Journal of Bioterrorism & Biodefense
Open Access

Abstract

Our best protection against any biodefense threat is not a military strategy or a government policy; our security depends on the skills of the average citizen. Empowering individuals to combat threats to themselves and their loved ones fortifies any nation?s ability to defend itself. Civilians trained in the multiple dimensions of health will be physically capable, mentally equipped, and emotionally tough. A curriculum that teaches the average person to survive natural and man-made disasters must include a physical training program that builds strength, endurance, and flexibility, as well as hand-to-hand combat. But it must do more than condition the body. Survival depends on developing a cognitive understanding of one?s environment: its dangers and its available assets. Perhaps most crucial to personal survival is one?s ability to control emotions. Emotional skills allow individuals to overcome fear, build confidence, relate positively to one another, handle conflict, and solve problems. These skills do not come naturally and are not reliably taught at home or learned in school, but human survival depends on them. This session will outline practical methods for fostering physical, mental, and emotional survival skills among the general population

Biography

Jamie L. Johnson, Ph.D., CHES is a Professor in the Department of Health Sciences. He earned a Doctorate of Philosophy from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, in August 2002. Dr. Johnson has presented at state and national conferences and published articles in peer-reviewed journals on health, safety, public health preparedness, homeland security, and education. Most notably, he collaborated on a series of articles outlining plans for a Homeland Security Intelligence Academy (HSIA). The HSIA would equip students with homeland security and intelligence related practical and tactical skills, and would bolster students' leadership abilities. With the Center for Applications of Information Technologies (CAIT), Dr. Johnson has developed computer simulations that incorporate animination technology with divergent outcomes. These simulations, accessible through the Illinois Delivery of Education Alliance (IDEA) Resource Clearinghouse website, reach school administrators and the general public with critical information about survival and evacuation. Dr. Johnson has maintained an interest in both health and personal safety since he began training in the martial arts in 1987. Along with his study of several styles of martial arts, through his personal interest in survival and the martial arts, combined with his study of health and the human body, Dr. Johnson constantly works to develop new ways of facing today's threats to public health.