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CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHIVES

CHEMPACK 2.0: A Policy Roadmap

Since 2003, the CHEMPACK program has been in place to help protect U.S. emergency responders and receivers, as well as civilians, in the event of a nerve-agent attack. By pre-positioning medical countermeasures, antidotes are readily available as needed. It is now time to reevaluate and update the program to include

Call for Help – Defending the Food Supply

There are plots to use food as a delivery mechanism for weapons of mass destruction and plots to intentionally alter food products for economic gain. As such, food defense is everybody’s business. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently asking for comments that would help mitigate the intentional adulteration

Protecting the Food Supply Outside the Walls

When food products disappear, there are no serial or vehicle identification numbers to identify these stolen goods when they re-enter legal markets. Although there is a significant financial concern to the companies, a greater public concern is the safety of the food itself – ranging from improper handling and storage

Checklists for All-Hazards Food Defense Planning

In the not-too-distant past, most food consumed by Americans traveled directly from the farm to the kitchen table. Today, there are a dozen or so stops of varying duration on the way – all of them vulnerable to mold, theft, sabotage, spoiling, and/or infection from zoonotic diseases.

Food Processors – Recovery Before a Recall

Recovery begins during the planning stage. As past unintentional cases of food contamination have shown, the effects of an intentional incident could be extremely costly to food processors and the nation as a whole. Understanding the features that processors should include in their recovery plans will help to quickly restore

New Mexico – ‘Defensive’ About Agriculture & Food

In a state with a large agricultural and food industry, protecting that infrastructure is a difficult yet necessary task that New Mexico takes very seriously. Guidance and support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have helped initiate innovative programs and exercises to protect the state’s cattle, alfalfa hay, milk,

Productivity & Multiagency Meetings

When multiagency meetings take time away from everyday tasks, productivity may decrease – but only temporarily. Those participating in such meetings should recognize, though, that the productivity lost that day usually will be reimbursed, with interest, when the same participants simultaneously respond to future incidents.

Reshaping Law Enforcement in the 21st Century

New technologies and response equipment – combined with social media and mobile applications – are changing the way law enforcement agencies protect themselves and their communities. What were once only possible in science-fiction movies are increasingly growing in use within law enforcement communities across the nation – drones, facial recognition,

Preparedness Training & Potential Liabilities

Preparing for any disaster is essential for an effective incident response. However, by failing to properly prepare and train employees, agencies also are more vulnerable to potential liabilities. Past legal cases and court rulings highlight the consequences that agencies have faced as a result of inadequate training practices. Reduced funding

Community Resilience & Functional Needs

On 7 November 2013, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled that: (a) New York City’s emergency planning inadequately accommodates people with disabilities; and (b) the city is in violation of local and federal laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his ruling, Furman said that the city’s current plans

Raising the Capabilities Bar for Future Medical Teams

Predicting the future of emergency medical services (EMS) is often a frustrating task; but it also can be extremely rewarding. For many years, EMS leaders have been predicting a day when paramedics will be able to treat patients on-site – without having to transport them to a hospital or other

Redirecting Dual-Use Research Regulations

Life science research benefits society in many ways, but also creates certain risks – particularly when that research falls into the wrong hands, either deliberately or unintentionally. Clearly defined rules and regulations governing the results of such dual-use research could help keep scientific research focused on less dangerous and more

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