Summary of a Workshop on Using Information Technology to Enhance Disaster Management (CSTB)

Released 9/30/05

The aftermath of the recent hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico has dramatically heightened awareness of the role of effective communications in managing such disasters. The NRC is in the process of studying this issue for FEMA as a result of language that appeared in the E-government Act of 2002. The study is examining the use of information technology (IT) to enhance preparedness, response, and consequence management of natural and human caused disasters. As the first phase of this study, a workshop was held to provide an information base from the perspective of federal, state, and local officials. This report provides a summary of that workshop focusing on the critical and evolving role of and research directions for IT in disaster management; and on collaboration, coordination, and interoperability issues.

Sensor Systems for Biological Agent Attacks: Protecting Buildings and Military Bases (BMED)

Over the last ten years, there has been growing concern about potential biological attacks on the nation’s population and its military facilities. It is now possible to detect such attacks quickly enough to permit treatment of potential victims prior to the onset of symptoms. The capability to “detect to warn”, that is in time to take action to minimize human exposure, however, is still lacking. To help achieve such a capability, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to assess the development path for “detect to warn” sensors systems. This report presents the results of this assessment including analysis of scenarios for protecting facilities, sensor requirements, and detection technologies and systems. Findings and recommendations are provided for the most probable path to achieve a detect-to-warn capability and potential technological breakthroughs that could accelerate its attainment.

Report Summary