The use of facial recognition (FR) technologies to support public safety has long been considered a potent tool for law enforcement. The capability to automatically identify persons of interest in real-time has the potential to alert police of threats before an incident occurs. Long considered a technology of science fiction, FR is finally moving into the public safety mainstream with new capabilities now being rolled out.
No organization, or government, can solve every problem. There will always be a crisis that will require an emergency response. And fundamental to the success of that response will be the public’s reaction. Emergency managers can react and can mobilize, but they will not be successful unless they do so in such a way as to ensure the public trust. This was apparent in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, which was a crisis of government.
Many people grew up hearing about disasters in far-off lands and how amateur (ham) radio operators were initially the only means of contact with the outside world. Disasters, both near and far, still occur today, and ham radio operators continue to volunteer their skills and personal radio equipment to serve the public. From a planning and operations perspective, emergency management professionals must effectively include these volunteer resources into comprehensive emergency management plans (CEMPs).
The lack of core capability guidance diminishes counties’ levels of preparedness and resilience and is a barrier to increasing these efforts for the nation as a whole. By using community associations as force multipliers, counties can leverage this valuable resource to increase resilience-building efforts beginning at the local level. This bottom-up approach builds not only physical but social resilience at all levels.
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Framework are very important and overall well-constructed documents despite some past failures related to their implementation. However, one common denominator in disaster failures or successes is the people involved and the education and training of those personnel. Although federal mandates provide requirements for an initial certification, to date, no required refresher training exists. This article analyzes reasons that the NIMS Incident Command System (ICS) annual recertification should be required to maintain NIMS compliance.
There have been 56 National Special Security Events (NSSEs) since Presidential Directive 62
designated the category in 1998, 32 of which have been hosted in Washington, D.C. The most recent NSSEs
have been the 2017 Inauguration, the 2017 President’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress, and the
2015 World Meeting of Families, which involved a visit to the District by Pope Francis. Local
jurisdictions hosting such events must evaluate and plan for both the opportunities and challenges they
may face.
All disasters may begin locally, but their effects and resource needs can span jurisdictions and
can even have national implications. This edition of the DomPrep Journal examines ways to protect
critical infrastructure and communities from widespread catastrophe.
The hurricane season and reports of disease outbreaks – domestically and abroad – serve as reminders that there are several threats that communities face at the same time. Creating resilient communities requires an understanding that communities contend with competing priorities, and must find ways to harness their existing strengths to improve their preparedness and response capabilities.
As interdependencies between and among critical infrastructure sectors and the potential for cascading effects increase, communities must be able to recover and adapt to new normals. One organization incorporates research to help enhance communication between sectors by identifying and addressing research gaps. As threats evolve, communities with a solid framework for resilience are better prepared to update plans and adapt to new normals.
Emergency managers (and others) often fail to truly engage and educate their various stakeholders.
With numerous competing priorities and a vast array of information outlets to contend with, getting a
message to resonate requires more effort than ever before. As such, emergency managers must be willing
to over-communicate and explore new ways to educate people. Much like disaster preparedness,
communication is an ongoing process that requires a sustained commitment.
The use of facial recognition (FR) technologies to support public safety has long been considered a potent tool for law enforcement. The capability to automatically identify persons of interest in real-time has the potential to alert police of threats before an incident occurs. Long considered a technology of science fiction, FR is finally moving into the public safety mainstream with new capabilities now being rolled out. 
No organization, or government, can solve every problem. There will always be a crisis that will require an emergency response. And fundamental to the success of that response will be the public’s reaction. Emergency managers can react and can mobilize, but they will not be successful unless they do so in such a way as to ensure the public trust. This was apparent in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, which was a crisis of government. 
Many people grew up hearing about disasters in far-off lands and how amateur (ham) radio operators were initially the only means of contact with the outside world. Disasters, both near and far, still occur today, and ham radio operators continue to volunteer their skills and personal radio equipment to serve the public. From a planning and operations perspective, emergency management professionals must effectively include these volunteer resources into comprehensive emergency management plans (CEMPs). 
The lack of core capability guidance diminishes counties’ levels of preparedness and resilience and is a barrier to increasing these efforts for the nation as a whole. By using community associations as force multipliers, counties can leverage this valuable resource to increase resilience-building efforts beginning at the local level. This bottom-up approach builds not only physical but social resilience at all levels. 
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Framework are very important and overall well-constructed documents despite some past failures related to their implementation. However, one common denominator in disaster failures or successes is the people involved and the education and training of those personnel. Although federal mandates provide requirements for an initial certification, to date, no required refresher training exists. This article analyzes reasons that the NIMS Incident Command System (ICS) annual recertification should be required to maintain NIMS compliance. 
There have been 56 National Special Security Events (NSSEs) since Presidential Directive 62
designated the category in 1998, 32 of which have been hosted in Washington, D.C. The most recent NSSEs
have been the 2017 Inauguration, the 2017 President’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress, and the
2015 World Meeting of Families, which involved a visit to the District by Pope Francis. Local
jurisdictions hosting such events must evaluate and plan for both the opportunities and challenges they
may face. 
All disasters may begin locally, but their effects and resource needs can span jurisdictions and
can even have national implications. This edition of the DomPrep Journal examines ways to protect
critical infrastructure and communities from widespread catastrophe. 
The hurricane season and reports of disease outbreaks – domestically and abroad – serve as reminders that there are several threats that communities face at the same time. Creating resilient communities requires an understanding that communities contend with competing priorities, and must find ways to harness their existing strengths to improve their preparedness and response capabilities. 
As interdependencies between and among critical infrastructure sectors and the potential for cascading effects increase, communities must be able to recover and adapt to new normals. One organization incorporates research to help enhance communication between sectors by identifying and addressing research gaps. As threats evolve, communities with a solid framework for resilience are better prepared to update plans and adapt to new normals. 
Emergency managers (and others) often fail to truly engage and educate their various stakeholders.
With numerous competing priorities and a vast array of information outlets to contend with, getting a
message to resonate requires more effort than ever before. As such, emergency managers must be willing
to over-communicate and explore new ways to educate people. Much like disaster preparedness,
communication is an ongoing process that requires a sustained commitment. 