Last week, the MA Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders issued a letter to confirm that, consistent with Massachusetts COVID-19 Command Center guidance, EMS providers and first responders are not required to quarantine following an exposure to…
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released its Cyber Essentials, a starting point for small businesses and government agencies to understand and address cybersecurity risk as they do other risks. Developed in collaboration with small businesses and state and…
A newly identified exploit, known as BlueKeep, is being used by unauthorized actors to gain system level access to healthcare networks via unprotected medical devices. This exploit is similar to the Eternal Blue exploit used to spread the ransomware, WannaCry,…
In 2011, CDC established 15 capabilities that serve as national standards for public health preparedness planning. Since then, these capability standards have served as a vital framework for state, local, tribal, and territorial preparedness programs as they plan, operationalize, and…
"Today, the White House and four federal departments unveiled a comprehensive National Biodefense Strategy to make America safer against modern biological threats to the United States. In the 21st century, biological threats are increasingly complex and dangerous, and that demands…
FRAMINGHAM, MA – Governor Charlie Baker has proclaimed September 2018 to be Emergency Preparedness Month to highlight the importance of emergency preparedness and to encourage planning for disasters and other types of emergencies. To help individuals and families prepare during Emergency Preparedness…
When 12 residents of a Florida nursing home died in the days following Hurricane Irma, the need for better emergency preparedness came to the fore. That's one reason why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' emergency preparedness rule has…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is seeking feedback on the draft document released last Friday, August 10th, Planning Considerations: Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place. Feedback and recommendations received will help ensure the final version of the guide is an effective resource for…
Earlier this week, FEMA released Planning Considerations: Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks to aid all community partners, including all levels of government, infrastructure owners and operators, small businesses, non-profit organizations, and volunteer organizations, in planning and preparing for complex coordinated terrorist…
The unprecedented scale, scope, and impacts of the complex combination of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria tested capabilities FEMA has developed and improved since hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Following the 2017 hurricane season, FEMA conducted an after-action review of the…