The training of first responders such as police, fire fighters, emergency technicians, & other professionals for the challenges they face. Witnesses: Robert Knouss, Dir., Office of Emergency Preparedness, Dept. of Health & Human Services; Michael Parker, Deputy Commander, Soldier & Biological Chemical Command, DoD; Curtis Straub, Dir., Office for State & Local Domestic Preparedness Support, U.S. Dept. of Justice; Darrell Higuchi, deputy fire chief, Los Angeles County, CA; & Gary McConnell, dir., Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Additional Submission for the Record: Nerve Gas Summary for GB/VX by Cliff Bourg, Anniston, AL, dated June 11, 1999.

U.S. Emergency Management in the 21st Century: From Disaster to Catastrophe explores a critical issue in American public policy: Are the current public sector emergency management systems sufficient to handle future disasters given the environmental and social changes underway? In this timely book, Claire B. Rubin and Susan L. Cutter focus on disaster recovery efforts, community resilience, and public policy issues of related to recent disasters and what they portend for the future. Beginning with the external societal forces influencing shifts in policy and practice, the next six chapters provide in-depth accounts of recent disasters— the Joplin, Tuscaloosa-Birmingham, and Moore tornadoes, Hurricanes Sandy, Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the California wildfires. The book concludes with a chapter on loss accounting and a summary chapter on what has gone right, what has gone wrong, and why the federal government may no longer be a reliable partner in emergency management. Accessible and clearly written by authorities in a wide-range of related fields with local experiences, this book offers a rich array of case studies and describes their significance in shifting emergency management policy and practice, in the United States during the past decade. Through a careful blending of contextual analysis and practical information, this book is essential reading for students, an interested public, and professionals alike.

In post 9/11 society, the need for efficient and effective emergency management is imperative at all levels of government. In the past ten years, the United States has witnessed many Incidents of National Significance, from terrorism to natural disasters. Local level resources can quickly deplete, forcing the need for cooperation and assistance from external sources. While there are numerous emergency response plans in existence, there is no universally accepted model for integrated incident response involving all levels and players. Evidence Based Research, Inc. (EBR) has been tasked with developing a conceptual model at the state and local levels, including attributes and behaviors of first responders and other local and state emergency response agencies. This model will be used to facilitate the development of a simulation that is capable of driving exercises and training in a Homeland Security environment. Additionally, the model will utilize the various existing plans to document the roles of emergency response personnel at various levels. Physical, information, cognitive, and social domains of Command and Control (C2) are represented throughout the model. Data from Determined Promise 04 (DP04) and several emergency response plans are being used to provide the initial foundation for the development of the model. Additionally, data will be collected during Ardent Sentry 05 to further refine the model. The conceptual model will serve as the foundation for a multidimensional, interactive simulation, which will be utilized to assist in the training and development of emergency responders/agencies.

Training first responders into the next century : hearing before the Subcommittee on Youth Violence of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, first session ... Fort McClellan, AL, June 11, 1999.

The tragedy that occurred in the United States on September 11, 2001 brought enhanced emergency preparedness among first responders to the forefront of public awareness. Since those events — and despite significant progress made in many of the areas previously deemed deficient — some response areas are still woefully inadequate. Cross-Training for First Responders highlights these weaknesses that, in many cases, still remain in the response community. The book presents concrete solutions that arm first responders with vital knowledge so that they are better prepared in the event of another major incident. Innovative training The author demonstrates that the best way responders can prepare for, react to, and mitigate an incident is to require them to train outside their traditional responsibilities — thereby developing an understanding of other first responder agencies’ terms, methods, and operational procedures. Despite this enhanced situational training, communication gaps can occur during cross-response and across regions. The book explains the kind of training required to prevent a lack of situational awareness by those thrust into unfamiliar territory during crisis events or mass disasters. Other topics include ways to curtail the inherent tensions that arise between voluntary and career responders, how to turn conflicts between various responding agencies into collaboration, innovative training strategies, grant opportunities to pay for training and equipment, and the rising trend of on-line training courses. Testing readiness before an incident occurs Finally, the book covers mechanisms for testing first responders’ ability to apply their new cross-training techniques, demonstrates how to plan and conduct a "tabletop" drill, and explains how to review the drill results to determine the areas in which participants are still deficient. By identifying problem areas and offering concrete solutions, this book enables first responders to harness every possible advantage so that they are prepared and ready to confront the next crisis, no matter where it may strike.