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.
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 âcascading effectsâ of an economic shut down â loss of law and order, looting and marauding,
disruption of health, sanitation, water, and transportation systems triggered by the initial disaster â
may deliver much worse, longer lasting damage. When electric grids, nuclear reactors, and local water
stop functioning, or the police force experiences many casualties, increases in violent crime could be
far worse than the virus or other threat that caused it.
With recent urgent stories about the coronavirus, it seemed to be just a matter of time for the nation to revert to hysteria. Instead of a calm, resolute culture of preparedness, there has been a âPowerGlideâ of public sentiment. In the 1960s, many Chevrolet automobiles had a PowerGlide transmission with just two gears: low gear and high gear. Similarly, in the past eight years, society has had two collective mental gears: complacency and hysteria.
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 â it would be a first-arriving officerâs problem. Fast forward 18 years and the mass killing event at Floridaâs 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, âWhat is past is Prologue.â This simple but profound advice may easily be the emergency managerâs 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 â 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 âunrealisticâ
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.
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. 
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 âcascading effectsâ of an economic shut down â loss of law and order, looting and marauding,
disruption of health, sanitation, water, and transportation systems triggered by the initial disaster â
may deliver much worse, longer lasting damage. When electric grids, nuclear reactors, and local water
stop functioning, or the police force experiences many casualties, increases in violent crime could be
far worse than the virus or other threat that caused it. 
With recent urgent stories about the coronavirus, it seemed to be just a matter of time for the nation to revert to hysteria. Instead of a calm, resolute culture of preparedness, there has been a âPowerGlideâ of public sentiment. In the 1960s, many Chevrolet automobiles had a PowerGlide transmission with just two gears: low gear and high gear. Similarly, in the past eight years, society has had two collective mental gears: complacency and hysteria. 
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 â it would be a first-arriving officerâs problem. Fast forward 18 years and the mass killing event at Floridaâs Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shows how far the nation has come and needs to go to prevent more deaths. 
The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. has an inscription on the Northeast corner that reads, âWhat is past is Prologue.â This simple but profound advice may easily be the emergency managerâs 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 â 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. 