Mass shootings in schools, houses of worship and retail/commercial/entertainment spaces tend to receive the most media attention. However, this may lead to a skewed perception of of what might be more correctly termed as “mass killing events.” Culling the data can be challenging, as can be getting up-to-the-minute data. Fortunately, a database maintained by a partnership with The Associated Press, Northeastern University and USA TODAY does much of the data collection and analysis. The Mass...
Sadly, the US is experiencing a wave of gun violence. Whether the result of an uptick in shootings in big cities, or high-profile shootings such as those recently in the New York City subway system, Buffalo, NY or Uvalde, TX, all have common denominators: needless loss of life and suffering. This begs the questions: Could steps have been taken to mitigate the loss of life? If so, what are they? Is public access bleeding control...
ASIS International, the premier global community of security practitioners, published Public Access Bleeding Control and the Standard of Care: A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats on March 17, 2022 as an online exclusive to Security Management magazine. The article, co-authored by our team members, examines at the impact the widespread availability of public access bleeding control equipment and the related training could have on negligence actions. The article can be accessed here. More about ASIS...
Excelsior Advisory Associates is proud to be part of the STOP THE BLEED® Ambassador Program. Ambassadors engage their communities to learn about how anyone can be prepared to save a life by becoming trained and equipped to respond to a serious bleed. STOP THE BLEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency.
On August 27th, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released an unclassified summary of the results of its 90-day review of the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The DNI serves as the head of the Intelligence Community (IC), a coalition of 17 intelligence agencies and organizations. Key points of the summary are: SARS-CoV-2 probably emerged and infected humans through an initial small-scale exposure that occurred no later than November...
In the May 14th issue of Science magazine a letter signed by 18 researchers cautions that currently available evidence does not rule out a lab accident or zoonotic spillover as the origins of COVID-19. “Theories of accidental release from a lab and zoonotic spillover both remain viable.” The author’s point out that “Knowing how COVID-19 emerged is critical for informing global strategies to mitigate the risk of future outbreaks.” A copy of the letter can...
In July 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and China began laying the groundwork for studies to better understand the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Terms of Reference (TORs) were agreed upon that defined a phased approach, the scope of studies, the main guiding principles and expected deliverables. The TORs envisaged an initial Phase 1. A joint team of international experts comprised 17 Chinese and 17 experts from other countries was assembled. Following initial online meetings, a...
The U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, Global Trade and Investigations division recently announced that it has seized over 11 million counterfeit N95 respirators as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. The seizures were part of Operation Stolen Promise which targets COVID-19 related fraud. A description of that initiative can be found here: https://www.ice.gov/topics/operation-stolen-promise. N95 respirators offer the highest level of protection against infection and as such are in demand. The counterfeit respirators...
ASTM International (ASTM), an international standards organization that promulgates consensus-based standards in a broad variety of areas, recently published and released F3502−21 Standard Specification for Barrier Face Coverings. ASTM undertook development of F3502−21 in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first ASTM standard to address masks that are classified as non-medical. As a public service, ASTM is providing access to the standard at no cost. F3502−21, as well as the complete library...
As a result of the findings of a study recently released in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control (the “CDC”) has updated its guidance concerning the most effective masking techniques to afford protection against COVID-19 transmission. A copy of the study dated February 10, 2021 Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks to Improve Performance and Reduce SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Exposure, 2021 can be downloaded here: https://excelsioradvisory.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/mm7007e1-H.pdf. Specifically, the CDC...
