With the support of an $8.5 million appropriation, biosecurity experts at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are developing a system to respond better to natural disasters, epidemics and terrorism by improving information exchange between traditional emergency operations, hospitals and the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Martha Rial, Post-Gazette UPMC President Jeffrey Romoff, left, U.S. Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Johnstown, and Dr. Tara O'Toole, director of UPMC's Center for Biosecurity, attend a news conference yesterday announcing the $8.5 million appropriation. Click photo for larger image.

Congressman John Murtha, D-Johnstown, who helped arrange the funding through the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said at a news conference yesterday that inadequate communication among agencies was apparent in the aftermath of 9/11.

The proposed Strategic Biodefense Emergency Operations and Communications System could improve the region's capacity to deal with catastrophic events, and serve as a model for the nation, Mr. Murtha said.

"These guys are not just going to do a study, they're going to get something done. Right?" he asked UPMC President Jeffrey Romoff, who promptly answered, "Yes."

Dr. Tara O'Toole, director of UPMC's Center for Biosecurity, said a drill to test the system will be conducted this fall.

The system's key components include an incident command center that will provide real-time data about the availability of hospital beds, staff, equipment and other resources.

An emergency mass notification system will make it possible to simultaneously inform emergency responders, medical personnel, civilian leaders and National Guard units that they might be needed.

A Web portal with access points for professionals and the public will be created to disseminate credible information during a disaster, and a "biodefense schoolhouse" will be developed to train responders in the latest skills and knowledge required for preparedness.

Improving communication is one task, Dr. O'Toole said. The other is to develop "what the military calls situational awareness," in which responders quickly learn when circumstances change so that they can respond effectively to them. That would prevent people from being sent to hospitals that are already full, for example.

Traditional emergency operations centers talk with police, fire and ambulance services, but only indirectly with private medical care systems, Dr. O'Toole said. The system would be unique because it connects hospitals and the military into the overall response plan.

Mr. Murtha said that if Washington, D.C., or New York City experienced a disaster, such as a terror attack, resources in Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh would likely be needed.

"We are within 500 miles of 50 percent of the population in the United States," Mr. Murtha said. He added that Pittsburgh is "way ahead" of the country in disaster preparedness.