The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50212

Kathleen Cunningham, PhD, Environmental Research Area, Abt Associates, 55 Wheeler St., Cambridge, MA 02138, (617) 349-2776, kathleen_cunningham@abtassoc.com and Douglas McDonald, PhD, Justice Area, Abt Associates, 55 Wheeler St., Cambridge, MA 02138.

In the wake of the events in September of 2001, cities and towns have begun to evaluate and improve upon their plans to handle terrorist activities and events, including biological, chemical, and radiological terrorism. Model programs that have been in place in some cities serve as a source of information on the organization and approaches that can be most effective in managing terrorist events. In addition, many aspects of these programs are applicable more broadly to hazardous materials emergencies and natural disasters such as earthquakes, flood, and tornados. The critical features of state of the art preparedness programs are discussed, along with various tools and information sources that can be accessed by state and local agencies to bring the relevant knowledge to their areas. Analytical frameworks to set up, implement, and evaluate the effectiveness of these programs are discussed. Aspects that are most relevant to small to medium sized cities are emphasized.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Describe aspects of a comprehensive bioterrorism response plan
• Determine how their town or city can evaluate their preparedness
• Identify appropriate federal resources for supporting the development and testing of a plan
• Locate tools for evaluating their performance on such a plan.

Keywords: Emergency, Bioterrorism

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.