Agriculture & Food Defense Archives

Food for Thought: Emergency Shelters & Food Allergies

Andrew R. Roszak December 9, 2015

When one peanut has the ability to kill, it is necessary to examine the practices and procedures used in public yet confined spaces such as emergency shelters. By following simple steps, emergency managers are able to perform shelter operations while limiting exposure to allergens and contaminants that could turn a

Keeping It Simple – Low-Cost Technologies With High Payoffs

Timothy Moshier November 25, 2015

Detection of hazardous materials can be a very costly endeavor. However, there are ways to simplify the process, reduce costs, and increase the performance of previously purchased legacy equipment. Leveraging the operating environment and informing personnel to make better decisions are two methods for achieving these goals.

Modular Solutions for Compounding Pharmacies & Biosafety Facilities

Jessica Wambach Brown and Allan Swan October 21, 2015

A decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast region, the effects of underprepared healthcare systems are still apparent. Nearly a year after the first case of Ebola was diagnosed on U.S. soil, the West African nations most affected by the disease remain burdened by insufficient infrastructure to properly isolate

Public Health & Political Knowledge

Audrey Mazurek and Raphael M. Barishansky September 16, 2015

Public health professionals fill vital roles in homeland security preparedness. One of these roles is to ensure that government decision makers are well informed on issues that may affect the life and health of – perhaps not all, but at least most of – their community members.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Food Defense and Emergency Coordination Update – New Food Related Emergency Exercise

Domestic Preparedness July 27, 2015

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making available a new food related emergency exercise to help public health and other officials understand and coordinate their roles and responsibilities, and prepare for a food-related emergency.

Local Public Health’s Role in Large-Scale Chemical Incidents

Rachel Schulman July 22, 2015

Public health departments play, or have the ability to play, a key role in large-scale incidents caused by hazardous materials. By clearly defining their roles and collaborating with local partners, health departments have the ability to help emergency planners and responders prevent, mitigate, plan for, and respond to chemical hazards

Bridging the Public-Private Sector Divide

Catherine L. Feinman May 27, 2015

At the April 2015 Ready Chesapeake meeting, members of this nonprofit group discussed ways to build business continuity within Annapolis-area communities and created a survey to reach out to other jurisdictions for suggestions. Practitioners (149 public sector, 80 private sector) from 47 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Canada, and Martinique shared

Transitioning From Routine to Disaster

Tanya Ferraro May 4, 2015

Public health agencies serve valuable roles and fill operational gaps that only they can perform. Planning and training within and between agencies are necessary for public health services to transition from daily operations to emergency response to a widespread pandemic, environmental hazard, or other critical public health threat.

How One Enterprise Ensures Medical Products for Emergencies

David R. Howell and Joanna M. Prasher April 28, 2015

Pandemic influenza, an aerosolized anthrax attack, a nuclear detonation, chemical or radiological exposure, and other known and emerging threats and disasters are all potential threats to the United States. To combat these, one enterprise – comprising many collaborating federal agencies – is preparing to provide the necessary medical products when

The Evolution of Planning for Animals in Disasters

Richard Green and Elizabeth Serca-Dominguez April 22, 2015

A man runs into an evacuation zone to rescue his dog. A woman refuses to leave her home in the face of danger because she cannot find her cat. A family is turned away from a shelter because they do not want to leave their pets behind. In all of

The Supporting Role of Healthcare Coalitions for Local Health Departments in Emergency Preparedness

Nicole Dunifon January 20, 2015

The Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), provides grant funding to states in order to support sustainable community healthcare coalitions (HCCs), improve medical surge capacity, and enhance community and hospital preparedness in the event of a public health emergency.

Part III – Collaborative Efforts for Citywide Preparedness

Catherine L. Feinman October 15, 2014

Part 3 of 5: In any large city, there are many agencies and organizations that must learn to work together for the benefit of the city as a whole. In Baltimore, these groups come together through local emergency planning committee meetings, trainings, exercises, special events, and other interagency preparedness efforts.

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