NCJ Number
189895
Date Published
May 2001
Length
68 pages
Annotation
This document presents the Bioterrorism Resource Guide, developed by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Abstract
The size of Alaska and its distance from outside resources has made it imperative that in-state capabilities be developed to allow rapid response and a degree of self-reliance. Most local communities have emergency management plans, which guide their actions during the initial stages of a disaster. Larger communities and boroughs often have more expansive plans and some have paid emergency managers to guide emergency planning and response activities. The Municipality of Anchorage has a Metropolitan Medical Response System, developed under the Domestic Preparedness program that includes the most highly trained and equipped civilian responders specializing in chemical and biological agents in the State. Alaska also has well-trained and equipped military personnel who are capable of augmenting civilian resources in certain circumstances. A Civil Support team is able to deploy to an area of operations and assess a suspected nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological event in support of a local incident commander; advise civilian responders regarding appropriate action; and facilitate requests for assistance to expedite arrival of additional State and Federal assets. The Division of Emergency Services is the agency within the State government, which has statutory responsibility for emergency planning and response. In a bioterrorist event the Sections of Laboratories and Epidemiology, within the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Public Health, will be key agencies in the detection and identification of the biological agents used. Glossary