A zombie apocalypse or sharknado attack may not be imminent, but the opportunities they present to emergency management professionals are compelling. In Virginia, emergency planners are showing the human side of emergency management, connecting with community members, and influencing personal and community preparedness.
With more than 40 Olympic venues serving an estimated 14 million meals, the 2012 London Olympic Games were susceptible to many potential foodborne illnesses - both intentional and unintentional. However, through education, communications, surveillance, and a focus on surge capacity, London provided a model that could help protect the food supply at other mass gatherings around the world.
Recovery begins during the planning stage. As past unintentional cases of food contamination have shown, the effects of an intentional incident could be extremely costly to food processors and the nation as a whole. Understanding the features that processors should include in their recovery plans will help to quickly restore operations and public trust.
In the not-too-distant past, most food consumed by Americans traveled directly from the farm to the kitchen table. Today, there are a dozen or so stops of varying duration on the way - all of them vulnerable to mold, theft, sabotage, spoiling, and/or infection from zoonotic diseases.
In a state with a large agricultural and food industry, protecting that infrastructure is a difficult yet necessary task that New Mexico takes very seriously. Guidance and support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have helped initiate innovative programs and exercises to protect the state's cattle, alfalfa hay, milk, cheese, pecans, chile, and other agricultural products.
As security needs continue to change, the technology to meet those needs also must constantly evolve. In 2014, five key technology trends may change the way that business managers protect their employees, data, and facilities: cloud services, wireless technologies, standards, distance biometrics, and business intelligence.
The devastating impacts of Hurricane Sandy and other natural disasters that have followed stress the importance of improving disaster-response planning. By gathering and sharing information, however, everyone can play a greater role in reducing risk and creating communities that are more resilient.
Life science research benefits society in many ways, but also creates certain risks - particularly when that research falls into the wrong hands, either deliberately or unintentionally. Clearly defined rules and regulations governing the results of such dual-use research could help keep scientific research focused on less dangerous and more beneficial results.
This exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the United States Park Police (USPP) highlights the special event planning process, from the application form to the after-action report. The men and women of the USPP protect First Amendment rights, ensure the safety and security of visitors, and provide daily law enforcement protection. From "Park Watchmen" to "Masters of Collaboration," the uniformed men and women of the USPP have a legacy worth modeling.
The federal government shutdown caused major disruptions throughout the nation. Federal employees are now back at work, but employees of U.S. public health laboratories still risk losing much more than their paychecks. Congressional budget conflicts and further public health funding reductions are likely in the near future, and those cuts may not be worth the adverse consequences that follow.
