COMMENTARY ARCHIVES
Storm Warnings: Communications and Utility Resilience
Omar Alkhalaf
February 2, 2011
After-action reports are valuable both in establishing precisely what went wrong, and why – particularly if used to ensure that the same mistakes are not made a second time. They are even more valuable, though, if used by other political jurisdictions as lessons learned to upgrade their own preparations and
FINAL REPORT: Medical Countermeasures for Large-Scale Biological Attacks
Robert Kadlec
January 26, 2011
Not surprisingly, and despite minor differences of opinion on other questions, career homeland-security professionals and DPJ readers agree in general that there will be another terrorist attack against the United States “within the next 10 years.” What to do about it, though – particularly to be better prepared ahead of
Should U.S. ‘Take Out’ Julian Assange
Neil C. Livingstone
January 5, 2011
If not, why not? There are good reasons, both pro and con. And is Assange the only culprit? Also, why are senior U.S. officials hiding behind reassuring comments that provide little or no comfort to U.S. allies throughout the world – and/or to the American people, either. Finally, at a
Intelligent EOC Design: Today & Tomorrow
James (Jim) Fulton
December 22, 2010
In ancient times – more specifically, the late 20th century – the emergency operations center was often whatever room at police headquarters, or in the Town Hall, happened to be vacant when the tornado struck. Today it is a well designed and properly equipped almost tailor-made space ready for use
A Breath of Fresh Air: The Best Respiratory Protection at the Most Reasonable Cost
Gary Dunn
December 15, 2010
Continuing budget constraints will make it very difficult for agencies at all levels of government – including the nation’s armed forces and homeland-security departments – to upgrade their “hardware” inventories during the coming year. For first responders, getting the most protection for the lowest acceptable cost could be a breathtaking
Healthcare Emergency Preparedness: An Improved Game Plan for 2011
Mitch Saruwatari
December 15, 2010
The names of the players, the weekly practices, and the physical skills required may be different, but the principles are the same: Teamwork, advance preparation, proper coaching, and dedication are essential to final victory – whether the battle is on the football field, at the scene of a mass-casualty incident,
Lessons Learned: Mass Casualties and Communication Gaps
Sophia Paros
December 8, 2010
Emergency communications is key to incident management – and critical, both during and following, mass-casualty incidents (MCIs). On 7 July 2005, four suicide bombers detonated bombs between 8:50 a.m. and 9:47 a.m. on three underground commuter trains and a street bus in central London. Those bombings broke down the below-ground
A Mandatory Need for Gold Standard Sampling
Rodney Hudson
December 8, 2010
The sampling of toxic gases, vapors, etc., at mass-casualty scenes can be no better than the equipment used to gather the sample, whether intended for on-scene analysis or at a fully qualified laboratory. Lives are at stake, which means strict adherence to gold-standard measurements: at the scene, in the lab,
Bringing Greater Life-Saving Capabilities to the Incident Scene
Brad Stobb
December 1, 2010
Coming soon: New and highly capable CERFPs and better- trained and -equipped WMD CSTs. The acronyms are daunting and impossible to pronounce, but they represent another quantum leap in U.S. homeland-preparedness capabilities, with special significance at the state, local, and community levels of government.
DomPrep Executive Briefing on PS-Prep
Martin D. Masiuk
November 17, 2010
The well attended 15 November DomPrep Executive Briefing on the Department of Homeland Security’s new “Private-Sector Preparedness” program not only provided a wealth of information for those participating but also raised several exceptionally relevant questions – on a broad range of closely related topics. The one virtually unanimous conclusion (no
FINAL REPORT: PS-Prep Is It Relevant?
Albert V. Romano and Dennis R. Schrader
September 30, 2010
The DP40 and DomPrep readers assessed their opinions on their understanding or interest of the PS-Prep Program. The results suggest that these communities do not yet have the understanding necessary to successfully implement the PS-Prep Program.
Pre-Disaster Recovery Planning: A New Focus on Deficiencies
Jordan Nelms
September 22, 2010
Earlier this month – more specifically, on 11 September – the United States observed the ninth anniversary of the most devastating terrorist attack in the nation’s history; the occasion was marked by considerable political and media commentary and academic discussions on the ability – but in some major areas of
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