NCJ Number
198506
Editor(s)
Frederick J. Manning,
Lewis Goldfrank
Date Published
2002
Length
34 pages
Annotation
This is a summary of a report considered by its authors to be an essential tool in the analyses of the effectiveness of governmental performance and interagency collaboration in the development of emergency management teams that can offer a more informed, qualified, and integrated approach to preparedness and public health in the case of a terrorist attack with chemical, biological, or radiological agents.
Abstract
The Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides funds to major U.S. cities to help them develop plans for coping with the health and medical consequences of a terrorist attack with chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) agents. This report provides a set of measurement tools and describes a process for evaluating the extent to which communities have implemented the plans required by the MMRS program and have begun to achieve effective preparedness. This report list 23 essential capabilities that form the basis for preparedness. For each of these capabilities, the report provides a small set of indicators by which community preparedness can be judged, as well as advice on a suitable method for collecting the necessary data with which a proper conclusion can be drawn. The assessment method described integrates document inspection, a site visit by a team of expert peer reviewers, and observations at community exercises and drills.