Officials at the local, state, and federal levels are actively addressing this problem, and efforts are well underway to identify effective counter measures to reduce the destructive impact of such a threat. For their part, researchers at Sandia National Laboratories in California are developing a sophisticated tool meant to assist government officials and others involved in emergency response. The program, initially designed for public health officials, was produced by Sandia/CA's Weapons of Mass Destruction Decision Analysis Center (WMD-DAC). Researchers are working on enhancements that will expand the program to other key entities.
"If an event like this were to occur, decision-makers would have to act quickly and efficiently, but without the luxury of having all of the information at their fingertips immediately," said Howard Hirano, a manager in Sandia/CA's Exploratory Systems Department. "What we're doing is creating the situation ahead of time so that - by playing through various scenarios - the involved decision-makers can examine various protection and reaction schemes and figure out what works best under different conditions."
Hirano said the program will help answer some of the more pressing questions facing decision-makers, from city officials all the way up to the White House.
"How much of an emphasis should we place on building up stockpiles of anthrax prophylaxis? What portion of our investment should go into developing a stronger information network between
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Contact: Mike Janes
mejanes@sandia.gov
925-294-2447
DOE/Sandia National Laboratories
21-Aug-2002