2015 Hurricane Sandy conference : translating research into practice, August 10-11, 2015, NYU Kimmel Center for University Life

\u201c\u2026 just a few weeks after Hurricane Sandy, the New York Academy of Medicine hosted a meeting to identify public health research priorities that had arisen in response to the hurricane. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) built on the priorities developed at that meeting to fund, collectively, 31 grants for Hurricane Sandy recovery research. These research efforts, funded under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act (DRAA) of 2013, demonstrate the role the scientific community can play in emergency preparedness, response, recovery and the importance of being ready to do so when disasters strike.\u201d\u201d In January 2013 ASPR, CDC and NIEHS grantees and awardees gathered together for a meeting to kick-off their research efforts and to foster collaboration and data-sharing. As an outgrowth of that meeting, additional funds were made available under the DRAA for ASPR to support collaborative projects between existing ASPR, CDC, and NIEHS awardees. The 13 new and collaborative projects build upon, augment, or enhance the 31 original ASPR, CDC, and NIEHS Sandy recovery science awards.\u201d\u201dAs the original 31 awards near completion, this conference brings together the researchers, members of impacted communities, and public health and emergency preparedness practitioners. Our main goals are to share the research results and products among these groups, and to find ways to translate the research efforts into practice. We want to use this conference to build connections between people and organizations who can work collaboratively to realize meaningful benefits for Sandy impacted communities as they continue to recover and to prepare for future storms.\u201dPublication date from document properties.sandy-grantee-program.pdf201

Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) Guidance for Railroads

Climate change creates new challenges for all critical transportation infrastructure, especially for railroads with an open system that is continuously exposed to the elements. A Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) is a necessary first step for an organization to understand the challenges and develop strategies for adaptation to them. In many cases, the railroad sector is uniquely positioned to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions through mitigation steps. This guide will assist railroad risk managers and emergency managers to evaluate the risks and determine how best to respond to them through preparation, mitigation, or adaptation. The THIRA is the first step in understanding the scope of the climate change challenges faced by railroads

Homeland Security: Engaging the Frontlines - Symposium Proceedings

The rise of the American homeland security endeavor under the leadership of the new Department of Homeland Security has been heralded by several major national strategy documents. These documents have served to organize efforts at top levels within the government and industry. However, the national strategy guidance is not getting to many organizations and people at the grass-roots level who can make the most difference in preventing attacks, protecting systems, and recovering from catastrophic events, viz. the general citizenry, private infrastructure owners, and local governments. To better understand grass-roots issues and solutions, James Madison University, in cooperation with the Federal Facilities Council of the National Academy of Sciences, organized a symposium, bringing together a cross-section of federal, state, and local officials as well as industry, academia, and citizenry. Specific symposium objectives included: (1) Illumination of current strategies and efforts and their strengths and shortfalls; (2) Exposition and discussion of new strategies to engage and incentivize organizations and individuals on the frontlines including threat awareness, prevention, protection, and response

Explosives recognition and awareness training: a psychological approach to pre-blast mitigation

The nation\u27s security strategy tends to be reactionary to a specific event. It is rare when established policies have proven successful, even though there is substantial financial and resource investment. The payoff is measured by analyzing the desired minimal effect rather than prevention of the event altogether. Such is the case in combating explosives-related threats. Today, research and development, science and technology, are plugged as the saviors of a post-blast event. Synthetic and composite materials are used to strengthen barriers and cutting-edge technology is utilized to refine the latest in standoff detection. These legitimate measures provide a sense of security for those who are protected . By establishing acceptance that the blast will occur, a facility\u27s infrastructure and occupants fall into a specific category where minimizing is the accepted goal, rather than blast prevention being the ultimate objective. Although massive walls can act as a deterrent to terrorist attacks, evil doers are capable of breaching those barriers both from the exterior and interior. Therefore, a more logical goal of preventing the blast must be emplaced. Like safety, where the aim is to prevent injury, explosives training must be implemented to enhance a site\u27s capabilities to deter possible attacks. This paper investigates the current practices in explosives recognition and awareness (ERA) training, the availability of such training to pertinent security personnel and first responders, the tactics utilized to mitigate explosives events and develops a comprehensive psychological training mechanism, site awareness of firing and explosives devices (SAFE-D), on which both the private and public sector can build an authentic explosives site security plan --Abstract, page iii

Public Health Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters

The pressure of climate change, environmental degradation, and urbanisation, as well as the widening of socio- economic disparities have rendered the global population increasingly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters. With a primary focus on medical and public health humanitarian response to disasters, Public Health Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters provides a timely critical analysis of public health responses to natural disasters. Using a number of case studies and examples of innovative disaster response measures developed by international agencies and stakeholders, this book illustrates how theoretical understanding of public health issues can be practically applied in the context of humanitarian relief response. Starting with an introduction to public health principles within the context of medical and public health disaster and humanitarian response, the book goes on to explore key trends, threats and challenges in contemporary disaster medical response. This book provides a comprehensive overview of an emergent discipline and offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective across a range of relevant topics including the concepts of disaster preparedness and resilience, and key challenges in human health needs for the twenty-first century. This book will be of interest to students of public health, disaster and emergency medicine and development studies, as well as to development and medical practitioners working within NGOs, development agencies, health authorities and public administration

Walmart 2014 Global Responsibility Report

The scope and boundaries of the 2014 Walmart Global Responsibility Report encompass our corporate efforts related to workplace, compliance and sourcing, social and environmental responsibility, while also providing snapshots into each of our individual markets around the globe. The report reviews our progress and performance during FY2014, reflects areas where we've achieved tremendous positive results and specifies areas of opportunity we continue to focus on. The social and environmental indicators were obtained by internal survey and checks without the participation of external auditing. The reporting timeline covers the period of Feb. 1, 2013 -- Jan. 31, 2014, and builds on our last report, issued April 2013. Unless otherwise noted, all currency is in U.S. dollars

How to Improve Assessment of Tetanus Immunity in the Emergency Room: A Prospective Cost-Effectiveness, Double Blind Study

peer reviewe

2nd Edition of Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (Health-EDRM)

Disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, heat waves, nuclear accidents, and large-scale pollution incidents take lives and incur major health problems. The majority of large-scale disasters affect the most vulnerable populations, which often comprise extreme ages, remote living areas, and endemic poverty, as well as people with low literacy. Health emergency and disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) refers to the systematic analysis and management of health risks surrounding emergencies and disasters, and plays an important role in reducing the hazards and vulnerability along with extending preparedness, responses, and recovery measures. This concept encompasses risk analyses and interventions, such as accessible early warning systems, the timely deployment of relief workers, and the provision of suitable drugs and medical equipment to decrease the impact of disasters on people before, during, and after an event (or events). Currently, there is a major gap in the scientific literature regarding Health-EDRM to facilitate major global policies and initiatives for disaster risk reduction worldwide

Paradigms on Technology Development for Security Practitioners

​This open access book is authored by a rich mix of contributors from across the landscape of research, academia, LEAs, civil protection, and other first responders, practitioners, public and private organizations and industry to address some of the most contemporary challenges within global security domain. The authors cover topics such as protection of critical infrastructures (CI), serious and organized crime, counter (cyber) terrorism, border management, cybercrime, cybersecurity, management of disasters and crises, big data analytics, the application of AI and the legal and ethical dimensions of the implementation of cutting-edge technologies. The book benefits from research actions and lessons learned from more than 35 EU R&D projects within the security domain. The book not only addresses theoretical narratives pertinent to the subject but also identifies current challenges and emerging security threats, provides analysis of operational capability gaps, real world applied solutions, methodologies, and case studies within security domain. This is an open access book