In 2011, 14.9 percent of U.S. households (17.9 million households) were āfood insecure,ā according to the U.S. Department of Agricultureās study, Household Food Security in the United States in 2011. Those numbers equate to slightly more than 50 million Americans living in food-insecure households: 33.5 million adults and almost 17 million children. Many of the families queried in the study rely on food provided by various charities to feed themselves. Unfortunately, the nationās charitable food supply chain itself is one of the most complex nutrition delivery systems in the entire world.
In 2009, the H1N1 pandemic strain of influenza served as a dramatic wake-up call for biosurveillance experts around the world. Despite major advances in domestic and global surveillance capabilities, H1N1 […]
Some biological agents – anthrax and ricin, for example – can be used as weapons against human targets; others specifically attack animals and food crops. Both types of attack, though, can have devastating effects on the economy and on the morale and overall wellbeing of a nation. To mitigate these threats, the public and private sectors must cooperate to recognize and close existing gaps.
The biothreat topic is important not only for the actual risk of attack, but also the perceived
risk. To be sufficiently prepared, a balance must be reached – for security, technology, and situational
awareness. This report addresses various key components of biodefense – the threats, the costs, and the
priorities.
Emergency management is an evolving discipline that requires a progressive emergency manager to
fulfill new and expanding requirements for success. Successful leaders in this field follow a systematic
problem-solving process and excel at coordinating multiple agencies and information sources rather than
simply being experts in one subject. The seven and a half traits discussed here describe the ultimate
emergency manager.
With thousands of farms and millions of cattle scattered across the United States, regulators, dairy producers, and veterinarians strive to protect the nation’s food supply, including the milk supply chain from cow to breakfast table. Emergency preparedness planners, therefore, must work with agricultural suppliers to protect milk and other food products.
When a bomb explodes, a biological or chemical agent is released, or an active shooter is at large, time is of the essence. In some situations, having residents shelter in place, although costly and inconvenient, may be the fastest and only way to stop the perpetrator and reduce the number of lives lost both during and following the incident.
Water, water everywhere, and all of it fit to drink. Reservoirs supply drinking water to communities throughout the United States. Protecting such a large area, including the surrounding land, poses many challenges and raises red flags when unauthorized visitors come too close.
From military “takeover” to a “win-win” situation for states affected by natural disasters: The U.S. Department of Defense used the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina to develop new tactics – and used them creatively when assisting the response and recovery efforts in New Jersey and New York in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
In February 2003, President George W. Bush signed Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 5 (HSPD-5), which directed the establishment of a National Incident Management System (NIMS). That directive mandated, among […]
In 2011, 14.9 percent of U.S. households (17.9 million households) were āfood insecure,ā according to the U.S. Department of Agricultureās study, Household Food Security in the United States in 2011. Those numbers equate to slightly more than 50 million Americans living in food-insecure households: 33.5 million adults and almost 17 million children. Many of the families queried in the study rely on food provided by various charities to feed themselves. Unfortunately, the nationās charitable food supply chain itself is one of the most complex nutrition delivery systems in the entire world. 