Article Out Loud

Human trafficking is the world’s second-largest criminal industry. In the wake of natural disasters, the risk to vulnerable populations rises. This article informs preparedness and response professionals on how to better protect their communities and prepare their workforces to identify the signs of human trafficking

Before 2019, partner agencies coordinated incident command primarily from a physical emergency operations center (EOC). This practice shifted to virtual EOCs during the COVID-19 pandemic for many agencies. Virtual EOCs can effectively address community needs through all phases of consequence management.

Joplin High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School both suffered devastating disasters – one natural and one manmade. In both cases, the residents rallied behind their schools and their communities to rebuild and recover.

By using mHealth technologies, local health departments can improve their efficiency and effectiveness not only in communicating with the public but also in dispensing medical countermeasures during large-scale pandemics.

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.

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.