Hazmat Archives

If & When Needed: The Building of Pandemic Barriers

Patrick P. Rose and Katherine Duncan May 2, 2012

Infectious diseases such as influenza are invisible, fast-moving, and often extremely lethal. The best and sometimes only way to kill them is to detect them early, stop them before they start to spread, isolate them at the first sign of an outbreak, and have at hand the trained medical professionals,

Protecting First Responders from Biological Agents

Christina Spoons April 25, 2012

Bio-weapons are the new “hidden dangers” available to terrorist groups seeking to kill and create widespread havoc. They are low in cost, quickly available, difficult to detect, and – if properly designed – extremely lethal. Moreover, first responders are often the most likely victims – but can save themselves, and

Charting New Waters in Biosecurity

Catherine L. Feinman April 25, 2012

Many businessmen, and homeowners, would quickly buy and read a comprehensive report on how to prevent burglaries. Many burglars would buy and read the same book, but for different reasons. Those who carry out important scientific research face a similar dilemma: They want to help educate their peers, but do

‘The Bomber Will Always Get Through’ – 80 Years Later, A Prophecy

Loren B. Thompson April 18, 2012

Not quite 80 years ago, Britain’s de facto prime minister made some shocking comments about military policy before Parliament, and his countrymen. Since then, many “inexpensive” attacks have required “expensive” military defense. Today, the dangers facing the entire world are even greater and the cost, to all nations, of not

Foodborne Outbreaks in Minnesota: Training and Performance

Kimberley Wetherille and Evan Henke April 11, 2012

There are almost 50 million foodborne illnesses “of various types” in the United States, and over 3,000 deaths annually. Those are the grim statistics that persuaded the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the FDA, and NACCHO to expand and upgrade programs already in place to detect, control, and

Food Fight – Bioterrorism & Emergency Response Capabilities

Joseph Cahill April 11, 2012

Infected salad bars and the “improved” technological capabilities of modern-day terrorist groups have combined to make U.S. responders, and the American people, much more cautious about what they eat. Fortunately, that heightened awareness has led to a much closer scrutiny of restaurants, super markets, food-processing plants, and the super-rich diet

Laboratories and First Responders: Collaborating for Effective Response

Maureen Sullivan April 10, 2012

Each day, events occur that engage personnel from multiple disciplines who are each tasked with the common goal of protecting the nation from all hazards threats. Even though laboratorians, police officers, firefighters, and hazmat technicians wear different uniforms, they all share the common goal of protecting the public and thus

First Responder HazMat/CBRN Training SURVEY

Domestic Preparedness April 5, 2012

Your Opinion Matters! DomPrep wants to know your opinion on preparedness and training efforts related to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) warfare and hazardous material incidents. In today’s environment of reduced funding, maintaining these efforts can be even more challenging than in the past. How prepared is your jurisdiction?

Aligning Priorities with Healthcare Coalitions

Andrew R. Roszak April 3, 2012

Growth in the number and capabilities of the nation’s healthcare coalitions will undoubtedly continue for the foreseeable future – as will the operational capabilities of those coalitions. Helping that growth, and making the coalitions both more capable and more cost-effective, is a new plan (going into effect this summer) to

A Helping Hand from the Defense CBRN Response Force

Jamie Stowe March 28, 2012

The recent upgrading of the Defense Department’s former CBRN Consequence Management Response Force means that states, cities, and smaller communities throughout the country will have much greater medical response capabilities – personnel as well as equipment – than was ever before possible.

Libya’s Missing Chemical Caches: The Weapons of Armageddon?

Richard Schoeberl March 27, 2012

There are several “known” unknowns – namely, how to develop, produce, and deploy chemical and biological weapons that are more toxic than ever before possible. There also are some “unknown” unknowns, the most important of which is this: Where are the tons of chemical weapons that disappeared from Libya’s reported

The Detection Triage – A Systematic Approach to Identification

Glen Rudner March 21, 2012

Success in any field of human endeavor usually requires not only education and training but also having at hand the best “tools” available to do the job – no matter what that job entails. In hazmat or CBRNE incidents, the tools used by emergency responders include a broad array of

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