FIRE ARCHIVES
Securing U.S. Food & Agriculture’s Critical Supply Chains
Joshua Dise and Nathan DiPillo
October 1, 2025
Although one of the nation’s 16 critical infrastructure sectors, the food and agriculture sector has long trailed others in resilience. With globalized supply chains and vital ties to preparedness and stability, this lag is untenable. Disruptions—from cyberattacks to disasters and trade shocks—highlight its fragility and security risks.
Hidden Assets and Ready Relationships
Judy Kruger and Paul Purcell
September 24, 2025
Every community has unique strengths and resources. Trusted community members, local leaders, and volunteers can support existing community systems to amplify response and recovery efforts. Enhanced communication through local volunteers builds trust and helps communities know how and where response and recovery efforts are being conducted.
From Finger Paint to Flamethrowers: Life Lessons Learned in Kindergarten
Christopher Hawley
September 24, 2025
In the fast-moving world of emergency response, a few seconds can mean life or death. Responders count on tough training, cutting-edge tools, and solid knowledge of science and safety. However, the roots of effective response are actually learned in kindergarten.
A Free Mental Health Resource for All Public Safety Professions
Bridgett Clark
September 17, 2025
Public safety professionals—including emergency communications specialists—face daily exposure to trauma, often without acknowledgment. However, the very systems built to safeguard the larger community frequently fail to safeguard their own. With telecommunicators as a key example, this article describes mental health care needs across the public safety community and provides a
What Volunteers Mean to Emergency Management Budgets
Keith Mumaw
September 17, 2025
Driven by a sense of humanity, volunteers are invaluable to emergency efforts. But they are essential to emergency management in more ways than one. The hours they donate and the costs they absorb by covering their own expenses positively affect the bottom line of budget-strapped emergency management departments.
The United Cajun Navy: Advancing Disaster Response With Volunteerism and Industry Partnerships
Mitchel Reed
September 10, 2025
Formed after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the United Cajun Navy unites boat owners and other volunteers to aid during floods, hurricanes, and other disasters, bridging gaps in official response and recovery. A volunteer “technical industry liaison” partners with businesses to add technical capabilities and strengthen its efforts. This model shows
Lessons From Indigenous Emergency Response in Canada
David Formentini
September 3, 2025
Emergency management in Indigenous communities carries a unique spirit, one not always captured in the structured blueprints of conventional emergency operation centers. Emergency managers should examine culturally appropriate emergency support and communication strategies to improve crisis response.
Wildfire PREsponse: Closing the Gap With Mitigation
Mark Howell
June 18, 2025
Mitigation is essential to managing wildfires. As fire seasons grow longer and more costly, responders should be PREsponders, and mitigation experts may participate in response. Coordinated efforts to prevent wildfires are a proven strategy to address the next fire season.
Physical and Mental Injuries in First Responders: Why Wait?
Pascal Rodier
May 14, 2025
First responders undergo intense physical training to ensure they are physically prepared for emergencies. Yet despite the high-stress nature of their work, mental fitness is not given the same priority. To truly support first responders, mental wellness must be fully integrated into recruit training programs and proactively addressed throughout their
A Holistic Strategy for Responders’ Well-Being
Camilo Olivieri
May 7, 2025
First responders and emergency managers face constant, high-pressure stress from trauma, long hours, and critical decisions. This often leads to chronic stress, increasing risks of heart disease, mental health issues, and substance abuse. Their ability to help others depends on prioritizing their own well-being through proactive self-care.
A Regional Approach to Public Safety Communications Planning
Charles (Charley) Bryson
April 16, 2025
Despite significant investments in public safety, critical training gaps for first responders persist. Regional planning committees, established by the FCC in the 1980s to manage public safety radio frequencies, remain key to improving interoperability. Learn about ongoing efforts—both regional and national—to close communication gaps and improve coordinated emergency response.
AI Software in 911 Dispatch Centers: An Innovative Solution
Tanya M. Scherr
April 2, 2025
Coupled with continued staffing challenges, mental health and work-life balance difficulties in emergency call centers are cause for concern. By allowing artificial intelligence (AI) to take some of the burden off from existing staff and leadership, focus can be returned to where it is most needed within each center.
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