Key Terms

active shooter

an individual (or individuals) who is killing or attempting to kill people with a firearm within an area

biological contamination

occurs when infectious agents come into contact with a body surface, inanimate objects, or food or water supplies

biological decontamination

mechanical, chemical, and physical methods used to reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level following biological decontamination

biological terrorism

the intentional release of biological agents into the atmosphere or environment to threaten a civilian population

disaster

any occurrence that causes destruction or human injury or loss that overwhelms the community’s available resources

disaster management cycle

phases before and during an event designed to promote optimal health outcomes of the people; the four phases include mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery

disaster simulation

key individuals who would respond to a specific emergency simulate the disaster and respond as if the situation were real

environmental disaster

the devastation of an area’s ecological system that destroys wildlife and poses a significant threat to humans

flash flood

caused by heavy or excessive rain falling over a short time span, often less than 6 hours

human-made disaster

directly caused by actions of people that inflict devastation and destruction of human life

mass casualty incidents (MCIs)

human-made or natural disasters that overwhelm the resources of local management agencies and the health care system

mass violence

refers to incidents of intentional criminal acts targeted at defenseless citizens with the intent to harm or kill large numbers of victims

medical countermeasures (MCM)

biologic products, drugs, and devices used to diagnose, prevent, protect from, or treat conditions associated with biological agents

mitigation

an action to prevent or reduce the cause, impact, or consequences of a disaster

NA-TECH

Natural Hazards Triggering Technological Accidents; human-made disaster resulting from technological accidents that are triggered by natural events

natural disaster

disasters that arise from forces of nature, such as weather events (hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, heat waves, and droughts), geological events (mudslides, floods, landslides, and avalanches), underground events (tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions), or epidemiological events (communicable disease outbreaks or swarms)

river flood

caused when excessive rainfall or snowmelt forces a river to exceed capacity

social disasters

human-made disasters that occur due to warfare, genocide, civil unrest, and terrorism

storm surge

abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide

Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)

supplies, medicines, and devices for lifesaving care that can be used in the short-term when the immediate supply of critical medical assets is unavailable or insufficient to meet the community’s needs; part of the federal medical response infrastructure

tabletop exercise

sessions where key individuals who would respond to a disaster discuss their role and response in specific emergency situations

technological disaster

human-made disaster resulting from technological accidents that are triggered by natural events

triage tag

standardized method used to sort victims quickly, indicate the level of treatment needed using tag colors that are universally recognized and correspond to a predetermined set of physical assessment findings