April 20, 1999, was a bellwether day in American law enforcement history. An act of mass murder occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 13 people dead and 21 injured, and the old model of responding to active threat events was changed forever. The active pursuit of the killer would no longer be a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) problem to solve ā it would be a first-arriving officerās problem. Fast forward 18 years and the mass killing event at Floridaās Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shows how far the nation has come and needs to go to prevent more deaths.
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one
family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s
and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien
loads, broad conspiracies, and multiple deaths, the smuggling group was active, successful, and
notorious. This is an account of old school Florida smuggling through the long thread of one small
family. It is a bit of a history lesson and a fascinating journey back in time.
The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. has an inscription on the Northeast corner that reads, āWhat is past is Prologue.ā This simple but profound advice may easily be the emergency managerās most calming guidance. The journey starts right now.
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one
family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s
and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien
loads, broad conspiracies, and multiple deaths, the smuggling group was active, successful, and
notorious. This is an account of old school Florida smuggling through the long thread of one small
family. It is a bit of a history lesson and a fascinating journey back in time.
Although a long-term, widespread power outage may not be a top priority in community preparedness plans, many communities have considered the devastating effects of such a scenario. A long-term power outage, for the purpose of this article, is defined as one that lasts from the time regular and emergency resources are depleted to a year ā or even longer. The cause of the power outage could be any of the following: an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from any source, a cascading event after a smaller area is affected by some type of power system intrusion or attack, or any other threat or hazard that could cause a power outage.
Emerging threats of yesteryear seemed unrealistic, so allocating funds and resources to such
threats was not a priority for many agencies and organizations. Today, some of those āunrealisticā
scenarios have become almost commonplace. As a result, having a three-day kit, knowing how to stop the
bleed, and training for an active shooter event no longer seem unusual. However, communities are still
generally greatly unprepared for what is yet to come tomorrow.
Many families depend on child care providers to care for their children so parents can work and go to school. Parents often choose family child care because of the appeal of a home-like environment, smaller group sizes, and greater opportunity for flexible hours. However, they must be equipped with information and resources to better protect infants and toddlers in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Dear DomPrep Readers,On Wednesday, January 1, 2020, I published a six month review along with a publisher message. Ā I received a thought provoking reply from Mr. James Rush that I […]
On 21 October 2019, the French anti-terrorism prosecutorās office announced that the investigation into the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, France, had concluded. It took French authorities four years to complete the investigation. The attacks targeted outdoor cafes, a stadium, and a concert hall ā resulting in 130 deaths and another 352 injured. The investigation revealed that a larger jihadist cell was behind the complex coordinated terrorist attacks (CCTA), reaching across Europe but particularly Belgium, which was later also targeted by the cell. The result of the French investigation has led to the indictments of at least 20 suspects and the discovery of many lessons learned.
As numerous past disasters and government exercises have indicated, many people will take advantage
of overwhelmed police to loot and maraud. āPreppersā 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 gangs and armed marauders looting and killing in the
wake of a big disaster that overwhelms first responders.
April 20, 1999, was a bellwether day in American law enforcement history. An act of mass murder occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 13 people dead and 21 injured, and the old model of responding to active threat events was changed forever. The active pursuit of the killer would no longer be a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) problem to solve ā it would be a first-arriving officerās problem. Fast forward 18 years and the mass killing event at Floridaās Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shows how far the nation has come and needs to go to prevent more deaths. 
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one
family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s
and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien
loads, broad conspiracies, and multiple deaths, the smuggling group was active, successful, and
notorious. This is an account of old school Florida smuggling through the long thread of one small
family. It is a bit of a history lesson and a fascinating journey back in time. 
The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. has an inscription on the Northeast corner that reads, āWhat is past is Prologue.ā This simple but profound advice may easily be the emergency managerās most calming guidance. The journey starts right now. 
Although a long-term, widespread power outage may not be a top priority in community preparedness plans, many communities have considered the devastating effects of such a scenario. A long-term power outage, for the purpose of this article, is defined as one that lasts from the time regular and emergency resources are depleted to a year ā or even longer. The cause of the power outage could be any of the following: an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) from any source, a cascading event after a smaller area is affected by some type of power system intrusion or attack, or any other threat or hazard that could cause a power outage. 
Many families depend on child care providers to care for their children so parents can work and go to school. Parents often choose family child care because of the appeal of a home-like environment, smaller group sizes, and greater opportunity for flexible hours. However, they must be equipped with information and resources to better protect infants and toddlers in the event of an emergency or disaster. 
On 21 October 2019, the French anti-terrorism prosecutorās office announced that the investigation into the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, France, had concluded. It took French authorities four years to complete the investigation. The attacks targeted outdoor cafes, a stadium, and a concert hall ā resulting in 130 deaths and another 352 injured. The investigation revealed that a larger jihadist cell was behind the complex coordinated terrorist attacks (CCTA), reaching across Europe but particularly Belgium, which was later also targeted by the cell. The result of the French investigation has led to the indictments of at least 20 suspects and the discovery of many lessons learned. 
As numerous past disasters and government exercises have indicated, many people will take advantage
of overwhelmed police to loot and maraud. āPreppersā 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 gangs and armed marauders looting and killing in the
wake of a big disaster that overwhelms first responders. 