Issues with the integration of technical information in planning for and responding to nontraditional disasters

In the post-9/11 environment, it has become recognized that the response to man-made disasters (such as chemical spills, bioterrorism, and radiation dispersal) requires a much broader range of tools and technical knowledge than needed for natural disasters (i.e., hurricanes, earthquakes, or drought). This need also requires that those who develop technical information for disaster planning maintain a broader perspective of how the information will be used and what the priorities are for developing new information. In addition, the ability to communicate information within a context understandable to the "end user" has become more critical. The intent of this article is to present issues to help those who traditionally collect and interpret technical information (toxicology, risk assessment, mitigation planners, etc.) to better understand how their information is used in planning for and responding to incidents. These issues are similar to those experienced when trying to provide the users of information provided on material safety data sheets (MSDS) with an understanding of the value and limits of such information in decision making. Confounding the problem are the many sources that provide exposure limits and the limited amount of time the user has to understand the limits of the data during an emergency. While the Federal Response Plan integrates the efforts of multiple agencies, the "on-scene" responders are faced with trying to respond to contradictory strategies and applications of information. Sources of response technical information need to better communicate the limits of application/interpretation of that information in emergency situations.