks.
Most U.S. border-security funding is allocated to protection of the nation's southern border with Mexico, but protection of the U.S. maritime border with Canada is equally important, if not more so, and in many respects a much more daunting challenge.
States seeking federal preparedness assistance funds must first submit highly specific preparedness reports - which is easier said than done. A "gap analysis" is needed, several important questions must be answered, and periodic tests must be scheduled.
