In December 2016, the Department of Homeland Security published a new guide to assist in the protection of first responders in the event of improvised nuclear device (IND) explosion. The intent of the guide is to help ensure the immediate health and safety of first responders for the first 24-72 hours following a blast.

How would emergency management and public health officials handle a catastrophe that taxed local supplies of vaccines or medical equipment? Since 1999, the federal government has had a way to help: the Strategic National Stockpile.

The stockpile consists of warehouses that contain medicines — both those that prevent the onset of an illness and those that can treat illnesses — and medical supplies and equipment. It is not meant to be the first line of defense, but rather to supplement resources when state and local supplies run short.

NIOSH announces the Disaster Science Responder Research Program (DSRR) to develop an approach that will allow for timely and scalable responder-based research that can be implemented before, during, and after a disaster.

Firefighters often find themselves in situations where they are in danger of receiving burns because of a rapid rise in the ambient temperature to a level beyond the protective capabilities of the Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) and the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worn by the firefighters. The hazard associated with infrared radiation (IR) is particularly acute because the intensity of IR can increase to dangerous levels in seconds.