FIRE ARCHIVES
Beachie Creek Fire – A Practitioner’s Firsthand Account
Charles (Chuck) Perino
January 4, 2023
When disaster strikes, sometimes those trained to respond find themselves and their families fleeing from the fire. Once their families are safe, they jump back in to assist wherever needed. This scenario happened to one emergency manager when the Beachie Creek wildfire engulfed surrounding Oregon communities with little warning.
Publisher’s Note: Auld Lang Syne (A Chance to Recollect and Restore)
MacGregor Stephenson
December 28, 2022
As we come to the end of a challenging year and a tumultuous period, please know that your efforts
are appreciated, and the sacrifices of you and your families have a significant and positive impact on
all of our communities. On behalf of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, its staff, and its advisory
board,
How Technology Systems Impact Critical Infrastructure
Nathan DiPillo and Paul Galyen
December 21, 2022
Operational technology systems that run many critical infrastructure functions are becoming more dependent on information technology. As these worlds converge, emergency preparedness professionals must address the related security challenges. This article shares some lessons learned and uses a foundational knowledge of the topic to inspire possible solutions.
The Importance of Strong Leadership for a Unique Discipline
David Fogerson
December 21, 2022
A transformational leadership style can help bridge relationship and communication gaps between
leaders and other community stakeholders. Learn how one young deputy fire chief learned from his past
leadership missteps and honed his meta-leadership skills, which were essential in reconnecting
communities when he became a state emergency manager.
Implementing “Stop the Bleed” for Future K-12 Educators
Will Brewer, Peggy Bergeron and Wayne Bergeron
December 14, 2022
How have recent school shootings impacted future K-12 educators and what new skills will help better prepare them for potential threats? One study at the University of North Alabama combined training and research to answer this question.
Applying Environmental Design to Prevent Active Shooters
Rodney Andreasen
December 14, 2022
Active shooter trainings can help prevent some injuries and deaths. However, additional measures
should also be taken to prevent the attack from occurring. This article describes how to apply
environmental design to thwart attackers.
“Moneyball” for the Wildland Fire System
Matthew Thompson and Erin Belval
November 24, 2022
The wildfire management community has made great strides incorporating new decision support tools into how it plans for and responds to wildfire incidents. Despite improvements in risk assessment and management at the incident scale, increasing fire activity and critical resource shortages reveal a system under strain in need of strategies
Avoiding the Complacency Trap After This Hurricane Season
Mark Misczak
November 23, 2022
Despite punishing hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Florida, the 2022 season has been relatively quiet for much of the Gulf coast and Atlantic seaboard. This article describes the resources that help communities mitigate risk now before the next hurricane season.
Workplace Strategies to Reduce Burnout and Build Resilience
Judy Kruger and Chris Paquet
November 16, 2022
A multi-year pandemic has resulted in organizations looking to reframe traditional workforce management practices to retain seasoned staff and prevent burnout. To address these issues, state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management offices can consider implementing workplace engagement strategies to address the mental and physical health concerns resulting from this
The Role of Faith in Disasters
Michael Prasad
November 9, 2022
Many faith-based organizations have disaster response and recovery components as major elements of their own missions. By partnering with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups can coordinate locally to support response and restoration efforts, as well as provide mental health and spiritual care when resources are critically needed.
Power Outages, Communication Failures & Healthcare
Daniel Rector
November 9, 2022
All disasters have a health aspect, and all disasters, exercises, responses, and recoveries are deeply dependent on technology and communications. Two large-scale disasters affecting much of the United States – Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Sandy (2012) – provide vast amounts of documentation on the significant technological challenges that arose.
Nuclear Threats Against the Homeland: Impact and Preparation
Tanya M. Scherr, Daniel Scherr and Richard Schoeberl
November 2, 2022
How the war in Ukraine will end is unclear. However, research shows that there is the potential for devastating effects on a global scale. As such, it is important for emergency planners to reassess their all-hazards plans to ensure their communities identify the threats and ensure their planning processes include
