Hazardous Materials Identification System: A Case Study

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2008, developed the initiative “Run, Hide, Fight” as a response strategy to an active shooter event. In the event of an active shooter they suggest run or evacuate first, if evacuation is not possible, hide and barricade doors, and as a last resort, fight back if your life is in imminent danger (DHS, 2008). All public places are vulnerable to active shooter attacks, but hospitals differ due to the vulnerability of its patients. Evacuation may not a possibility for all patients, as some may be non-ambulatory due medical conditions, or incapacitated due to anesthesia or sedation (e.g. surgical patients, ventilator dependent). Another factor increasing patient vulnerability is the patient’s ability to understand commands (e.g. Dementia, language barriers). In order to establish effective preparedness strategies, they should be tailored to the hospital environment and specific units (Cormier, 2016; Jacobs et al., 2017).

1. Define and give examples of what terrorism is and the associated risks involved for emergency responders.

Local protective measure planning equips first responders with the knowledge needed to organize efficient response results in the event of an emergency. Structured open dialogue between local emergency jurisdictions enables responders to delegate the appropriate individuals and equipment resources to the impacted local areas requiring the most aid following a terror event. By establishing a streamlined communication framework, local emergency responders can collaborate their efforts and resources to promote collective well-being. When a local emergency plan specifies what responders and resources belong where and at what time, response overlap and shortages can be avoided. Unionized response action established prior to a terrorist incident, serves to mitigate the risks, hazards and threat of injury or harm the people and property of the US face when a terrorism event occurs. Furthermore, a structured local emergency operations plan for a hazardous materials incident involving a terrorist is imperative to public health and safety, as the blueprint outlines protective measures the public can follow to minimize their exposure to dangerous substances. The people of a community affected by a terror event can be warned and notified of the event’s associated dangerous materials, which threaten their well-being, through a variety of methods such as warning sirens or horns, emergency alert systems, automated

The terrorist attacks on September 11 changed America forever. The attacks led to President Bush creating the Department of Homeland Security which tried to centralize the federal response to all terrorist threats. However, local police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians will still be the first to arrive at the scene of an attack. These first responders face a unique and increasingly dangerous task when reacting to a terrorist attack on US soil.

8). Therefore, although the attacks of 9/11 generated alterations in our national defense strategies, it additionally adjusted law enforcement policies immensely (Brooks, B. E., 2010, p. 113). It is now more common to have squads of police officers, such as SWAT teams, with specialized training in preventing future terrorist attacks. With exceptions to some officers at the local level, many of these specially trained teams are made up of state and national law enforcement. There are several local law enforcement agencies throughout America that do participate in anti-terrorism training, but on a larger scale many of these local departments lack the necessary training needed to prevent such threats. Therefore, local police departments, who lack special training, depend on the departments that are qualified to aid them. Likewise, the training these lower level law enforcement officers obtain varies greatly than that of state and national law enforcement. Despite the quantity of officers in local law enforcement departments, it is essential that each individual officer undergoes the preparations that are essential to be well equipped for reacting to a threat of terrorism. These preparations are crucial in that local law enforcement officers are often the first responders to these attacks, therefore they should be familiar

First responders have significant roles. Their roles vary from the saving of lives to the protection of property. Some of those who would be considered first responders would be EMTs, law enforcement, firefighters, FEMA, and some units in the National Guard. While the first four are obvious in what some of their roles are, the National Guard is a multi-disciplinary first responder. One great example is the Army National Guard Civil Support Team.

The attacks were more localized than most catastrophic disasters, did not overwhelm emergency shelters or food distribution centers, and did not destroy the city infrastructure in either New York or Washington.. However, the 9/11 experience highlights one critical concept. One cannot ignore the importance of maintaining highly trained local emergency responders as well as properly staffed and equipped local emergency response agencies; local first responders are on scene first, handle the vast majority of rescue operations, and cannot be practically replaced by federal responders, especially when disasters strikes without

International terrorism has greatly impacted the role of first responders throughout the U.S., not only in terms of large scale events like the attacks on 9/11, but the role of the first responder has needed to adapt to the widely varying methods of attacks that have been employed. First responders may face threats from biological, chemical, and radiological weapons of mass destruction. First responder heroes of 9/11 are still dealing with injuries, illness, and even still dying from the effects of that terrorist attack. (ODMP, 2017). First

Not one entity should or can claim sole accountability for the multifaceted range of challenges related with disasters and emergencies like active shooters. Public health nurses team up with other experts, such as laboratory workers environmentalists, physicians, epidemiologists and social workers during times of emergency. In the scenario of an active shooter the public health nurse, is to work together with other emergency workers to improve the emergency response, which include but is not limited to, officers, Federal agents, hospital security and ambulance workers. According to the Department of Homeland Security, every public health nurse should be able to locate and be familiar with the contents of the emergency response plan before an emergency occurs (US Department of Homeland Security, 2006). Chain of command is also important during the times of crisis. “Each public health nurse needs to be familiar with and be able to describe the lines of authority and communication in emergency response, a command chain that is based on the Incident Command System” (OSHA, 2001) Even though public health nurses can work in many competences, they are more likely to be functioning in the role of the “operations section” because they bring

Medical, trauma, and emergency knowledge was needed in assessing victims of the attacks, in deciding who needed or did not need medical care and in which order was most beneficial to the time and for the greatest use of supplies available. The days, weeks, months, and years required to recover from these incidents not just in the hot zone, but medically and mentally have set forth implementation of how we focus our efforts before, during, and after hazards strike. The affects of September eleventh, have taught us as first responders and government officials valuable information on disaster response and recovery efforts.

Past strategies of officer or rescue arrival, establishment of incident command(s), operational planning, and specialty unit deployment (such as SWAT or SRT) simply do not work for the active school shooter critical incident. Time is of the essence, and first responders have to act nearly instantaneously. Progressive agencies have noted the importance of creating policies and procedures that specify the action that first responders will take in the event of an active threat, and for the most part, they are training accordingly on methods which use small teams, or even pairs. In the instance of an active shooter, the school will be locked down upon public safety personnel’s arrival. For the first arriving units, police and rescue personnel have to mesh together and address the threat while keeping open communication with additional responding units. When possible, a fire-rescue medic may be placed with two or more law enforcement officers to assist in rescue and treatment efforts, in addition to serving as an additional observer (Morris, 2014). Rapid entry and quick advancement toward the active threat is absolutely paramount for victims’ survival, and in most circumstances, this will be the responsibility of the first few arriving personnel. These

The unprecedented and horrific experience of these events profoundly changed the way Americans live their lives and their Government manages their society and protects their country. This event was the turning point, which triggered major U.S. initiatives regarding how to prevent, respond, and recover from incidents of national crisis, including acts of terror, as well as natural and man-made disasters. The purpose of this essay is to provide an overview of the Department of Homeland Security and its emergency management strategies for preventing, mitigating, responding, and recovering from threats and hazards.

The National Response Framework is a guide designed to assist local, State, and Federal governments in developing functional capabilities and identifying resources based on hazard identification and risk assessment. It outlines the operating structure and identifies key roles and responsibilities. It established a framework to identify capabilities based on resources and the current situation no matter the size or scale. It integrates organizational structures and standardizes how the Nation at all levels plans to react to incidents. The suspected terrorist attack will have health, economic, social, environment and political long-term effects for my community. This is why it is essential that local government’s

In the article “Know the Smells and Warning Bells of WMD”, the author, John Linstrom’s principal point is that the fire departments should better prepare to respond to incidents involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Historically, explosive or WMD incidents were handled by law enforcement, while fire assumed a support role, but with increased terroristic occurrences, firefighters have been finding themselves in situations where they have been first on scene. Mr. Linstrom stresses that firefighters need to be mindful of the threat of explosives and WMD’s when responding to incidents (Linstrom, 2004). Firefighters need to familiarize themselves with terrorist tactics and beware of potential high-risk

“We, the Nations’ First Responders, professional and volunteer alike, are the nation’s first line of defense” (National First Responders Organization (NFRO), Mission Statement)