Enhanced Consequence Management, Planning and Support System (ENCOMPASS). Enabling an effective, coordinated response

In an incident involving a chemical or biological terrorist attack, a staggering number of situations must be managed--casualties must be triaged and treated; nearby residents must be isolated from the impending hazard; a culprit may be on the loose. No single entity can provide adequate response; experts are needed from many organizations , including fire and police departments, hazardous materials units and medical facilities. How can organizations communicate and coordinate to yield an effective response? This article introduces the Enhanced Consequence Management, Planning and Support System (ENCOMPASS), a software system designed to address this issue.