FIRE ARCHIVES
The Coast Guard Looks Ahead: A Closer Spirit of Cooperation With Local Agencies
Corey Ranslem
December 9, 2009
For many decades the U.S. Coast Guard was the nation’s “”forgotten service”” – except in time of war. In an era when international terrorism is the greatest threat to the U.S. homeland, though, the multi-mission service has moved front and center to a starring role. But it needs help from
Emergency Preparedness in Healthcare – 2010 & Beyond
Theodore Tully
December 9, 2009
Emergency planners, political and budget decision makers, and the general public are almost always more focused on preparing for last year’s hurricane than they are concerned about this year’s sudden earthquake, or tsunami, or – much more likely – long-predicted pandemic. Which is why common sense must sometimes take precedence.
DMORT Teams and Their Role in MFIs
Frank P. Saul
November 24, 2009
Recent-year increases in the number of mass-fatality incidents, combined with the increasingly bizarre nature of some of those incidents, have led to the formation of specially trained medico-legal teams to deal with the on-site aftermath. This is their story, which is more complicated, and sophisticated, than anything seen on national
Case Study: Influenza Preparedness in Marin County
Mary Lilley
November 18, 2009
Something like an earthquake – not as loud or as immediately terrifying, but longer lasting and immensely more lethal. That is more or less how the leaders of California’s Marin County viewed the approach of the H1N1 pandemic, and why they were so determined to take whatever measures were needed
Mortuary Services & The Lessons Learned From Real-Life Tragedy
Jennifer Smither
November 11, 2009
First responders do their utmost to save the lives of those seriously injured in mass-casualty incidents. Medical examiners and local volunteers have what is sometimes a more difficult job: identifying the bodies, “processing” the remains, and notifying the victims’ families.
Ham Radio – An Emergency Tool for Public Health
Barry Kanne
November 4, 2009
Many citizens served their communities heroically in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and some of their stories are well known – but most of them remain untold. One of the still relatively unknown heroes is a legally blind New Orleans jazz musician, who also happens to be an amateur radio
Mass-Casualty/Medical-Surge Capabilities: Closing the Gap
Kay C. Goss
October 28, 2009
The U.S. government, and most major American cities, have worked diligently, and with considerable success, since the 9/11 terrorist attacks to upgrade their homeland-defense capabilities. But “better” is not the same as “enough” – and probably never will be.
Expanded-Duty EMS: Heavy Rescue
Joseph Cahill
October 28, 2009
Most medium-sized or larger U.S. communities are now better prepared than ever before to cope with “routine” incidents such as car crashes and motorcycle accidents. But a much smaller number is able to deal with truly major incidents that stress not only the rescue equipment available but also the skills
NIMS & ICS: The Next Level
Stephen Grainer
October 14, 2009
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) resumed the “next” series of its NIMS (National Incident Management System) Incident Command System (ICS) training in August with the delivery of eight ICS position-specific Train-the-Trainer (T-t-T) programs in College Station, Texas, where the Texas Forest Service (TFS) is headquartered – on the
Organophosphates: A Clearly Present Danger
John Temperilli
October 14, 2009
Properly used, chemicals can benefit mankind in many ways. Improperly used – by terrorists, for example – they can be more of a curse than a blessing, and as weapons of mass destruction could be even more dangerous, over a longer period of time, than a nuclear missile.
Understanding Public Health Mutual Aid
Raphael M. Barishansky
October 7, 2009
Friends helping friends, neighbors helping neighbors – it’s Biblical, it’s common sense, and it’s the right thing to do. But it’s also much more complicated in today’s world, when mass-casualty incidents can cause so much damage that very few communities can recover without outside help.
GIS Use During San Diego’s Wildfires
Mary Lilley
September 23, 2009
In recent years, wildfires have become a perennial threat to northern and southern parts of California. In 2003 and 2007, San Diego County and surrounding areas experienced their worst fires on record. The Cedar Fire of 2003 was the largest fire in California’s history at that time, but the wildfires
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