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active shooter
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an individual (or individuals) who is killing or attempting to kill people with a firearm within an area
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biological contamination
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occurs when infectious agents come into contact with a body surface, inanimate objects, or food or water supplies
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biological decontamination
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mechanical, chemical, and physical methods used to reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level following biological decontamination
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biological terrorism
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the intentional release of biological agents into the atmosphere or environment to threaten a civilian population
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disaster
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any occurrence that causes destruction or human injury or loss that overwhelms the community’s available resources
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disaster management cycle
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phases before and during an event designed to promote optimal health outcomes of the people; the four phases include mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery
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disaster simulation
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key individuals who would respond to a specific emergency simulate the disaster and respond as if the situation were real
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environmental disaster
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the devastation of an area’s ecological system that destroys wildlife and poses a significant threat to humans
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flash flood
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caused by heavy or excessive rain falling over a short time span, often less than 6 hours
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human-made disaster
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directly caused by actions of people that inflict devastation and destruction of human life
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mass casualty incidents (MCIs)
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human-made or natural disasters that overwhelm the resources of local management agencies and the health care system
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mass violence
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refers to incidents of intentional criminal acts targeted at defenseless citizens with the intent to harm or kill large numbers of victims
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medical countermeasures (MCM)
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biologic products, drugs, and devices used to diagnose, prevent, protect from, or treat conditions associated with biological agents
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mitigation
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an action to prevent or reduce the cause, impact, or consequences of a disaster
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NA-TECH
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Natural Hazards Triggering Technological Accidents; human-made disaster resulting from technological accidents that are triggered by natural events
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natural disaster
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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)
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river flood
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caused when excessive rainfall or snowmelt forces a river to exceed capacity
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social disasters
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human-made disasters that occur due to warfare, genocide, civil unrest, and terrorism
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storm surge
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abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tide
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Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
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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
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tabletop exercise
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sessions where key individuals who would respond to a disaster discuss their role and response in specific emergency situations
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technological disaster
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human-made disaster resulting from technological accidents that are triggered by natural events
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triage tag
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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