Volume 13, Issue 3

While the threat of bioterrorism carries with it strong emotions of fear and panic, the likelihood-adjusted fatality rates for a horrific bioterror event pale in comparison to that of an infectious disease like influenza. Based on this assumed risk of occurrence, the likelihood-adjusted fatality rate of a bioweapon attack is 900 deaths per year as compared to 36,000 deaths per year for influenza. The FY2016 budget for biodefense was $1.4 million in comparison to $1.2 million for pandemic influenza and emerging diseases. In addition to poor allocation of funds based on actual risk, the biodefense budget lacks government oversight, has poorly defined objectives and unnecessary redundancy. Streamlining the budget and appropriating funds with more emphasis on actual risk would allow an increase in essential areas of public health.

A collaborative decision support system has been developed to enhance situation awareness in case of complex disasters. It includes three modules: (1) UAV carrying multiple sensors; (2) Computer-based expert system (CES); (3) 2D-plume dispersion model. This research focuses on how contemporary technology, combined with commercial off-the-shelf-technology, can be used to fuse information and speed up decision-making. The system provides a context based common operational picture for first responders on scene, and incident commanders in control rooms. The research was conducted in close collaboration with different first response teams, to develop an end user oriented system. We present the design process the regulatory requirements, and the end user needs that will help future developers of such systems. We also highlight some of the areas where further research effort is required. The core system has been evaluated by local police and fire departments, and an EU review team including medical and firefighting practitioners.

The use of emergency notification systems on college and university campuses nationwide have been a focus since the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. In the aftermath, many of these institutions sought to install new emergency notification systems, or overhaul existing systems, to alert students in the event a similar incident took place on their campus. Researchers also began to focus on these systems by exploring their implementation and effectiveness; despite such advances in the literature, however, a noticeable gap persists. Specifically, much of the research focuses on the technology rather than the users themselves. Conducted at a large southwestern university, the present study sought to narrow this void by examining the perceptions and employment of the system by a key group of users – faculty and staff members – who often are considered the first line of defense in emergencies on campus. The findings not only highlight the continued need for multimodal notification systems, but also better education and training with relation to their use to increase user engagement and improve overall operations. Limitations of the study, directions for future research, and related policy implications for universities also are discussed.

Purpose: The evaluation aims to assess emergency preparedness (EP) among Native American tribes in California to inform future development of priorities and strategies for improvement. The analysis explores funding barriers and gaps in resource availability. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was designed to explore four aspects of EP: 1) perceptions of preparedness; 2) funding mechanisms; 3) resource availability; and 4) plans for future preparedness efforts. The survey was conducted online, by telephone, fax, or mail. Analysis includes National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) compliance, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approval of disaster mitigation plans. Results and Discussion: Findings represent 40% of the federally-recognized California tribes. Participants included: tribal chairpersons and administrators, emergency services managers, fire chiefs, police chiefs, and environmental directors. Results indicated low awareness of funding regulations and instructional opportunities yet high interest; high dependency on external EP response resources; and needed improvements in community involvement. Conclusion: Partnerships with local emergency preparedness and academic organizations and improved communication are recommended to bridge gaps in resources and awareness. This evaluation provides one of the first systematic assessments of EP achievements and gaps among Native American tribes in California. Future studies are needed to explore these preliminary findings.

Nuclear disasters have severe and far-reaching consequences. Emergency managers and first responders from utility owners to local, state, and federal civil authorities and the Department of Defense (DoD) must be well prepared in order to rapidly mitigate the disaster and protect the public and environment from spreading damage. Given the high risks, modeling and simulation (M&S) plays a significant role in planning and training for the spectrum of derivate scenarios. Existing reactor models are largely legacy, stove-piped designs lacking interoperability between themselves and other M&S tools for emergency preparedness system evaluation and training. Unmanned systems present a growing area of technology promising significant improvement in response and mitigation. To bridge the gap between current and future models, we propose a conceptual model (CM) for integrating live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) models with nuclear disaster and mitigation models utilizing a system-of-systems (SoS) approach. The CM offers to synergistically enhance current reactor and dispersion simulations with intervening avatar and agent simulations. The SoS approach advances life cycle stages including concept exploration, system design, engineering, training, and mission rehearsal. Component subsystems of the CM are described along with an explanation of input/output requirements. A notional implementation is described. Finally, applications to analysis and training, an evaluation of the CM based on recently proposed criteria found in the literature, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Focusing on Mexican cartels and affiliated drug trafficking organizations, this article examines how self-proclaimed cartel members use social media to further the criminal activities of their organizations. Employing an open-source, intelligence-driven methodology, the authors identified, followed, and mapped the connections between and among 75 alleged cartel members over a period of 4 months. Results indicated that cartel members actively use Facebook to plan, organize, and communicate in real-time. These findings provide tentative validation to the utility of using open-source social media platforms to study the social structure and operations of Mexican drug cartels. Implications for law enforcement, homeland security, and the intelligence enterprise are discussed.