Avoiding the Complacency Trap After This Hurricane Season | Domestic Preparedness Photo: FEMA, May 28, 2020
Commentary

Avoiding the Complacency Trap After This Hurricane Season

by Mark J. Misczak -

Despite punishing hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Florida, the 2022 season has been relatively quiet for much of the Gulf coast and Atlantic seaboard. This article describes the resources that help communities mitigate risk now before the next hurricane season.

 
Commentary

Find Chances to Make Positive Changes

by Catherine L. Feinman -

Emergency preparedness and response professionals willingly insert themselves into many emergencies and disasters that they could have avoided in other professions. However, they use these opportunities to make positive changes and build resiliency within their communities.

Preparedness

PPD-44: Implications for Domestic Incident Management

by Robert J. (Bob) Roller -

An essential national incident management guidance document is finally available to responders nationwide. This document will significantly improve a unified response to and recovery from large-scale incidents. However, additional work is needed to create an enhanced unity of effort and fully integrated response among federal, state, and local responders.

Resilience

Workplace Strategies to Reduce Burnout and Build Resilience

by Judy Kruger & Chris Paquet -

A multi-year pandemic has resulted in organizations looking to reframe traditional workforce management practices to retain seasoned staff and prevent burnout. To address these issues, state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management offices can consider implementing workplace engagement strategies to address the mental and physical health concerns resulting from this type of work and reduce sources of psychological distress.

Preparedness

Switch to Online Enables New Active Shooter Training for All

by Michael Melton -

Since the emergence of COVID-19, many trainings have had to adapt to an online presence. In one case, an active shooter training not only successfully transitioned to support the online delivery of these skills, but the developer embraced it and has now made it publicly available for everyone.

Healthcare

Power Outages, Communication Failures & Healthcare

by Daniel Rector -

After-action reviews highlight the successes and expose the failures of disaster preparedness and response efforts. Four significant events demonstrate how communities managed when power outages, communication failures, and healthcare concerns emerged in their aftermath. Unfortunately, these same issues will resurface in future disasters unless lessons are learned.

Resilience

The Role of Faith in Disasters

by Michael Prasad -

Many faith-based organizations have disaster response and recovery components as major elements of their own missions. By partnering with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups can coordinate locally to support response and restoration efforts, as well as provide mental health and spiritual care when resources are critically needed.

Updates

DHS Secretary Mayorkas Announces Inaugural Members of Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council

As part of the White House Tribal Nations Summit, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced the appointment of 15 members to the first-ever Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council. Including one of our own advisors, Lynda Zambrano, Founder, and Executive Director, National Tribal Emergency Management Council and the Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council.

CDSE CASE STUDY: Potential Risk Indicators: Active Shooter and Pathway to Violence job

CDSE’s Insider Threat Division will highlight current job aids and case studies for learning, and professional development and for use as teaching tools for your insider threat programs. This month’s feature is the Potential Risk Indicators: Active Shooter and Pathway to Violence job aid and a case study on Yu Zhou and Li Chen.

2022 D.C. Interoperability Summit After Action Report

The 2022 Interoperability Summit After Action Report and Summary is now available. The 4th annual D.C. Interoperability Summit marked the 40th anniversary of the Air Florida Flight 90 Crash and the D.C. Metro Orange Line Train Derailment, as well as the 26th anniversary of the abduction and murder of Amber Hagerman. Learn how far interoperable communications have come in the past 40 years.

We Want to Hear from You!

Interested in sharing your thoughts on ways to improve the Domestic Preparedness Journal? Willing to help by participating in a 60-minute market research interview? We’re conducting interviews by videoconference the week of December 5th and 12th and we want to hear from you!

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Releases National Security Memorandum to Strengthen the Security and Resilience of U.S. Food and Agriculture

President Joe Biden signed National Security Memorandum-16 (NSM-16) to strengthen the security and resilience of United States food and agriculture. The National Security Memorandum builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing work to ensure that American families have access to safe, affordable food, that America’s producers are able to get their goods to market, and that the American food and agricultural system is better prepared for threats that may harm the health of crops and livestock and cause shocks to the cost or availability of food.