Emergency Preparedness and Response

Selected Research, Commentary and Congressional Testimony

U.S. Households Are Coping with the Economic Downturn by Helping Each Other Financially — Jun. 5, 2009

One way that U.S. households are coping with the global economic downturn is by reaching out to each other via financial help, according to recent survey results, which also reveal that many more households are giving financial help than receiving it and that help most frequently flows from parents to children.

Full Document Population and Aging Research Area

Swine Flu: A Real Security Threat — Apr. 30, 2009

In the rush of constant news updates on swine flu, we must recognize that controlling the spread of this disease is not simply a health concern but also one of national security. And in today's globalized world, the spread of swine flu has become not just a U.S. national security threat but every country's national security threat, writes Melinda Moore.

Commentary National Security Research Area

Federal Program Has Improved Health Agencies' Preparedness for Large-Scale Bioterror or Disease Outbreaks — Mar. 24, 2009

A federal program designed to help metropolitan public health agencies prepare to deliver essential medicines to the public after a large-scale bioterror attack or natural disease outbreak has succeeded in improving the level of readiness.

Full Document News Release Research Brief RAND Center for Public Health Preparedness Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Preparing for the Psychological Consequences Following Large-Scale Emergencies — Dec. 31, 2008

New training manuals provide a curricula that can be used to train hospital and clinic staff as well as department of mental health staff on how to prepare for and respond to the psychological consequences of large-scale disasters.

Full Document Los Angeles County Web site Related Report Health and Health Care Research Area

PREPARE for Pandemic Influenza: A Toolkit to Improve Public Health Preparedness — Dec. 22, 2008

Mounting an effective emergency response to a public health threat, such as a pandemic influenza, is a common challenge of state and local public health agencies across the country. The PREPARE toolkit provides a brief tutorial on using quality improvement methods to build agency capabilities and public health emergency preparedness.

Full Document Webinar: Quality Improvement Strategies for Public Health Emergency Preparedness Health and Health Care Research Area

Obama, Congress Can Improve FEMA, Homeland Security — Dec. 21, 2008

In his campaign, President-elect Barack Obama pledged to rebuild the Gulf Coast — one of the country's most wounded, yet economically strategic, regions. To keep this laudable promise, he will need to make a sustained commitment not only to a national disaster recovery plan, but also a comprehensive economic development strategy for the Gulf Coast, writes Melissa Flournoy.

Commentary Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Better Efforts Needed to Track, Prevent Career-Ending Injuries Among Public Safety Workers — Dec. 18, 2008

Non-fatal injuries to police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other public safety workers are common, but little is done to track these incidents in order to improve prevention efforts.

Full Document News Release Public Safety Research Area

Balancing Prevention and Mitigation Approaches to an Uncertain Terrorist Threat — Dec. 12, 2008

While traditional terrorism-prevention measures seek to prevent all damage by stopping attacks completely, the author recommends also adopting measures that seek to prevent only some of the damage from attacks, but that do so predictably across the many different ways in which they might occur, drawing examples from aviation security policy.

Full Document Research Brief Occasional Paper Occasional Paper Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

The Problem of Measuring Emergency Preparedness: How Reliable Should Our Response Systems Be? — Dec. 1, 2008

Decisionmakers today largely assess emergency preparedness and homeland security "in the rear view mirror," looking at performance in actual events and responding to perceived failures. While real-world experience is important, better ways to assess preparedness prospectively will lead to better choices as to how and where to strengthen it.

Full Document Research Brief Occasional Paper Occasional Paper Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Recommended Infrastructure Standards for Mass Antibiotic Dispensing — Oct. 10, 2008

In order to ensure that the U.S. government is able to dispense antibiotics and other life-saving medical countermeasures to large populations under short timelines in the case of a large-scale public health emergency, this report recommends standards for points of dispensing that are designed to apply to widely divergent jurisdictions.

Full Document Research Brief Public Safety Research Area

National Preparedness Month: Lynn Davis on Individual Response Actions to Terrorist Attacks — Sep. 19, 2008

Individual preparedness is an important element of our nation's strategy for homeland security. Lynn E. Davis examines a scenario-driven approach that provides a rigorous way to identify actions-linked specifically to terrorist attacks-individuals can take to protect their health and safety.

View the Video Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Change Choices, Not Conversation — Aug. 24, 2008

Too often we talk only about the ongoing challenges facing education, health care, transportation and economic development across the Gulf South — Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.... We need to determine new ways to work together across state lines to focus on solutions that will benefit the entire region, writes Melissa Flournoy.

Commentary Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Displaced New Orleans Residents Survey: Where Are Hurricane Katrina Victims Now? — Jul. 16, 2008

The new Displaced New Orleans Residents Survey (DNORS) is designed to examine the current location, well-being, and plans of people who lived in the City of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005.

Long, Unpredictable Delays Found in Louisiana `The Road Home' Grants to Homeowners — May 27, 2008

Louisiana homeowners who sought federally-funded grants through “The Road Home” program for homes damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had to wait more than eight months on average to receive grants.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Concrete Closets Under Manufactured Homes Could Save Lives — Feb. 23, 2008

Tornado deaths and injuries are the predictable result of poorly conceived construction patterns that threaten to reverse the benefits that have resulted from advanced storm warning and forecasting capabilities, writes Charles Meade.

Commentary Public Safety Research Area

Live Operators Crucial for Public Health Department Disease-Reporting Hotlines — Jan. 2, 2008

Public health departments that staff disease-reporting hotlines with live operators at all times are more likely to meet federal guidelines designed to help stop the spread of infectious diseases.

News Release Abstract Health and Health Care Research Area

A Framework for Planning Cost-Effective Rail Security Against a Terrorist Attack — Dec. 11, 2007

U.S. communities depend on reliable, safe, and secure rail systems, but such systems are vulnerable to terrorist attack. A framework developed for rail security planners and policymakers can help guide cost-effective plans to secure their rail systems from attacks.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Evidence-Based Planning Will Be Critical to a Successful 2012 London Olympics — Nov. 28, 2007

Planning a successful Olympics in London in 2012 will require organizers to learn from the successes and problems of past games in the areas of transportation, infrastructure and security.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

An Economic Redevelopment Plan for New Orleans — Nov. 28, 2007

New Orleans should craft a comprehensive economic redevelopment plan that combines public- and private-sector funding with a centralized structure. Total operating costs could run between $2 million and $3 million per year.

Full Document News Release Testimony Workforce and Workplace Research Area

Victims of Terrorism Have Significant Influence on Policy and Legislation — Nov. 20, 2007

Since September 11, 2001, organized groups of families and friends have emerged to become a powerful voice in U.S. counterterrorist policy and legislation. These groups have been successful in establishing the 9/11 Commission and implementing its most important recommendations.

Full Document Terrorism and Homeland Security Research Area

Natural Disaster Research Could Help Reduce Economic Losses — Oct. 25, 2007

The nation may be able to reduce losses from disasters such as wildfires and floods if more research focused on how to protect people, buildings and infrastructure.

Full Document News Release Energy and Environment Research Area

Mental Health Risks for Residents Displaced by Wildfires — Oct. 25, 2007

Residents who have been displaced by the wildfires may experience serious mental health problems. Up to one-third of the residents displaced by the San Diego area fires in 2003 showed symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and major depression three months later.

Full Document Superseding Document

Schools Not Sustaining Mental Health Aid to Children Displaced by Hurricane Katrina — Oct. 18, 2007

Despite strong initial efforts to support the mental health needs of students displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many schools have not been able to fulfill students' mental health needs over the long term.

Full Document News Release Health and Health Care Research Area

Repair and Replacement of Affordable Housing Lags in Mississippi's Post-Katrina Recovery — Sep. 27, 2007

While construction permits have been issued for approximately 60 percent of the housing damaged by Hurricane Katrina, repair and replacement of multi-unit housing significantly lags behind repair and replacement of single-family homes in three coastal counties in Mississippi heavily damaged by the hurricane.

Full Document News Release Research Brief Research Brief Research Brief Transportation and Infrastructure Research Area

Katrina Proved We Must Do Better Job of Protecting Our Protectors — Aug. 13, 2007

Protecting our [emergency] protectors is more than just the right thing to do; it is critical to maintaining America's capability to respond to future disasters, writes Brian A. Jackson.