ABSTRACT
The events of 9/11 and the anthrax attacks that followed constituted a wake up call in the United States-across government (federal, state and local), public health, the health care industry and academia. Some 76% of Americans, two years after 9/11, are concerned about terrorism in the United States (NCDP, 2003). However, most do not believe that the U.S. health system can respond effectively to a biological, chemical or nuclear attack. The most prevalent concern of Americans (66%) is the need to account for the whereabouts and safety of family members yet less than one in four families (23%) actually have a basic emergency plan (NCDP, 2003). The integration of previously separate and often unrelated functions, services and resources are needed to address the unprecedented impact of terrorism.
