Papers and Articles
View a selection of the latest white papers, articles, and presentations from our technology experts, scientists and subject matter experts.
Mass Prophylaxis Dispensing Concerns: Traffic and Public Access to PODs
Presented by: Dr. Sid Baccam, IEM Computational Epidemiologist
Date: 06-17-11
Policymakers have become increasingly concerned about the possibility of a terrorist attack using a biological agent on a civilian population. In response to this threat, a federally funded effort has been developed to prepare major U.S. cities and metropolitan areas to respond quickly and effectively to a large-scale bioterrorism event.
Points of Dispensing, or PODs, are used by emergency responders to dispense post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to the public following a bioterrorism event. Any failure in PEP dispensing could have serious public health consequences, which is why IEM has focused study efforts on issues related to POD access.
The project described in the paper was partially funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a larger study on PEP dispensing logistics and medical consequences.
How to Make CFATS Work for You
Presented by: Mark Scott, IEM Critical Infrastructure Manager
Date: 07-27-09
The commercial chemical industry is required by DHS regulations to develop and implement security plans based on their level of risk. These requirements – known as the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, or CFATS – call for high-risk facilities to address 18 specific performance standards which then serve as the basis for inspection and enforcement by DHS. While CFATS focuses on security, the program can help a facility prepare for all types of hazards, not just security-related concerns. And it can improve collaboration between a facility and emergency responders in the surrounding community. This paper discusses ways in which the chemical industry can leverage CFATS to enhance preparedness
The Mixing Layer Terrain Wind Adjustment Model (MILTWAM) for Airflow over Complex Terrain
Presented by: Steven A. Stage, Innovative Emergency Management, Inc., Baton Rouge, LA; and Z. Wu, N. Mainkar, J. Weltman, and M. Myirski
This paper presents the Mixing Layer Terrain Wind Adjustment Model (MILTWAM) for airflow over complex terrain. MILTWAM is a diagnostic, mass-consistent, wind-field model based on NUATMOS (Ross, 1988). It is specifically designed for use in the D2-Puff dispersion model developed by Innovative Emergency Management Inc. and it produces realistic estimates of winds, even when only a few wind observations are available. This model is also fast enough for use in an emergency response dispersion model that runs on a personal computer (PC). Key features of the MILTWAM model are:
- The height of the top of the mixing layer is explicitly included in the model and imposes a non-porous upper lid on the flow. This upper lid is a major influence in determining the flow over the terrain.
- A three-dimensional model with terrain-following coordinates is used when the top of the mixing layer is above the highest terrain; a vertically-averaged two-dimensional model is used when the mixing layer is below the highest terrain.
- The winds output by the model are designed to agree with the observed winds at the observation points.
Model results are shown for simple geometric terrain and for real terrain.
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