AGRICULTURE & FOOD DEFENSE ARCHIVES
Hazmat on the Rail
Glen Rudner
April 5, 2023
Since February 3, 2023, following the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the public has closely followed reports and commentary by media outlets and elected officials. This incident has become more controversial and publicized than others in recent years and has caused a public outcry for change.
Beachie Creek Fire – A Practitioner’s Firsthand Account
Chuck Perino
January 4, 2023
When disaster strikes, sometimes those trained to respond find themselves and their families fleeing from the fire. Once their families are safe, they jump back in to assist wherever needed. This scenario happened to one emergency manager when the Beachie Creek wildfire engulfed surrounding Oregon communities with little warning.
Bipartisan Commission Says Nation Unprepared for Biological Events
Asha M. George and John T. O'Brien
March 9, 2022
On 17 February 2022, Dr. Asha M. George, executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on
Biodefense, testified as an expert witness before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs at a hearing on addressing the gaps in the nation’s biodefense and level of
preparedness to respond to biological threats. In
Finding New Ways to Prepare
Catherine Feinman
January 26, 2022
One common sentiment that can hold people back from thinking outside the box is, “That’s how it’s
always been done.” Lessons learned and best practices are critical components of disaster preparedness
efforts. However, no matter how many lessons are learned and best practices are discovered, the pursuit
for new lessons
Ghosts of Viruses Past
Catherine Feinman
February 24, 2021
A decade before COVID-19 emerged as a pandemic, emergency preparedness, response, and resilience
professionals were focused on infectious diseases. The H1N1 (swine flu), H5N1 (avian flu), and SARS
(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreaks were real, and lessons needed to be learned in preparation
for something bigger. So, in April 2010,
COVID-19 Testing – What It Is & Why It is Important
Matt Scullion
October 28, 2020
In the age of COVID-19, community leaders and the public they serve are bombarded with news related to testing. However, many do not understand the value the results can provide, to whom they should be given, and the actions that are allowed and should be taken. These questions need to
Triggered Collapse, Part 6: A Nationwide Call to Action
Andrew Miller
April 22, 2020
Similar to pandemic preparedness, the U.S. government is not doing enough to prepare for failure of
municipal water systems when the electric grid goes down. Government programs do not address loss of law
and order or cessation of food production and delivery services. Elected and appointed officials often
downplay the number of deaths
Triggered Collapse, Part 5: Gaps in National Disaster Planning Scenarios
Andrew Miller
April 8, 2020
In contrast to experts’ estimates of millions of deaths, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) pandemic influenza planning scenario refers to just 87,000 casualties – not much more than a bad
seasonal flu. This version of the scenario seen in public forums has planning assumptions on virus
lethality, worker absenteeism, and maintenance
Triggered Collapse, Part 4: Cascading Consequences Beyond the Event
Andrew Miller
March 25, 2020
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security is a credible source for dealing with pandemics and
disaster response. In 2018, the Center created a realistic simulation of a moderately contagious and
moderately lethal virus, similar to the lethality of the 2002 SARS outbreak, which killed about 10
percent of those infected. Designed by
Triggered Collapse, Part 3: Lessons in Lawlessness
Andrew Miller
March 11, 2020
A pandemic, loss of the electric system, or other triggering disaster need not be that effective in
directly killing people to generate a collapse that results in millions of deaths and a weakened nation.
The “cascading effects” of an economic shut down – loss of law and order, looting and marauding,
disruption of
Triggered Collapse, Part 2: Viral Pandemics
Andrew Miller
February 5, 2020
The nation currently faces an age of bioengineered viral pandemics and collapse. Advances in
biotechnology enable nations, terrorist groups, or even lone wolves to create genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) such as a human-to-human transmissible version of avian flu or to modify a lethal virus
to facilitate a longer period of contagion and undetected
Triggered Collapse, Part 1: A Nation Unprepared
Andrew Miller
January 8, 2020
As numerous past disasters and government exercises have indicated, many people will take advantage
of overwhelmed police to loot and maraud. “Preppers” are well aware of this threat, but it may be
politically incorrect for government officials to honestly address lawlessness and risk offending
voters, so they lack preparation for the problem of
Get Instant Access
Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.
