COMMUNICATION & INTEROPERABILITY ARCHIVES
Unmanned Aircraft Systems ā On the Way to the Jetsonsā Era
Charles J. Guddemi
November 8, 2017
Debuting in 1962, āThe Jetsonsā depicted the family of the future, with people movers, tube travel, vehicles that folded up into brief cases for parking purposes, home computers, internet, microwave ovens, CT x-ray for medical purposes, cellphones, and speed limits of up to 2,500 miles per hour. Fast-forward to today,
Unmanned Aerial Systems & Emergency Management
Kay C. Goss
October 11, 2017
Long before the invention of drones, emergency managers determined the overall scope of a crisis using information from emergency personnel on the ground, and from the chain of command created through the Incident Command System. Today, drones have many capabilities that could enhance response activities and change the way disasters
National Safe Schools Week: Securing Learning Environments
Mark Williams
October 4, 2017
Studies show that childrenās learning improves when they feel both physically and emotionally safe. As āNational Safe Schools Weekā (16-20 October 2017) approaches, it is an appropriate time to discuss how to create these environments through safe schools programs in local communities across the United States.
Active Shooter Incidents: The Rescue Task Force Concept
Robert Mueck
September 20, 2017
The concept of the Rescue Task Force (RTF) came from the Arlington County (Virginia) Fire Department. Looking at active shooter events around the country, these fire department leaders created a model that enables emergency medical services (EMS) to provide emergency medical intervention faster and within the Incident Command System (ICS)
Enhancing Infrastructure Protection Through Special Events
Erin Mohres
September 20, 2017
In an atmosphere of limited resources, critical infrastructure (CI) protection can be difficult to prioritize with crime-fighting and disaster response. Understanding real-world lessons learned from local agencies is one way to make progress. Leveraging the urgency demanded by special events can be a particularly productive path forward. This article offers
Helping School Districts Move Forward After Tragedy
Guy Grace
September 13, 2017
In fall 2013, the Littleton Public Schools District (Colorado), with great support from the community, passed an $80 million bond election for capital improvements within the school district. Immediately following the bond election, the Littleton Public Schools Security Department personnel began planning to implement their portion of the bond funds,
Rethinking Disaster Evacuation
Daniel M. Gerstein and Andrew Lauland
September 11, 2017
No two disasters are the same. Yet it is not unusual for officials to be confronted with a common critical public safety decision: whether to evacuate the public or advise them to shelter in place. This crucial decision, which is normally time sensitive, can set the tone for the remainder
Mass Fatalities ā More Than Just a Number
Ron Vidal and Catherine L. Feinman
August 30, 2017
A chemical spill, nuclear attack, biological agent, pandemic, hurricane, and numerous other threats and hazards have the potential to kill enough people to overwhelm any particular jurisdiction. Whether that number is 10 or 10,000 or more, the āunthinkableā can happen anywhere. On 16 June 2017, DomPrep hosted a panel discussion
Plugging the Experience Drain in Hazmat Response
Christopher Wrenn
August 24, 2017
As a metaphor for picturing the maintenance of preparedness, imagine a number of 5-gallon buckets, where each one represents some aspect of readiness ā detection, personal protective equipment (PPE), communications, training, etc. Each bucket is filled with water andeally each would stay filled representing a steady state of preparedness.
Responding to Unique Operating Environments
Seth Komansky
August 23, 2017
Effective trainings are ones where the participants remember and later implement what they learned into their daily operations. Not everyone knows how they would respond in a true emergency. However, some trainings provide a more realistic glimpse into disaster scenarios than others. This first-hand account describes what it was like
Mass Fatality Incidents & Challenges for First Responders
Daryl D. Sensenig
August 23, 2017
Mass fatality incidents present many challenges. To effectively plan for such events, certain key factors must be taken into consideration: common causes and challenges, as well as resources available. By communicating with the local medical examiner/coroner, being familiar with mass fatality plans, and learning about any pertinent capabilities and limitations,
Wearable Sensors for Chemical & Biological Detection
Richard Ozanich
August 9, 2017
One of the strengths of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is the ability to conduct comprehensive technology foraging and objective assessments of various technology areas. This article highlights leading research by others in the area of chemical and biological (chem/bio) detection that could be further developed into robust, highly
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