Reports

On 13 March 2013, President Barack Obama signed into law the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) of 2013. This legislation (H.R. 307) was developed to help strengthen national preparedness and response capabilities for public health emergencies, optimize state and local all-hazards preparedness, enhance the review of medical countermeasures,

This guidance, provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), includes recommendations for protecting personnel responding to a wide-area anthrax attack from developing anthrax as a result of exposure to aerosolized Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) spores and for minimizing the amount of exposure in the first week of a

Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) – joined by scientists from other federal agencies – have developed this guideline, which provides a common framework to carry out microbial risk assessments (MRAs). It also lays out a flexible

New study carried out by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) focuses on: (1) how the November 2011 memorandum on management of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program was developed and major challenges were identified; (2) the actions being taken in response to the challenges identified; and (3) the

A new report by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and former Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security Robert B. Stephan sees the United States as too dependent on foreign suppliers in times of crisis. The report also focuses on the growing frequency of major catastrophic events, man-made and natural, as

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Liability Guide presents the benefits of risk management for CERT programs, including building confidence and a positive public image for the program, reducing the cost of insurance and avoiding other costs, helping to preserve a local program’s investment in its members, and increasing overall

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), supported by the DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) and the National Emergency Medical Services Management Association (NEMSMA), announce the release of this new guide for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. This guide provides important information on preparing for events

In the United States, losses from natural disasters and the frequency of events are on the rise. With state and federal budgets declining, the emergency management community is challenged to do more with less, while continuing to improve disaster resilience. Booz Allen Hamilton conducted a survey of hazard mitigation and

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released this report, which shows the results from a recent study that was aimed at determining if VFC providers are meeting their vaccine management requirements, including the storing of vaccines at proper temperature

The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA), has released a handbook for physician medical directors of local departments and agencies who are involved in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response. The Handbook for EMS Medical Directors covers topics ranging