The outbreak of a new strain of influenza, known as H1N1 or swine flu, has led to many questions. So today, I asked Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute, to discuss how pandemics can adversely affect our nation's first-responders, specifically firefighters, as well as the nation's homeland security operations.

Daniel Kaniewski re-joined the Homeland Security Policy Institute in August 2008 after spending three years on the White House staff, most recently as a special assistant to the president for Homeland Security and senior director for Response Policy. Prior to his White House stint, he used his experience as a firefighter and paramedic to assist policymakers as the Emergency Medical Services Advisor to the Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating members of Congress on fire and EMS issues. Kaniewski remains active with the organization, and is a member of its National Advisory Committee.