Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program focus groups: A manual

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5646641

Carnes, S A; Garkovich, C A; Shriver, Jr, T E

While completing a congressionally mandated destruction of the US stockpile of unitary chemical weapons, the US Army decided that enhanced emergency planning was needed to reduce the consequences of an accidental release of agent. This decision is being implemented cooperatively by the US Department of the Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the form of the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP), with additional cooperation from other federal agencies and affected state and local governments. This manual supports that effort by providing information about a commonly used qualitative data and information gathering technique, focus group interviewing, that may be used to design public education materials and other wide enhance communication among CSEPP providers and users. The focus group technique is characterized by structured discussions on a specific topic among a carefully selected group of participants. This manual provides background information on the CSEPP and the current management plan for the CSEPP. It describes the focus group technique and how it may be applied, either by itself or in conjunction with other appropriate research techniques, by state and local government officials to investigate many of the behavioral and organizational impacts of the CSEPP. Sample questions and probes that may be useful in designing and conducting specific CSEPP focus groups are also provided. The manual also includes a list of suggested readings and other reference material that may be useful in designing focus groups. 26 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOD; Department of Defense, Washington, DC (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 5646641
• Report Number(s): ORNL/TM-11769; ON: DE91013194
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
WASTE DISPOSAL
ACCIDENTS
DECISION MAKING
EMERGENCY PLANS
EVACUATION
HEALTH HAZARDS
INFORMATION DISSEMINATION
MANAGEMENT
PLANNING
PUBLIC HEALTH
PUBLIC INFORMATION
STOCKPILES
US DOD
HAZARDS
INFORMATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WEAPONS
450100* - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Chemical Explosions & Explosives
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety
990100 - Management