In an effort to raise public awareness to the impact of possible radiological attacks against the nation, a new national, not-for-profit and nonpartisan coalition was launched by a group of first-responders, business groups, health advocates and homeland security experts.
In his epic work "The Waste Land" (1922), T.S. Eliot wrote convincingly that “April is the cruellest month,” but a case can be made for September. Throughout American history, all varieties of disasters have transpired in this ninth month of the year—from shipwrecks to plane crashes to terrorist attacks—the aftermath of which have changed the way we live, work, and simply function as a society. Some of these changes have been subtle, others, such as the events of 9/11 seven years ago, drastic.
The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security have released Guidance on Allocating and Targeting Pandemic Influenza Vaccine. The purpose of the guidance is to provide a planning framework to help state, tribal, local, and community leaders ensure that vaccine allocation and use will reduce the impact of a pandemic on public health.
Event organizers are sounding the call for abstract submissions, due on Aug. 31, for the Public Health Preparedness Summit to be held Feb. 18-20, 2009 in San Diego.
The first of four NOAA stations that will measure tides and weather during storms was dedicated Aug. 22 in Bay St. Louis, Miss.
The live-action afternoon demolition will be part of the group’s national conference, Sept. 7-10.
Beginning next month, hospitals participating in the HHS-administered Hospital Preparedness Program must provide executive summaries of the results of disaster drills they conduct.
“[T]he crises ahead are increasing both in complexity and frequency; yet, levels of crises readiness among organizations remains low and poorly understood,” writes Paul C. Light, author of new report available for free download.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning residents of Florida who have been pounded by heavy rains and power outages from Tropical Storm Fay to take special precautions. Portable gas generators, often used by consumers to restore power to their homes and businesses in the aftermath of a storm, produce high levels of deadly carbon monoxide (CO).
"What was in the air that day? Pretty much everything that had been in
two 100-story buildings--but in vaporized form," writes Mike Magee,
M.D. in this week's issue of Health Commentary.
DHS funding and assistance from the Education Department and HHS have made it possible to distribute about 280,000 emergency radios to schools.
Beginning Jan. 1, colleges and universities must have and practice emergency response plans. Shootings last February at Northern Illinois University spurred new emergency readiness initiatives.
The National Transportation Safety Board is devoting two days at its Training Center to offer guidance to aviation public affairs professionals on how to most effectively manage emergency communications following a major aircraft accident.
The United States Fire Administration has released a new technical report titled Fire Department Preparedness for Extreme Weather Emergencies and Natural Disasters, which examines the impact of extreme weather and natural disasters on the fire service and the types of service calls most likely to arise as a result of these disasters.
The United States Fire Administration released yesterday, as part of its technical report series, a new report titled Twelve Fatality Hotel Arson: Reno, Nevada.
Presentations on the 70E standard's 2009 edition, propane safety, mass notification, and more are on the schedule for the rest of the month.
The company's wireless Rapid Deployment Kits have been delivered to all 57 Civil Support Team in the United States and its territories.
Formerly a branch of the Engineering PS, this group is the first to make this jump under the current council guidelines.
The month of September marks the 5th annual National Preparedness Month. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign and with support from coalition members across the nation including a wide range of businesses and organizations, NPM is held to increase public awareness about emergency preparedness.
The recalled units may fail to provide adequate lighting to guide building occupants to an exit in an emergency.