SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVES
The New PLAN: Government Alerts Enter the 21st Century
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
June 15, 2011
The old saying that, “No matter where you go, there you are,” has become the new Golden Rule for emergency-alert notifications, thanks to the combined efforts of the FCC, FEMA, and the commercial U.S. cellular industry. That is the PLAN, anyway. But it works better if IPAWS is OPEN to
45 Seconds of Danger, a Lifetime of Lessons
Craig DeAtley
June 8, 2011
The EF5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, during the evening of 22 May 2011 was among the deadliest in U.S. history. More than 140 persons died, over 1,000 were injured, and thousands of others were left homeless. In addition, it has been estimated that the cost to ārebuildā Joplin could
Antidotes: The Care and Cure for ‘What Ails You’
Joseph Cahill
June 1, 2011
The twin goals – total security, and immediate accessibility – prescribed for the perfect medical antidote program are not only mutually exclusive but also theoretically impossible to achieve. Almost. But there are some effective compromise measures that can bridge the differences, lower the loss rate, and significantly improve on-scene operational
Changing Trends in Maritime Piracy: A New & Major Threat
MIchael Brewer and Scott Brewer
June 1, 2011
The plots and successes of recent “pirate” movies notwithstanding, the real, totally ruthless, and well armed pirates of the 21st century must be recognized for what they really are: thieves, cutthroats, and murderers – who are now working with terrorist groups. That evil coalition must be confronted fully, fearlessly, and
RAD Operations Training Improves Radiological Response
Domestic Preparedness
June 1, 2011
The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in coordination with the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), offers five courses focusing on radiological preparedness in communities across the United States. The radiological courses prepare first responders to deal with all types of radiological incidents,
Medical Surge Management: Public-Private Healthcare Coalitions
Chad Priest and Bobby Courtney
May 25, 2011
Thanks (sort of) to the ravages caused by Hurricane Katrina, and a number of other disasters – including terrorist attacks – there is a growing awareness that U.S. healthcare facilities must focus much greater attention on building, and/or improving, their individual and collective “surge” capabilities. Here is a brief report
Mass Evacuation of Medical and Functional Needs Populations
Bruce Clements
May 25, 2011
It is reasonable to expect that, when the population of a community – or nation – grows, the need for a mass evacuation of some type will grow at the same pace. That need increases exponentially, though: (a) when catastrophic weather events occur with greater frequency; and/or (b) in the
The Expanding Role of Sanitarians in Public Health Emergencies
Rahul Gupta
May 18, 2011
Doctors, nurses, and other highly visible professionals get the greatest credit, deservedly, in most public-health incidents and events. Playing increasingly important roles, though – before, during, and after such incidents – are the nation’s unsung and much less publicized sanitarians whose special expertise in numerous operational scenarios is finally being
Hospitals & Fire Departments: Three-Alarm Fires, MSH & Best-Practice Results
Theodore Tully
May 18, 2011
A major fire in one of the nation’s finest hospitals led quickly to: (a) the massive evacuation of almost 450 patients; and (b) numerous follow-up meetings to find out what had gone wrong and how to handle such incidents more quickly, and more effectively, in the future. The end result
TRANSCAER Launches Online Safety Training
Domestic Preparedness
May 17, 2011
TRANSCAERĀ® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) has launched its first-ever Anhydrous Ammonia Training online training program to educate and train officials across the country on emergency responses to anhydrous ammonia incidents.
Critical Issues Faced by MRC in a Special Needs Shelter
Amy Schmitt, Donald Brannen and Mark McDonnell
May 11, 2011
The chill wind that started on 31 January immobilized a major area of the country and brought ice, snow, sleet, and misery to 100 million Americans. Among the hardest hit were numerous special-needs patients, already incapacitated, waiting for help that came far too late or, in some cases, not at
Whole-Body Imaging: A Safe Alternative to the ‘Pat Down’
Aaron Sean Poynton
May 4, 2011
Several myths to the contrary notwithstanding, the new WBI passenger screening booths installed at U.S. airports to improve in-flight security are not only extremely safe but also both visually and morally unobjectionable. For those not convinced, there are other options, including a quick and unobtrusive pat down – in a
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