...Nuclear Thoughts The United States has held a central role in the nuclear arms race since its development over sixty years ago. They were the creators, the first and only nation to ever deploy the weapon against a foreign power, effectively ending Japan’s role in WWII, and still continue to invest millions annually into their nuclear arms program. Over twenty years has passed since the end of the Cold War, and the conception of MAD, mutually assured destruction, the United States continues to fund a program whose by-product may never again be utilized, by our counrty. Nuclear arms are no longer the deterrent they once were. The list of countries that have access to this technology has grown from what was two world powers, the United States and former USSR, to include many of today’s industrialized nations and continues to grow. However, the threat of nuclear attack from one of these nations continues to diminish, and in today’s global climate the United States is more likely to sustain a nuclear attack from a terrorist or independent organization. Retaliation to this type of attack is limited, as we see from our past experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead time and resources should be spent on what happens in the worst case scenario and what can be done to minimize the damages. Today The United States currently has an insufficient capacity to respond to a nuclear accident or attack in a way that would minimize casualties. Although continually working to prevent the possibility...
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...Nuclear Thoughts The United States has held a central role in the nuclear arms race since its development over sixty years ago. They were the creators, the first and only nation to ever deploy the weapon against a foreign power, effectively ending Japan’s role in WWII, and still continue to invest millions annually into their nuclear arms program. Over twenty years has passed since the end of the Cold War, and the conception of MAD, mutually assured destruction, the United States continues to fund a program whose by-product may never again be utilized, by our counrty. Nuclear arms are no longer the deterrent they once were. The list of countries that have access to this technology has grown from what was two world powers, the United States and former USSR, to include many of today’s industrialized nations and continues to grow. However, the threat of nuclear attack from one of these nations continues to diminish, and in today’s global climate the United States is more likely to sustain a nuclear attack from a terrorist or independent organization. Retaliation to this type of attack is limited, as we see from our past experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead time and resources should be spent on what happens in the worst case scenario and what can be done to minimize the damages. Today The United States currently has an insufficient capacity to respond to a nuclear accident or attack in a way that would minimize casualties. Although continually working to prevent the possibility...
Words: 1109 - Pages: 5
...Nuclear Thoughts The United States has held a central role in the nuclear arms race since its development over sixty years ago. They were the creators, the first and only nation to ever deploy the weapon against a foreign power, effectively ending Japan’s role in WWII, and still continue to invest millions annually into their nuclear arms program. Over twenty years has passed since the end of the Cold War, and the conception of MAD, mutually assured destruction, the United States continues to fund a program whose by-product may never again be utilized, by our counrty. Nuclear arms are no longer the deterrent they once were. The list of countries that have access to this technology has grown from what was two world powers, the United States and former USSR, to include many of today’s industrialized nations and continues to grow. However, the threat of nuclear attack from one of these nations continues to diminish, and in today’s global climate the United States is more likely to sustain a nuclear attack from a terrorist or independent organization. Retaliation to this type of attack is limited, as we see from our past experience in Afghanistan and Iraq. Instead time and resources should be spent on what happens in the worst case scenario and what can be done to minimize the damages. Today The United States currently has an insufficient capacity to respond to a nuclear accident or attack in a way that would minimize casualties. Although continually working to prevent the possibility...
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...Business Risk Management Fukushima – An Analysis of Risk Management Issues Page 1 of 11 ACCT 5919 – Fukushima – An Analysis of Risk Management Issues 1.0 Executive Summary On 11th March 2011, Japan witnessed the second largest earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 with its epicentre at Tohoku. The earthquake gave rise to a Tsunami which hit the Fukushima nuclear reactor run by The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO). The disaster escalated by triggering a series of power and equipment failures, explosions, nuclear meltdowns and release of radioactive material. The disaster was regarded as a manmade disaster which could have been avoided with appropriate human response as stated by the chairman of NAIIC, Professor Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Bloomberg, 2012). TEPCO lacked a sense of responsibility to ensure safety and protection to the people effected by the disaster. The nuclear incident was caused by poor earthquake safety planning and faulty post-tsunami communication. The collusion between TEPCO and the regulators resulted in there being no separation of atomic regulation and promotion which led to nuclear power become unstoppable force immune to scrutiny. TEPCO, government and the regulators failed to develop the most basic safety requirements like assessing the probability of damage, preparing for containment of collateral damage, and developing evacuation plans. The lack of training and knowledge among TEPCO’s employees greatly reduced the efficacy of response...
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...Order Code RL31285 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web FEMA’s Mission: Policy Directives for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Updated March 13, 2002 Keith Bea Specialist, American National Government Government and Finance Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress FEMA’s Mission: Policy Directives for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Summary The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assists states and localities overwhelmed by, or at risk from, disasters. FEMA also coordinates federal emergency management activities and planning for the continuity of government should national security be threatened. Since 1979 FEMA has administered a range of authorities that enable the agency to serve as the primary source of federal technical and financial assistance for emergency management. Among the types of aid provided through FEMA programs are grants and material to help disaster victims meet pressing needs such as food and shelter, education and training programs to improve the response capabilities of nonfederal officials, and mobile communications equipment. FEMA exercises little regulatory authority, but directives that underlie the agency’s mission authorize the agency to establish standards for reconstruction of buildings after a disaster declaration is issued, for the construction of federal buildings in earthquake-prone areas, and for the operation of first responder equipment. FEMA has responded...
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...According to reports from the Department of Homeland Security, Al Qaeda leaders have issued orders to their members and radical associates to bring the war to the West by infiltrating cities and communities. Their goal is to blend in with regular society and when the time is right strike with severe blows killing as many people as possible, with the stress of seasonal threats attacks such as this could cripple the most functional cities . Local leaders have been directed to revisit there National Preparedness System plans and complete a Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA). According to the DHS National Protection Framework Guide "it is the local governments that are responsible for the public safety, security,...
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...contingency planning and preparedness, budgets, and training. I respect General Dempsey’s responsibility to prepare the armed forces to respond to a number of scenarios and contingencies. Although the chairman cannot order troops into battle, his authority stems from the bully pulpit of the nation’s most senior military official. However, I respectfully disagree with the assessment that America is in a more dangerous position today than at any other point since 1974, when General Dempsey graduated from West Point. Take nuclear weapons. As I pointed out previously, for the past sixty-two years, the U.S. intelligence community has continuously assessed the potential for nuclear terrorist attacks on the United States. Despite the expressed interest of three terrorists groups in acquiring a bomb, there is no known instance of a nonstate actor or “super-empowered” individual possessing a nuclear weapon, or the requisite fissile material to build one. Meanwhile, nine states - the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, China, Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea - have the bomb. Moreover, the threat of nuclear terrorism is markedly reduced from the early 1990s, when more than thirty thousand nuclear weapons and tons of fissile material were poorly secured at over two hundred facilities throughout the former Soviet Union. After twenty years of U.S.-funded cooperative threat reduction programs that removed, consolidated, and secured nuclear material, Harvard University...
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...Assignment 2: “National Preparedness, as a Whole Community” A look at the National Preparedness Frameworks “National Preparedness, as a Whole Community” The United States has a National Preparedness framework in which Federal State Local and Non-Governmental agencies utilize in order to safeguard the citizen Property and assets of this great nation. (Staff, FEMA, 2015)The National Preparedness framework outlines 5 key areas in which aid and support may be administered to areas affect by natural economic and man-made catastrophes. By looking at and understanding the Framework of the National Preparedness plan, one can better understand how this Nation can come together in times of great need. When to utilize this Preparedness plan and when the individual Agencies and governmental bodies may enact the measures required, even when not specifically requested. In the event of great disaster comes the will of the people to survive. It is the people who must learn from the past to mitigate for the future and prepare for the unknown. By having a National Preparedness plan and Governmental Acts, Such as the Robert T. Stafford Act. (Staff, FEMA, 2015) The Nation can prepare for events that are unavoidable. The National Preparedness plan is a Plan that enables the Community to act as a whole by utilizing a five stage system to achieve one goal. As per Presidential Policy Directive / PPD-8. (Staff, DHS, 2011) The National Preparedness plan encompasses five stages to create the...
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...Case Study N0 5 SEC – 320: Risk Loss Prevention, Emergency Planning Professor: S. W. Smith DeVry University Prepared by: MLZ Sunday, November 16, 2014 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Municipal Emergency Response to a Dirty Bomb Incident (Orlando, FL) 4 Low-level Nuclear Material Stateside and Abroad 5 Logistics of Decontamination 6 Disposal of Contaminated Property 7 Clean-Up Materials 8 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction According to the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission a “Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) commonly known as Dirty Bomb is the combination of conventional explosives for example plain dynamite mixed with some radioactive materials.” If detonation of a dirty bomb would occur in a place consider as a vacation destination such as Orlando, Florida which happens to be a dense populated tourist location, where we find many Theme Park attractions, a major international airport, and location for many manufacturing facilities and important businesses, it would create great chaos, mayhem and devastation. Reason for the major chaos and despair is because as I just explained a dirty bomb uses dynamite, and other explosives to scatter radioactive dust, smoke, and other materials in order to inflict bodily harm, destroy property, and finally cause overwhelming mayhem with a dose of radioactive contamination. Most of the danger of a dirty bomb would come from the blast of the explosion itself; this in metropolitan populated...
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...Final Paper PBHE540 The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Name American Public University System Abstract On March 11, 2011, a large earthquake and a powerful tsunami struck the eastern region of Japan, leading to a death toll of more than 15,700 people. Thousands more were injured or went missing, and widespread destruction ensued. Additionally, the Great East Japan Disaster fatally damaged the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station. It eradicated all power, severely affected communications, and caused a loss of cooling to some vital reactor cores. Significant quantities of radioactive materials were released, an isolated “no mans land” was created around the crippled reactors, and thousands of people had to be evacuated from the surrounding area. With concern of radiological emergency management, medicine development, and healthcare implementation, it is important to assess this disaster with intention of learning better methods of execution to apply in future scenarios. The purpose of this assessment is to summarize, observe, and evaluate the emergency responses implemented as a result of the disaster, specifically focusing on the chronology of healthcare implementation, and the many long-term challenges associated with this tragic event. In preparing for the challenges of tomorrow, it is critically important that adaptations are made in lieu of such tragedies, and newer, more advanced understandings of these issues are brought into fruition...
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...non-traditional ways, the IFRC must learn, adapt, innovate, and lead to ensure that we remain relevant and achieve greater impact with our humanitarian work. A disaster can be an earthquake, flood, fire, explosion, hurricane, or any event that is catastrophic to infrastructure and claims lives. Disasters affect the lives of thousands of people every year. Being prepared for a disaster can reduce fear and anxiety. Being prepared can also help to decrease the amount of losses that can occur. Individuals and families need to know what to do in the event of a disaster like a hurricane ("FEMA," “n.d”). Communities that consist of military bases face different risks related to disasters. They are at increased risk for nuclear accidents and acts of terrorism. For these reasons, disaster preparedness for the families of Hampton Roads Virginia would be necessary for the community health care nurse to provide. Epidemiological Rational for Topic The area of Hampton Road is located on the eastern coast of Virginia. Being a coastal area, Hampton Roads is vulnerable to strong storms and hurricanes. Hampton Roads is one of the top areas in the country at risk for...
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...Chapter 7: Statutory Authority Chapter Outline 1. Introduction of topics and concepts to be discussed in the chapter. a. Legal basis of modern emergency management in the United States. b. Budget authority. c. Program eligibility. d. Roles and responsibilities. 2. Case Studies a. The National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP): Legislation to Address a Particular Hazard b. The Homeland Security Act of 2002: A New Emergency Management c. The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000: A Shift to Pre-Disaster Mitigation 3. Additional Sources of Information 4. Glossary of Terms 5. Acronyms 6. Discussion Questions a. General b. NEHRP c. Homeland Security Act of 2002 d. DMA 2000 7. Suggested Out of Class Exercises Introduction No emergency management system anywhere in the world can properly function without statutory authority and consistent budget appropriations. Statutory authority defines disasters programs, determines who is eligible for these programs, provides the legal support needed to implement disaster programs and establishes the legal foundation for funding the programs and activities of the disaster agency. Without such authority, a government agency is powerless. Legal Basis of Modern Emergency Management in the United States The first recorded emergency management legislation in the United States occurred in 1803 when a Congressional Act was passed to provide financial...
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... Proposed Community Teaching A disaster is described as an event that causes great damage and loss of life. A disaster can be an earthquake, flood, fire, explosion, hurricane, or any event that is catastrophic to infrastructure and claims lives. Disasters affect the lives of thousands of people every year. Being prepared for a disaster can reduce fear and anxiety. Being prepared can also help to decrease the amount of losses that can occur. Individuals and families need to know what to do in the event of a disaster like a hurricane ("FEMA," “n.d”). Communities that consist of military bases face different risks related to disasters. They are at increased risk for nuclear accidents and acts of terrorism. For these reasons, disaster preparedness for the families of Hampton Roads Virginia would be necessary for the community health care nurse to provide. Epidemiological Rational for Topic The area of Hampton Road is located on the eastern coast of Virginia. Being a coastal area, Hampton Roads is vulnerable to strong storms and hurricanes. Hampton Roads is one of the top areas in the country at risk for storm surges resulting from a category 5 hurricane. A Category 5 hurricane could cause $39 billion worth of damage to homes and surrounding areas in Hampton Roads ("Hurricanes and Storms," “n.d”). Families would be dealing with injury, death and loss of property. Hampton Roads has huge naval, Air Force, Army...
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...Planning Before Teaching The community health nurse would first need to assess the area. Learn what areas are at the highest risk for hurricanes and what areas are closest to the many military bases. The nurse would need to become familiar with the area’s current evacuation plan and safe-zone areas. The nurse would need to learn about the warning alerts that may be used in the area and the emergency numbers or radio stations that provide updated information. The nurse would need to prepare information by using power points and pamphlets in different languages and, if applicable, age specific. Information regarding when to evacuate, where to go and what items to have ready in an emergency kit would be included in the power points and pamphlets ("Virginia Gov," 2013). The nurse would need to look into funding and possible donations that might help members of the community put together their emergency kit. Involving area businesses in the planning and possible donation of supplies could be beneficial. The nurse should involve local police, fire and hospitals in the planning. Assessing for a location for the teaching to be given would need to be done. The area for the teaching would need to be large and easily accessible to members of the community. The nurse would need to have language interpreters available during the teaching to ensure that the information is understood by all. The date and time for the teaching would need to be set as well. Setting the date and time for maximum...
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...Method of detecting Anthrax Whether its natural or man made The key to meeting the challenge is to approach it in a systematic, comprehensive way. We must fully examine the biological threats we face, address the capabilities we must continue to build in order to mitigate them, and consider the complex legal and ethical issues that will arise during a biological calamity if ever we have one. They seek to cure, vaccinate, and alleviate suffering. Yet that is only one part of what must be done during such a crisis. If there is one lesson that the 7 years since 9/11 should have taught, it is that advance planning is the only way to respond to a major threat to safety and security. threat awareness and detection, prevention and protection, and response and recovery. First, we must search for signs of laboratories across the globe that could be poised to weaponize materials. For the 91 million people who come to the United States by air, or the 411 million who arrive by land each year, we can screen for incoming nuclear or radiological devices, but it is pure fantasy to imagine medically testing all of them as well. If we had credible information about a pandemic brewing elsewhere in the world, we could redirect flights and aircraft from the affected region and screen their passengers more intensively. So screening can be of value, but not without the intelligence that lets us focus on those individuals who might pose a genuine risk. Detection depends...
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