COMMUNICATION & INTEROPERABILITY ARCHIVES
ICD – Shorthand for a Potentially Ubiquitous Threat
Joseph Cahill
March 3, 2010
Chemicals are a part of the everyday American’s diet. They are used – in carefully measured doses, it is hoped – in manufacturing; in the processing of food, beverages, medicines, and numerous other consumables; and in many other ways in almost every country in the world. Because of their relatively
The Principles of Infrastructure Resilience
Scott Jackson
February 17, 2010
“Resilience” used to be an after-thought in preparedness planning. Today it is not only a fundamental principle, an ultimate goal, and an essential guideline, but also the concrete foundation (literally as well as figuratively) of long-range policies, funding decisions, and effective response and recovery operations.
GPS-Equipped Vehicles and the EMS Infrastructure
Joseph Cahill
February 3, 2010
The political/budgetary decision to purchase and install GPS devices on EMS ambulances (and sometimes other vehicles) should never be based on cost alone. For three reasons: (1) They save lives. (2) They facilitate closer control and better management of the overall EMS fleet. (3) Thanks to the first two reasons,
Advance Planning: The Key to Preparedness for Special Events
Jennifer Smither
January 27, 2010
Goal: Ensure that all goes well before, during, and after a major public event. How to do so: Prepare an all-contingency plan, well in advance and involving all stakeholders involved, provide enough flexibility to cope with unexpected/unforeseeable “what if” contingencies, then practice, practice, practice.
Public Health Security for Mass Gatherings
Bruce Clements
January 20, 2010
A mass gathering has been defined by the World Health Organization as a planned or unplanned event at which the number of attendees is “sufficient to strain the planning and response resources of the community, state, or nation.” Fortunately, the strategies needed to address the public health challenge represented by
Virtual USA to Enhance Disaster Management
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
January 20, 2010
The technological journey from VIPER to Virtual Alabama to Virtual USA is long and sometimes tedious. But it is probably the best and perhaps only sure way to take today’s communications systems from the dangerous present to a future that is safer, technologically sounder, and economically more prudent.
Improving Individual Protection from CBRN Threats In a Down Economy: Challenges and Solutions for 2010
Gary Dunn
January 13, 2010
A judicious combination of grant funds and dual-purpose equipment, the building of integrated protection ensembles, and a continuing focus on new product development will be the keys to company success in the coming year, and probably well beyond, says Gary Dunn, Avon Protection Systems’ vice president of Sales and Marketing.
Emergency Planning for Special Events
Kay C. Goss
January 6, 2010
Special Events are exciting, enjoyable, and frequently historic – last year’s U.S. presidential inauguration is the prime example. For emergency managers, security personnel, and other behind-the-scene participants, though, they also are a massive responsibility fraught with hidden dangers, an unending workload, and – far too often – enjoyable only when
The Multi-Tracking Evolution for Emergency Preparedness: 2010 and Beyond
Andy Nunemaker
January 6, 2010
The increase in terrorist attacks in recent years – combined with the ability, and need, to deal both more promptly and more effectively with natural disasters – has led to a greater emphasis on new multi-tracking technologies that, EMSystems CEO Andy Nunemaker points out, give political leaders as well as
What Gets Measured, Gets Done – The Long and Winding Road of Preparedness Measurement
Timothy Beres
December 30, 2009
How does one measure preparedness, particularly in the field of homeland defense? Slowly, most of the time – and very carefully – is the correct answer. But there are other relevant questions that first must be answered. What is being measured, for example? And who, or what agency, is in
Protecting Citizens by Predicting Future Threats
Jennifer Smither
December 30, 2009
The threat is imminent, and can become a reality at almost any time. But no one knows about it
except those who plan to carry out the threat. Chicago’s new District Intelligence Bulletin System
(DIBS) is helping to even the odds by the extremely rapid dissemination, to law-enforcement agencies
throughout the entire city,
Degrees of Progress – Emergency Management: Today and Tomorrow
Kay C. Goss
December 23, 2009
Pandemics, wildfires, hurricanes, terrorist attacks, and an occasional tsunami – they are all in a day’s work (not all in the same day, though) for the highly professional emergency managers now assigned to a higher seat at the decision-makers’ table, and whose primary duty is teaching the nation not only
