FEMA Region III has released a podcast on the National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) to help explain how the program works toward the goal of working with and supporting communities’ long-term recovery. The podcast is a great way to learn more about the framework, roles, responsibilities and objectives.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has increased by $44.25 million the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreements for all-hazards preparedness efforts in 2016 and 2017. The funds will go to a total of 62 jurisdictions, including US states, cities, and territories.
The threat of bioterrorism, the use of biological agents to cause mass casualty, is one of the greatest and fastest-moving threats facing the world. As global leaders consider policies to control the development and deployment of new and increasingly dangerous technologies, it falls on scientists to play an immediate and significant role in nonproliferation actions.
Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases to study omadacycline against pathogenic agents causing infectious diseases of public health and biodefense importance. These studies are designed to confirm humanized dosing regimens and efficacy of omadacycline against biodefense pathogens, including plague and anthrax.
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston have developed new potential vaccines that protect animals against the bacteria that causes the deadly plague. These findings are detailed in NPJ Vaccines. The World Health Organization has categorized the bacteria responsible for plague, Yersinia pestis, as a re-emerging pathogen because of the rising number of human plague cases globally.
To help save people and better prepare the nation for the health impacts of a large-scale nuclear or radiological emergency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) will sponsor late-stage development of two tests that can determine how much radiation a person’s body has absorbed.
The delivery of essential services relies increasingly on a complex, interconnected system of critical infrastructure. Ensuring these interdependent systems continue to operate during disasters is crucial to maintaining public health and safety. The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces new investments to promote better understanding and functioning of these infrastructures in an effort to improve their resilience.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded cooperative agreements totaling $350,000 to strengthen the ability of healthcare and public health sector partners to respond to cybersecurity threats. The agreements will foster the development of a more vibrant cyber information-sharing ecosystem within the healthcare and public health sectors.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced the selection of 10 startup companies to be part of EMERGE 2016: Wearable Technology, a program designed to bring startups, accelerators, and other strategic partners together in a common research and development effort. The program is focused on wearable technology that can be modified specifically for first responders.
Meggitt Training Systems will debut a new use-of-force simulation solution at the 2016 International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) annual conference and exposition to be held in the San Diego Convention Center on October 15-18, 2016. The FATS® 100LE and entry-level FATS L7 LITE simulators offer law enforcement departments a clear choice based on their training requirements and budgets.
