Comment Submitted by Nell Kuhnmuench, Governmental Consultant Services, Inc.

November 8, 2009 Mr. David Adams, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Health Affairs, Mail Stop 0315, Washington, DC 20528 Docket number DHS-2009-0091 RE: Proposed Guidance for Protecting Responders’ Health During the First Week Following a Wide-Area Anthrax Attack TO: Mr. David Adams, As a resident of the State of Michigan, and an individual who has had the good fortune to be closely involved with state government for most of my career, I have had the opportunity to work on many important policy issues. One such issue is homeland security and the related matter of protecting those responsible for carrying out the homeland security function for cities and towns throughout Michigan. I am proud to say that our Governor, homeland security officials, and various first responders have been among the most proactive in the country in addressing the difficult problems surrounding bioterrorism in general, and anthrax, in specific. Here in our state Capitol of Lansing, a multitude of police, fire, national guard and other responders share the responsibility for keeping us safe from WMD-related threats. I have heard from many of these individuals regarding their desire to take advantage of the best available forms of protection and preparedness tools. The draft document you have published seems to go farther than almost anything I have seen in exploring new and creative ways to utilize various countermeasures such as vaccine. The proposed ideas, as well as the knowledge gaps identified for further exploration, seem certain to improve the overall preparedness of our state and local responders. I would encourage further multi-Department work on these initiatives and an aggressive campaign to publicize this work throughout the country’s various first responder communities. Nell Kuhnmuench