Appendix B
ACRONYMS AND GLOSSARY
Acronyms
CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CHER-CAP
Community Hazards Emergency Response Capability Assurance Program
CSEPP
Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program
DHHS
Department of Health and Human Services
DHS
Department of Homeland Security
EMS
Emergency Medical Services
Epi-Aid
Epidemic Assistance Investigation
FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigations
FEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency
GAO
General Accounting Office
HAN
Health Alert Network
HSC
Homeland Security Council
HSAC
Homeland Security Advisory Council
HRSA
Health Resources and Services Administration
HSEEP
Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program
ICS
Incident Command System
LLIS
Lessons Learned Information Sharing (www.llis.org)
MIPT
Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
ODP
Office of Domestic Preparedness
PCC
Policy Coordination Committee (of the HSC)
REP
Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program
WMD
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Glossary
All-hazards:
generally contrasted with “agent-specific,” refers to a broad preparedness and response approach to all possible hazards to population health and safety, whether the complete range of known disasters, or specifically the complete range of public health disasters (from naturally-occurring to deliberately introduced)
Disaster:
phenomena caused by natural, technological, or deliberate causes. Term is sometimes used interchangeably with emergency, although they are not only quantitatively but also qualitatively different. A key difference is that while emergencies call upon largely local resources and response, disasters are sufficient magnitude to require external resources and personnel for response and recovery (Mothershead, 2003).
Drill:
similar to exercises, but more narrowly focused activities used for training, testing, and refining capacities, and frequently involving a specific area of preparedness within only one agency rather than more complex processes and relationships at an interagency level.
Emergency manager:
a title used for increasingly professionalized personnel in local or state government who are charged with coordinating or overseeing the jurisdiction’s multi-agency response to an emergency or disaster.
Emergency responder/first responder/traditional emergency responder:
term refers a set of disciplines and responsibilities, including, but not limited to Emergency Medical Services [EMS], fire, law enforcement, hazardous materials specialists, etc. Personnel in such agencies and the practitioners of such disciplines prepare for emergencies and disasters and are responsible for carrying out response when emergencies and disasters occur.
Emergency response:
refers to an array of activities conducted by multiple jurisdictions, agencies, and authorities in response to emergencies and disasters. For the sake of simplicity, this report uses the terms “emergency and disaster management” or “emergency and disaster preparedness and response” interchangeably to describe the field of traditional first responders.
Exercise:
describes a range of activities that involve enacting a response to a mock emergency or disaster.