Max Cleland: “I have previously brought to your attention the important capabilities of the Center for Leadership in Education and…”

“I have previously brought to your attention the important capabilities of the Center for Leadership in Education and Applied Research in Mass Destruction Defense (CLEARMADD). This Center, to be supported by a consortium of institutions including the University of Georgia, the Medical College of Georgia, and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in South Carolina, has available substantial expertise regarding the threat posed domestically from weapons of mass destruction (WMD). In recent years, concerns have increased about the potential for terrorists or foreign states to use biological, nuclear or chemical weapons to inflict mass casualties in the United States. As a nation, we are only just beginning to develop an adequate response capability for such an attack. The consequences of the use of WMD in the United States would be catastrophic, particularly in terms of the ability of our health care system to respond. While other programs have focused on research and training to assist first responders in the event of a WMD, very little has been done to develop proper curriculum and training, including advanced degrees, for medical responders including doctors, nurses, emergency room personnel, pharmacists, toxicologists, and veterinarians. The experts assembled with CLEARMADD have significant capability to provide such curriculum development and training for these so-called second responders.”