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HUD and DHS Solicit Public Comment Through DisasterRecoveryWorkingGroup.gov

DHS and HUD have launched a website specifically designed to solicit stakeholder input on disaster recovery.

From the DHS press release:

"Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan and Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the launch of DisasterRecoveryWorkingGroup.gov—a new interagency website that will allow federal disaster recovery officials to solicit public comments from state, local and tribal partners and the public.

The new website will be used by the federal government’s newly-formed Long Term Disaster Recovery Working Group—co-chaired by Secretary Donovan and Secretary Napolitano—to allow stakeholders to submit ideas for disaster recovery; articulate objectives for recovery assistance going forward; identify examples of best practices; raise challenges and obstacles to success; and share thoughts, experiences and lessons learned."

To view the full press release, click here.

New RAND report: 'New Tools for Assessing State and Local Capabilities for Countermeasure Delivery'

From the preface:

"Assessing state and local departments’ readiness to (respond to a biological attack) is a critical element for improving their ability to conduct a countermeasure-delivery campaign in an emergency. The CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (CDC/DSNS) has been using a checklist-based approach, known as the Technical Assistance Review (TAR), to assess the jurisdictions’ countermeasure delivery plans, equipment, and personnel. However, a consensus has emerged within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CDC that assessing these capacity elements is not sufficient; methods are needed for assessing the jurisdictions’ capabilities to implement and adapt these plans in real-world situations.

"To address this need, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (HHS/ASPR) asked RAND to assist CDC/DSNS in developing a system for assessing the operational capabilities to engage in mass countermeasure delivery."

Download the 58-page report as a PDF.

New report: 'Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities'

The National Council on Disability issued a new report, "Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities."

"In this report, NCD offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs, and practices across the life cycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by both public and private sectors. Our recommendations are based on scientific research and thorough review of policies and practices that have been tested in emergencies of all types throughout the country. It is our expectation that this report will promote a focused dialogue and communicate critical information to be used by those charged with protecting our nation's most vulnerable populations."

Download the report as a PDF.

New Rand report: 'National Agenda for Public Health Systems Research on Emergency Preparedness'

Rand has issued a new report, "National Agenda for Public Health Systems Research on Emergency Preparedness." From the preface:

"The lack of frequent opportunities to observe and learn from real-world responses to large-scale public health emergencies has hindered the development of an evidence base for public health emergency preparedness. As a result, efforts to develop performance measures and standards, best practices, program guidance, training, and other tools have proceeded without a strong empirical and analytical basis. To help identify strategies for addressing this gap in evidence, this report presents the findings from an expert panel convened to develop a broad public health systems research agenda for emergency preparedness. The report will be of interest to federal, state, local, and tribal health officials, as well as a range of funders and research institutions at all levels. This document will help to support decisions about short- and long-term research priorities and provide a basis for coordinating the efforts of funders and researchers inside and outside the federal government. This work was prepared for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR). This research was conducted within the RAND Health Center for Public Health Preparedness."

Download the report as a PDF.

Bring It Home Channel: 'Emergency Medical Preparedness and Response'

The National Center for Emergency Medical Preparedness & Response at Texas A&M University is a unique national asset that combines the best practices of health sciences and emergency management. The center provides training and technical assistance to the health sector. In this interview, we learn more from the director, Scott Lillibridge, M.D.

Visit the "Bring It Home" channel on YouTube. This series of videos is produced by KAMU-TV at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Report: 'Are We Prepared? Four WMD Crises That Could Transform U.S. Security'

This report, written by the staff of the National Defense University Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction in the fall of 2008 and the early winter of 2009, was conceived initially as a transition paper for the new administration following the 2008 American Presidential election.

From the executive summary:

This study addresses the ability of the U.S. Government to cope with four plausible, far-reaching weapons of mass destruction (WMD) crises, any one of which could occur today and adversely affect the foreign and national security policies of the United States for many years to come:

• Collapse of the nonproliferation regime, in which a number of unresolved nuclear proliferation challenges threaten to unleash a sudden and destabilizing wave of proliferation.
• A failed WMD-armed state, creating unprecedented risks that radical actors will obtain WMD and unprecedented challenges for prevention.
• A biological terror campaign, in which terrorists employ deadly biological pathogens to strike at multiple cities.
• A nuclear detonation in a U.S. city, delivered covertly and leaving great uncertainty about who did it, whether it will happen again, and how we should respond.

Taken together, these scenarios demonstrate the complex, multifaceted nature of the WMD challenge for American decisionmakers and illustrate the demands that such events could place on the entire apparatus of government, alliances, and the American people. Our findings are drawn from ongoing research conducted at the National Defense University’s Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction and reflect nonpartisan perspectives and conclusions drawn from extensive interactions with scores of former and serving senior U.S. officials and nationally recognized subject matter experts.

Download the report as 164-page PDF.

New CD-ROM from the American Veterinary Medical Association: 'Emergency Preparedness and Response'

This searchable CD-ROM is a resource designed for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, emergency managers, and others interested in all hazards/all species veterinary and animal emergency issues. This 400+ page reference is full of disaster planning information, containing actual templates for writing detailed animal disaster annexes to county and state emergency operations plans.

U.S. issues new guidelines for bio-gear to protect early responders

Global Security News reports:

"The United States has released new guidelines for equipment designed to protect emergency responders in the aftermath of a biological-weapon attack. ... The new "Recommendations for the Selection and Use of Respirators and Protective Clothing for Protection Against Biological Agents" include breathing apparatus assessed to protect against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials, said John Decker, associate director at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health."

• Read the GSN article.
• Download the guidelines.

New FEMA report: 'The Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101'

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued "The Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101: Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal and Local Government Emergency Plans," a report  designed to help  state and local officials improve emergency planning. FEMA said the guide meets the requirements outlined in HSPD-8, Annex I to develop a national integrated planning system.

• Download the guide as a pdf.
• Download HSPD-8, Annex I.

U.S. Army publishes its Universal Task List

The U.S. Army has released it 480-page Universal Task List, which documents and organizes almost all the Army's tasks and function. This copy was released by Secrecy News.