SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVES
Planning Needed – Climate Change Impact on Animals
Johanna Rahkonen and Richard Green
August 1, 2018
Animal populations will be uniquely impacted by the increasing, changing, and compounding disasters attributed to the rapidly advancing effects of climate change. Companion animals will face displacement, livestock will suffer from physiological stressors, and wildlife may face localized extinctions. Animals from all sectors may experience increased instances of negative health
Securing Communities as National Security Threats Evolve
Catherine L. Feinman
July 25, 2018
There is no quick fix for addressing all national security threats. Even if there were, it would still be challenging to keep up with the threat environment as it continually evolves at what seems to be exponential rates. The natural and manmade disasters of yesteryear are compounded with emerging cyber,
Three Ways AI Helps Prepare for Future Attacks
Michael Ellenbogen
July 18, 2018
Terrorist attacks and mass shootings have changed the threat landscape. In the old-world paradigm, planes were the target and metallic objects were the key concern. In the new-world paradigm, anything can be a target. Thus, the security response needs to shift from reactive to proactive. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the
The Big Data Bind
Daniel M. Gerstein
July 18, 2018
The use of genealogy websites to find the alleged Golden State killer, Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data to develop targeted ads for the 2016 presidential campaign, and the loss of privacy resulting from the sharing of information on social media bring into focus some of the unintended consequences of
Leveraging Learning & Teaching Opportunities
Catherine L. Feinman
June 27, 2018
Each day, there are opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills as well as opportunities to share current knowledge and skills with others. This is especially true in the emergency preparedness realm, where changing circumstances and uncertainties are the norm. However, these opportunities do not require teaching degrees or enrollment
The Need for Community Public Safety UAS Programs
Charles L. Werner
June 20, 2018
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) offer great value for public safety, with support and guidance needed at the local, state, and national levels when considering such systems. UAS offer a profound new view and situational awareness of significant incidents, events, and disasters. This article describes the value of UAS and provides
Aiding the Response to Fentanyl With Portable Equipment
Philip Tackett
June 13, 2018
Illegal manufacturing of fentanyl continues to rise and, with it, the dangers of clandestine drug laboratories to responders. Dangerous crime scenes like these are not limited to any one location. Responders everywhere need to prepare to encounter them at any point. Portable gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) equipment can help
Averting Disaster – A Multi-Tier Approach
Catherine L. Feinman
May 30, 2018
Disasters can take many forms – naturally occurring like a volcanic eruption or solar flare, human-caused like a terrorist attack or radioactive material release, or technological like a cyberattack or data breech. Although a specific threat or hazard may be unavoidable, whether it eventually becomes a “disaster” is not a
Detecting & Preventing Nuclear/Radioactive Materials
Ian Pleet
May 16, 2018
This case study from a 2015 deployment to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Combined Arms Training Center (CATC) Camp in Fuji, Japan, demonstrates effective ways to detect and prevent unwanted nuclear and radioactive materials from being brought aboard an overseas USMC installation. The author was deployed as the emergency manager
Cascading Consequences: Electrical Grid Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability
George H. Baker and Stephen Volandt
May 9, 2018
If there were a prolonged nationwide, multi-week or multi-month power failure, neither the federal government nor any state, local, tribal, or territorial government – acting alone or in concert – would be able to execute an effective response. This bleak outlook results from understanding that so many critical infrastructures depend
White Paper: Orthogonal Detection Can Help Save Firefighters Lives in the Overhaul Stage ofOperations
Domestic Preparedness
May 9, 2018
Building materials, furnishings, paints, plastics, and electronics found in today’s buildings have the potential to burn or decompose into acutely and chronically acting toxic gases and vapors. Studies have validated that toxic gases and vapors are not just present during suppression activities but also during the overhaul and investigation stages.
CBRNE Weapons & Islamic State – A Bad Combination
Richard Schoeberl
April 25, 2018
The recent developments concerning the nerve agent attack in the United Kingdom and their alleged country of origin, Russia, have raised fears in the international community. The ease of the attack raises concerns about terrorists utilizing similar methods. This raises questions about the likelihood of a similar attack against
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