Producing an Effective Bio-terrorism Preparedness Tabletop Exercise
Since the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, Americans now fear that other terrorist attacks are possible. Along with this evident fear, many Americans now understand the need for preparation. The bombing of the WTC is just one example of a terrorist attack, which can come in many forms (i.e. chemical or biological terrorism). Tabletop exercises are a means of preparing agencies, facilities and individuals for a bio-terrorist attack. More importantly they can be used in an effort to prepare a rural community for both natural and unnatural occurrences because they are both cost-efficient and effective. With this training and knowledge, a rural community will be better able to balance their "many hats" and "soften the blow" of an attack. It is crucial that the tabletop exercise that is implemented in each county is correct, concise, and modified (if necessary). Quantitative research is the methodology used to help ensure the effectiveness of this bio-terrorism preparedness tabletop exercise. The mode of measurement, within the experimental quantitative research, is evaluation surveys, which are handed out at the end of each study. The data from the surveys are analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Sciences (SPSS) and then evaluated. This study will address a tabletop exercise that is currently being implemented in a pilot study in Illinois and track its changes.
School:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department:
Community Health
Research Advisor:
Dr. Stephen Notaro and Dr. Susan Farner
Department of Research Advisor:
Community Health
Year of Publication:
2004