EMS Continuity of Operations Plan: A Critical Lifeline Component | Domestic Preparedness Photo: ©iStock.com/Onnes
Resilience

EMS Continuity of Operations Plan: A Critical Lifeline Component

by Ron Cain -

“A lifeline enables the continuous operation of critical government and business functions and is essential to human health and safety or economic security.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed the Community Lifelines construct after the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons. The framework of Community Lifelines allows the whole community to assess the status of and impact to each of the seven lifelines so that the optimal and correct essential action can be executed to support those lifelines not operating at full capacity during a disaster or emergency event.

 
Resilience

The Dynamics of Human Trafficking: Before & After COVID-19

by Michael Breslin -

These are challenging times. The immediate impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are impossible to ignore when viewed in terms of the sickness and death it has brought upon the world community. It continues to impact the global economy and social norms. The long-term impacts of this virus and subsequent mitigation efforts may not be completely understood for quite some time. What is known is the pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of daily life, from social distancing rules, interrupted supply chains, longer waits at the supermarket, school closures, cancelled milestones, record unemployment, remote learning, and telework to the closure of places of worship. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a transformative event.

Commentary

Whole Community – Threats & Solutions

by Catherine L. Feinman -

The concept of a whole community approach has been recommended for years. However, it has perhaps not been more important than it is today. Compounding events, or disasters within disasters, are why emergency planners stress the importance of planning for the worst but hoping for the best. Well, the time to implement these plans is now. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to be ending anytime soon. However, life must go on. “Normal” seasonal disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods will not wait for communities to replenish supplies, reallocate resources, and hire more staff. Human-caused threats may escalate as bad actors take advantage of physical and technological vulnerabilities that the pandemic exposes. The common primary, secondary, and tertiary effects of smaller threats worsen when compounded with the pandemic response.

Resilience

An All-Hazards Educational Approach to Emergency Management

by Paula D. Gordon -

The nature and scope of the emergency management field can be defined in a variety of ways. An all-hazards definition of emergency management encompasses some essential homeland security concerns. A conceptual framework then helps bring together an understanding of the challenges facing those in the emergency management and homeland security fields when an all-hazards definition of emergency management is used.

Updates

NIH Launches Clinical Trials Network to Test COVID-19 Vaccines and Other Prevention Tools

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has established a new clinical trials network that aims to enroll thousands of volunteers in large-scale clinical trials testing a variety of investigational vaccines and monoclonal antibodies intended to protect people from COVID-19.

DHS Selects George Washington University to Pilot New Center of Excellence in Security Technology Transition

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate announced the selection of The George Washington University to lead a new Center of Excellence that will deliver a pilot Master of Business Administration program focused on security technology transition from federal research and development to operational use.

DHS Announces Grant Allocations for Fiscal Year 2020 Preparedness Grants

As part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ongoing efforts to support state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, the FY 2020 grant awards will continue to focus on the nation’s highest risk areas. DHS identified four critical priority areas for attention in the FY 2020 grant cycle: cybersecurity, soft targets and crowded places, intelligence and information sharing, and emerging threats.

FDA Takes Action to Help Facilitate Timely Development of Safe, Effective COVID-19 Vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took important action to help facilitate the timely development of safe and effective vaccines to prevent COVID-19. The FDA provides guidance with recommendations for those developing COVID-19 vaccines for the ultimate purpose of licensure. The guidance provides an overview of key considerations to satisfy requirements for chemistry, manufacturing and control, nonclinical and clinical data through development and licensure, and for post-licensure safety evaluation.

FEMA Releases Guidance for Providing Mass Care During a Pandemic

The Mass Care/Emergency Assistance Pandemic Planning Considerations guide provides information on sheltering, feeding, evacuation and the federal resource request process. This guidance was developed using health and safety planning information and requirements outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.