The Dynamics of Human Trafficking: Before & After COVID-19 | Domestic Preparedness Photo: ©iStock.com/Professor25
Resilience

The Dynamics of Human Trafficking: Before & After COVID-19

by Michael Breslin -

These are challenging times. The immediate impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are impossible to ignore when viewed in terms of the sickness and death it has brought upon the world community. It continues to impact the global economy and social norms. The long-term impacts of this virus and subsequent mitigation efforts may not be completely understood for quite some time. What is known is the pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of daily life, from social distancing rules, interrupted supply chains, longer waits at the supermarket, school closures, cancelled milestones, record unemployment, remote learning, and telework to the closure of places of worship. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a transformative event.

 
Commentary

Whole Community – Threats & Solutions

by Catherine L. Feinman -

The concept of a whole community approach has been recommended for years. However, it has perhaps not been more important than it is today. Compounding events, or disasters within disasters, are why emergency planners stress the importance of planning for the worst but hoping for the best. Well, the time to implement these plans is now. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to be ending anytime soon. However, life must go on. “Normal” seasonal disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods will not wait for communities to replenish supplies, reallocate resources, and hire more staff. Human-caused threats may escalate as bad actors take advantage of physical and technological vulnerabilities that the pandemic exposes. The common primary, secondary, and tertiary effects of smaller threats worsen when compounded with the pandemic response.

Resilience

An All-Hazards Educational Approach to Emergency Management

by Paula D. Gordon -

The nature and scope of the emergency management field can be defined in a variety of ways. An all-hazards definition of emergency management encompasses some essential homeland security concerns. A conceptual framework then helps bring together an understanding of the challenges facing those in the emergency management and homeland security fields when an all-hazards definition of emergency management is used.

Preparedness

Active Shooter Preparedness: Beyond Run/Hide/Fight

by Chad Hyland -

Run/Hide/Fight or Avoid/Deny/Defend – no matter which mantra is taught/trained, there is one unfortunate constant between both methodologies: the shooting has begun, and there is an imminent loss of life occurring at the workplace, school, church, grocery store, or wherever the active shooters have selected their targets. Thorough understanding of these methodologies is certainly important during an active shooter event. Often, bystanders freeze in disbelief that the incident is happening to them. This is not the common fight versus flight response. There is initial shock to the system. Repetition through training and exercises will create that imbedded response in the cerebellum to create the muscle memory needed for all bystanders to react and Run/Hide/Fight or Avoid/Deny/Defend. Not to dissuade from bolstering preparedness through this training, the fact remains that lives are being threatened when the response is initiated. A true active shooter preparedness plan needs to go beyond the Run/Hide/Fight or Avoid/Deny/Defend reaction.

Updates

DHS Announces Grant Allocations for Fiscal Year 2020 Preparedness Grants

As part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ongoing efforts to support state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, the FY 2020 grant awards will continue to focus on the nation’s highest risk areas. DHS identified four critical priority areas for attention in the FY 2020 grant cycle: cybersecurity, soft targets and crowded places, intelligence and information sharing, and emerging threats.

FDA Takes Action to Help Facilitate Timely Development of Safe, Effective COVID-19 Vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took important action to help facilitate the timely development of safe and effective vaccines to prevent COVID-19 by providing guidance with recommendations for those developing COVID-19 vaccines for the ultimate purpose of licensure. The guidance provides an overview of key considerations to satisfy requirements for chemistry, manufacturing and control, nonclinical and clinical data through development and licensure, and for post-licensure safety evaluation.

FEMA Releases Guidance for Providing Mass Care During a Pandemic

The Mass Care/Emergency Assistance Pandemic Planning Considerations guide provides information on sheltering, feeding, evacuation and the federal resource request process. This guidance was developed using health and safety planning information and requirements outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FLIR Captures $23.5M in Additional Orders for Its Centaur Unmanned Ground Vehicles for US Army and Navy

FLIR Systems Inc. announced that the United States Army and Navy have ordered in total more than 160 of the company’s Centaur™ unmanned ground vehicles, plus related spares and accessories. Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams will use the FLIR Centaur to assist in disarming improvised explosive devices, unexploded ordnance, and similar hazardous tasks. Operators can quickly attach different sensors and payloads to the robot to support other functions, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) missions.

emPOWER AI: Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence to Drive Data to Frontline Emergency Responders

In an emergency response, timing is everything. To address critical needs that arise and help save lives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service (HHS)  emPOWER Program leveraged the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and mobile device applications to create emPOWER AI, a free, voice-activated tool available on Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant mobile device applications. emPOWER AI instantly puts HHS emPOWER Map data into the hands of every emergency responder in every community.