Homeland security potential assessed

by Daniel J. Fitzgibbons, Chronicle staff

early 20 months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, officials at all levels of government are still assessing the country's ability to counteract hostile groups and respond effectively to large-scale emergencies.

     Under the aegis of the new $40 billion Department of Homeland Security, efforts are underway to develop new technologies, techniques and systems to deal with a variety of situations, ranging from natural disasters to transportation accidents and nuclear, biological and chemical threats. In the years ahead, federal officials are expected to channel billions of dollars into homeland security research, development and training.

     Hoping to capitalize on that new source of research support, campus officials next week will announce the formation of a new Center for Emergency Preparedness (CEP), aimed at placing UMass Amherst at the forefront of the burgeoning homeland security field.

     The center is expected to build upon the success of current research in a number of departments, such as Computer Science, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Microbiology, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Polymer Science, Food Science and Biostatistics and Epidemiology. CEP will also draw upon the expertise in other disciplines as faculty teams develop new technologies and training initiatives, according to interim Vice Chancellor for Research Fred Byron.

     The federal government's needs, said Byron, dovetail nicely with the campus's strength in research and teaching, as illustrated by an April 4 Faculty Colloquium on Emergency Preparedness and Effective Response.

     Over the course of an afternoon, faculty panels shared their work and discussed how their research can be applied to address national priorities.

     Among those working on detection systems is professor Sal DiNardi of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, who spends a day per week on the Navy's Submarine Atmospheric Health Assessment Program in New London, Conn.

     "We're developing monitors to detect low-level chemical pollutants" on long underwater missions, he said. "This technology could be applicable to low-level chemical warfare."

     While DiNardi said his monitors only measure exposure and don't provide protection, the technology could serve as a stepping off point for improved detection methods in the future.

     DiNardi also discussed the vulnerability of building ventilation systems to contamination and methods of safeguarding air intake machinery. "This is an opportunity to train architects and builders," he said.

     Civil and Environmental Engineering professor David Reck-how addressed issues of protecting water supplies. According to Reckhow, reservoirs and water treatment plants are at relatively low risk but public water systems are still vulnerable to tampering at local points.

     Sergio Breña, also of CEE, said studies of earthquake damage to structures offer insights into protecting buildings from explosives.

     "The ultimate goal is to avoid collapse," he said, adding that standards for building on the earthquake-prone West Coast could be adapted to limit the effects of blasts in other parts of the country.

     Breña also suggested that buildings can be assessed for a number of risk factors, such as the relative importance of the structure, its economic importance and the number of occupants. Technology can then be applied to reduce vulnerability.

     Mechanical and Industrial Engineering professor Don Fisher, whose Human Performance Laboratory attracted widespread attention for its simulated drive of Boston's Big Dig, said such studies could be useful in preparing for emergency situations.

     Fisher's work, which involves Psychology faculty, factors in human decision-making - a key element in disaster planning.

     "Evacuations would bring higher stress levels," he said. "This campus has extraordinary facilities to study sign designs" that could be used on evacuation routes. Fisher said the same methods can be applied to buildings.

     "[Professor] James Smith models how to move people out of structures to study the optimal movement," Fisher said. "This is where our architectural faculty could tap in."

     Fisher said the decision-making simulations and modeling could also figure in hospital emergency room situations. "You need to have people trained to make decisions," he said, suggesting potential training roles for faculty from Management, Computer Science and Engineering.

     Richard Wait, a surgeon at Baystate Medical Center, and Brian Levine of Computer Science focused on issues of response management.

     "Emergency preparedness is a multi-layered process," said Wait. "We need to consider risk assessment, policy development, protection and mitigation, detection and response, and training."

     He said the campus is working with officials in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties to build a database of key information, such as building floorplans, radio frequencies, lists of hazardous material sites, equipment inventories and evacuation routes.

     All of these items need to be factored into preparations, said Wait. "When you're planning [drills] you'd better be realistic or it's just a game."

     Levine suggested that personal digital assistants (PDAs) might be useful at disaster sites. "Everyone arrives on the scene and no one knows what's going on for several hours," he said. "You could conduct a needs assessment with the information distributed on PDAs."

     PDAs could also be used to store information for later transfer to a central database for forensic analysis, he said.

     Chris Eliot of Computer Science and Nursing professor Joan Culley discussed training of first responders. Using distance learning technology and the campus's combined resources they said, UMass could deliver education and training to a variety of key constituencies.

     About 50 faculty are currently involved in various aspects of CEP and several white papers will be generated soon for circulation in Washington, D.C., according to Byron. Meanwhile, the campus will host a daylong program, "Technologies for Homeland Security Applications" on Wednesday, April 30 from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Campus Center.

     Potential industry partners and state officials have been invited to attend the event, which will include speakers from Microtest Labs, the Army's Natick Soldier Center, Healthcare Opportunities, Inc. and Long River Ventures.