Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning Guide for Local Governments

This guide is designed for local governments to help them prepare for recovery from future disasters by engaging with the whole community and planning recovery activities that are comprehensive and long term.

FEMA's Progress in Aiding Individuals With Disabilities Could Be Further Enhanced

This report assesses the extent to which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and others provide disaster services to people with disabilities, people with limited English proficiency, and children in need of family reunification. The U.S. Government Accountability Office examined federal, state, and local disaster assistance efforts for six major disasters that occurred from March 2014 through October 2015.

DHS S&T Awards Nearly $1M to Five Start-Ups for Phase 2 R&D

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) announced a total of $999,780 in awards to five companies advancing to Phase 2 of the Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). The awards are aimed at nontraditional performers to offer solutions to some of the toughest threats facing DHS and the homeland security mission.

BYU Engineers Built a Bulletproof Origami Shield to Protect Law Enforcement

Brigham Young University (BYU) engineering professors have created an origami-inspired, lightweight bulletproof shield that can protect law enforcement from gunfire. The new barrier can be folded compactly when not in use, making it easier to transport and deploy. When expanded – which takes only five seconds – it can provide cover for officers and stop bullets from several types of handguns.

Global Health Council Launches Global Health Briefing Book for U.S. Congress

This report, released by the Global Health Council, is a biennial publication of comprehensive statistics and examples showing how the United States has been a global health leader for the past decade. The report addresses some of the most pressing global health issues, from vaccines and immunization to global health security. 

Three “I”s to Repairing the Police/Community Relationship

Over the years, the fragile relationship between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve has been strained to the point of fracture. The goal now for law enforcement agencies is to repair existing relationships with the communities they serve and build new positive relationships with youths to ensure future community resilience.

Today’s Law Enforcement Challenges

Civil unrest in cities across the country challenges public servants to think analytically about how to restore public confidence and protect citizens from bad actors and events that threaten their safety and security. This article summarizes a four-hour roundtable that DomPrep and the Baltimore Police Department convened to share insights on tactics and approaches for success.

Joseph Trindal on Law Enforcement Retention

FEMA Seeks Applicants for National Youth Preparedness Council

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that it is seeking applicants for its Youth Preparedness Council. Council members are selected based on their dedication to public service, efforts in making a difference in their communities, and potential to expand their impact as national advocates for preparedness. Students in 8th through 11th grade are eligible to apply.

Charles J. Guddemi Retirement

DomPrep would like to announce the retirement of a good friend and advisor, Charles J. Guddemi. After more than 25 years of law enforcement service, he retired from the U.S. Park Police on 31 December 2016.

George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School Announces Creation of National Security Institute

The Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University announced the creation of a National Security Institute (NSI) to bring national security experts together with policymakers to find practical answers to hard national security law and policy questions. NSI will serve as a platform for research, teaching, scholarship, and policy development.

ECDC Releases Its First Mobile Application: Infectious Disease Threats On the Go

ECDC has released a new Threat Reports app, a free and open access application that gives you direct access to key updates and reports on communicable disease threats of concern to the EU on your mobile device. 

New, Faster Bacteria ‘Detector’ Could Save Lives

A Michigan State University researcher has developed a faster way to detect the bacteria that cause patients to become sick, giving physicians a better chance at saving their lives. The test can produce results within two hours using blood, urine, spit, wound, stool or cerebral spine fluid samples from infected patients.

Emergent BioSolutions Receives BARDA Task Order Valued at Up to $30.5 Million to Develop Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Therapeutics

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. announced that it has received a task order from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority(BARDA) valued at up to $30.5 million to develop monoclonal antibody therapeutics for viral hemorrhagic fever.

Community Oriented Policing Under Fire

In the days leading up to the 2017 U.S. presidential inauguration, word began to spread across the executive branch that significant cuts were coming to many domestic programs. However, reducing funding and resources for law enforcement could present challenges for established and future community-oriented policing efforts.

Removing the Viral Threat: Two Months to Stop Pandemic X From Taking Hold

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is now launching the Pandemic Prevention Platform (P3) program, aimed at developing the foundational work into an entire system capable of halting the spread of any viral disease outbreak before it can escalate to pandemic status.

A New Model Proposed for U.S. Bioterrorism Response

On 17 January 2017, the InterAgency Board released its “Proposed Model for Bioterrorism Response: Initial Operations and Characterization” position paper (BT Position Paper). This 28-page document puts forward a method to make use of the many federally developed standards and strategies produced over the past 16 years – at a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars – that have yet to produce a national capability.

SAVER Program Reports Now Available for Download

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced that reports produced by the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program are now available for download on the S&T website, as a one-stop shop for resources to help responders make better purchasing decisions.

Federal Resources Completes Marley International Group Acquisition

Federal Resources has acquired Marley International Group, a global product marketing firm with focused operations in the Arabian Gulf. Marley International Group was founded as a multinational partnership of professionals from the medical, defense, and energy industries. Specializing in all aspects of the contract selling process, the team of experts provides strategic advice to U.S. manufacturers who wish to expand in the Arabian Gulf.

Annual Report on the State of Department of Energy National Laboratories

This first Annual Report to Congress on the State of the Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories provides a comprehensive overview of the laboratory system, covering science and technology programs, management and strategic planning. DOE’s 17 national laboratories, operating in 15 states, form the core of their S&T organization.

Federally Developed Technologies Go to Work

A tool to assess and address cyber and physical security issues and an inexpensive way to create a microscope out of a cellphone are being used by businesses and individuals, thanks to teams who have moved them out of the laboratory and into the marketplace. These technologies were developed at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Managing Civil Unrest & Protests in a New Environment

Those in law enforcement can attest to the continuous changes in the profession. In the 1960s, it was inconceivable to have predicted where time and technology would transport the country by 2017. The media provides instantaneous news via social media, so a small demonstration can be multiplied in an instant with a simple tweet. Law enforcement must adapt.

Civilian/Military Collaboration for Domestic Response

The focus of PATRIOT’s tactical level domestic response has matured to increase understanding of interagency and multidisciplinary coordination, policies, and doctrine, and to develop procedures and processes that could be adopted elsewhere. The best practices and lessons learned are relevant to any local and state emergency managers, and strengthen knowledge about how the military can provide support to civilian authorities.

Implementation of an Active Shooter Plan

Effective response to an active shooter incident requires planning and role reinforcement through training for personnel who may be affected by an incident, as well as for leaders and managers responsible for coordinating responses. For example, personnel near an active shooter need to use the appropriate response model – for example, Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate (ALICE) – depending on the circumstances unique to the incident.

NIH to Expand Critical Catalog for Genomics Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plans to expand its Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project, a genomics resource used by many scientists to study human health and disease. Funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of NIH, the ENCODE Project is generating a catalog of all the genes and regulatory elements in humans and select model organisms.

Kansas State University Is the 'Silicon Valley of Biodefense,' According to Blue Ribbon Study Panel

What Silicon Valley is to technology, Kansas State University is to biodefense. When former Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle and the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense recently visited the Manhattan campus for a series of agrodefense discussions, the university cemented its status as a national leader in animal health, biosciences and food safety research.

A New Kind of Responder Brings Special Expertise to Disasters

Hazards associated with radiological or nuclear incidents are uniquely challenging for first responders. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has developed the Radiological Operations Support Specialist (ROSS) Program as a field solution to make recommendations, interpret models, and analyze data for the incident commander.

Fire in the United States (2005-2014)

This report, a statistical overview of fires in the United States, provides the fire service and others with information that motivates corrective action, sets priorities, targets specific fire programs, serves as a model for state and local analyses of fire data, and provides a baseline for evaluating programs.

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Strides to Stop Spread of Disease and Infection

Scientists at U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are studying how to stop the spread of pandemic disease and infection. Using network science and numerous mathematical computations, the study observes how social behaviors can enhance or even reduce the transmission of disease in a population.

The Global Risks Report 2017

The Global Risks Report 2017, drawing on the perspectives of experts and global decision-makers, examines the five greatest priorities facing the world in 2017, their interconnections and the actions necessary to avoid their harshest fall-out.

Designing Diagnostic Labs That Are Safe, Specific, and Sustainable

To detect an outbreak early, healthcare workers must have a local, trustworthy diagnostic laboratory. For the past five years Sandia’s International Biological and Chemical Threat Reduction group has served as a trusted adviser for design of diagnostic labs around the world that are safe, secure, sustainable, specific and flexible.

The Ongoing Quest to Assess & Measure Preparedness

Since 9/11, billions of dollars and an enormous amount of effort have been directed at enhancing national preparedness efforts as they relate to human-caused and natural disasters, yet many jurisdictions and organizations still struggle to determine how prepared they are and how prepared they need to be.