Recent US Government initiatives have recognized the threat of WMD's and have appropriated funds for initial planning and response programs. To date, these response programs are well founded and provide an important foundation for defense but they are incomplete. ACEP believes that prior to further program development and implementation at the federal level, there needs to be a reconsideration and modification to our current approach to domestic planning and preparation. Today, however, we believe this approach is no longer adequate for some chemical agents and nearly all biological agents. Decontamination may not be indicated in many chemical incidents as it was once thought to be.
Decontamination is time and labor intensive and requires tremendous resources.
It is impractical to decontaminate every individual involved. There are four critical links to an effective response missing from our current approach. First, we must consider all potential weapons, their specific characteristics, and a different approach to detection, identification, and defensive and protective measures. Second, sophisticated surveillance systems must be established and integrated with our public health infrastructure and our nation's emergency departments. The development of modern technology supporting epidemiological warning networks, at the local, regional, and national level can provide real-time, valid information critical to early detection and identification.