Hospital Response – A Personal Training Experience | Domestic Preparedness Photo: Source: Valentine, 2022
Commentary

Hospital Response – A Personal Training Experience

by Erin Valentine -

Effective trainings are ones where the participants remember and later implement what they learned into their daily operations. Not everyone knows how they would respond in a true emergency. However, some trainings provide a more realistic glimpse into disaster scenarios than others. This first-hand account describes what it was like for one participant inside a hospital training facility.

 
Healthcare

There Was a Pandemic Strategy and Plan

by Robert C. Hutchinson -

Although it may not have been readily apparent in early 2020, the federal government did have a comprehensive national strategy and implementation plan for a pandemic threat. Despite having these resources and knowledge, the United States was still unprepared to effectively respond to COVID-19. This article points out the preparedness gaps and the urgency to close them before the next major public health threat.

Healthcare

Reduce Burnout & Increase Retention in Emergency Management

by Kesley Richardson -

Emergency management professionals are regularly tasked with high-stress responsibilities, including political pressure, life safety concerns, vulnerable infrastructure, and community vulnerabilities. Three ways to reduce the risk of burnout and increase retention efforts are described in this article: lead with care, invest in psychological support, and look at the schedule.

Healthcare

The Expanding Role of Tactical Medicine

by Ian Pleet -

Mass shootings have spurred agencies to shift from reactive to proactive measures to mitigate threats and their consequences. Tactical medicine plays a significant role in reducing deaths associated with active assailant incidents. This article explains how trained first responders with the correct equipment and the courage to use it can be on the scene, saving lives even before the attacker is subdued.

Healthcare

Responding Respectfully to People With Disabilities

by James Martin -

Emergency preparedness often involves preparing for a particular type of disaster. However, each disaster can affect people differently depending on their individual physical and mental abilities. This article helps emergency preparedness and response professionals address the needs of individuals with disabilities and access and functional needs and know how to respond respectfully and provide the best possible care.

Healthcare

Wanted: Mental Health Support for Disaster Trauma

by Ruth Baugher Palmer, Mary McNaughton-Cassill & Mary Schoenfeldt -

Disasters are often described in terms of the physical damages they incur. However, the significant impact on mental health, which can have even longer-term consequences, sometimes is not addressed until after the response phase of the disaster is complete. This article explains the importance of immediately and simultaneously addressing both the physical and psychological effects of an event.

Preparedness

Creating a Common Operating Picture for Wildfire Season

by Akshay Birla -

Life is beginning to return to normal following the past two years of the pandemic, but the world is still as unpredictable as ever. When it seems as though one catastrophic situation is coming to an end, another tends to emerge as the newest public safety issue. This article addresses the wildfire threat and the need for a common operating picture.

Commentary

Discovering Another New Normal

by Catherine L. Feinman -

Because of the interconnectedness of so many aspects of society, the authors in this July edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal help readers better understand what is needed in the new normal: a common operating picture, predictable lifelines, new or repurposed technological tools, and more. The new normal after COVID will be quite different from the years after 9/11. However, with critical thinking, research, and innovation, communities will discover their new normal – again.

Commentary

Societal Violence & Its Impact on Critical Infrastructure

by Timothy Scarrott & Nathan DiPillo -

An examination of past violence shows how terminology can affect the incident-reporting process and subsequent statistics for various incident rates. However, statistics clearly show that the COVID-19 pandemic did increase societal violence, which can significantly impact critical infrastructure. This article connects these dots and provides suggestions for reducing future impacts of societal violence.

Resilience

Teleforensic Tools – From Telemedicine to Law Enforcement

by Michael Melton -

Telemedicine capabilities have become valuable medical tools to provide life-saving treatment to patients where and when needed. Similarly, off-site skills and knowledge can be transferred to on-site law enforcement personnel through teleforensics to identify and thwart threats, while increasing crime clearances. This article describes how expanding capabilities, identifying needs, delivering instructions, and facilitating remote applications are examples of technology serving as a force multiplier across disciplines.

Resilience

Four Takeaways From the Nashville Christmas Bombing

by Robert F. Kelly & Dean C. Alexander -

The Nashville Christmas bombing provides valuable lessons about targeted violence incidents. This research on pre-attack indicators shares four key takeaways for law enforcement and other preparedness professionals to understand regarding lone wolf and leaderless resistance attacks. Knowing other pre-attack indicators may help thwart a future attack even when the motive is unknown.

Updates

HHS Invests Nearly $60 Million to Strengthen Health Care Workforce and Improve Access to Care in Rural Communities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration, announced investments of nearly $60 million to grow the health workforce and increase access to quality health care in rural communities, including nearly $46 million in funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces over $1 Billion in Project Selections to Make Communities More Resilient to Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events

Vice President Kamala Harris, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced the selections for $1.16 billion in climate resilience funding through two competitive grant programs to help communities across the nation enhance climate and disaster resiliency.

DHS Establishes New Office of Health Security 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the Office of Health Security, a new office that will serve as the principal medical, workforce health and safety, and public health authority for DHS. 

HHS Strengthens Country’s Preparedness for Health Emergencies, Announces Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that Secretary Xavier Becerra has elevated the existing Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) from a staff division to an operating division, taking on the new name of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). This change will allow ASPR to mobilize a coordinated national response more effectively and efficiently during future disasters and emergencies in close collaboration with its sister agencies.

FEMA, AARP Release New Resources to Help Local Communities Protect Older Adults Before, During and After Natural Disasters

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have released new resources to help local officials and emergency managers protect older adults in their communities before, during and after natural disasters and support communities in mitigating the effects of extreme weather events.