FIRE ARCHIVES
The Need for Community Public Safety UAS Programs
Charles L. Werner
June 20, 2018
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) offer great value for public safety, with support and guidance needed at the local, state, and national levels when considering such systems. UAS offer a profound new view and situational awareness of significant incidents, events, and disasters. This article describes the value of UAS and provides
Averting Disaster – A Multi-Tier Approach
Catherine L. Feinman
May 30, 2018
Disasters can take many forms – naturally occurring like a volcanic eruption or solar flare, human-caused like a terrorist attack or radioactive material release, or technological like a cyberattack or data breech. Although a specific threat or hazard may be unavoidable, whether it eventually becomes a “disaster” is not a
A Race Against Time: Canine/Handler Teams Prep for Disaster
Omar Bourne
May 23, 2018
New York City has various disaster preparedness teams that are specially equipped to manage many types of threats. One such team involves canines trained to perform search and rescue tasks. Canines have helped save lives at critical times following disasters such as 9/11, when finding survivors among rubble and debris
Detecting & Preventing Nuclear/Radioactive Materials
Ian Pleet
May 16, 2018
This case study from a 2015 deployment to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Combined Arms Training Center (CATC) Camp in Fuji, Japan, demonstrates effective ways to detect and prevent unwanted nuclear and radioactive materials from being brought aboard an overseas USMC installation. The author was deployed as the emergency manager
Cascading Consequences: Electrical Grid Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability
George H. Baker and Stephen Volandt
May 9, 2018
If there were a prolonged nationwide, multi-week or multi-month power failure, neither the federal government nor any state, local, tribal, or territorial government – acting alone or in concert – would be able to execute an effective response. This bleak outlook results from understanding that so many critical infrastructures depend
White Paper: Orthogonal Detection Can Help Save Firefighters Lives in the Overhaul Stage ofOperations
Domestic Preparedness
May 9, 2018
Building materials, furnishings, paints, plastics, and electronics found in today’s buildings have the potential to burn or decompose into acutely and chronically acting toxic gases and vapors. Studies have validated that toxic gases and vapors are not just present during suppression activities but also during the overhaul and investigation stages.
Turning Five Crisis Leader Pitfalls Into Opportunities
Domestic Preparedness
May 2, 2018
Crises are among the most daunting challenges for leaders. The very nature of true crises – complex, high-consequence events that threaten physical, emotional, economic, and/or reputational health – test a leader’s ability to discern what is happening and what is to be done. The word “crisis” derives from the Greek
In Search of Infrastructure-Proof Emergency Alerts
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
April 18, 2018
The increased reliance on emergency text alerts to receive warnings of natural or manmade disasters is a capability that most people have come to expect. Listening to broadcast radio warnings of severe weather happening miles away has transformed into more precise, geo-located alerts that target specific locations. The benefits of
Five Steps Toward Enhancing Climate Resilience
Emily Wasley
April 4, 2018
People, communities, businesses, and governments around the world are already experiencing the devastating human, economic, and environmental consequences of a changing climate. Many have been impacted by “acute climate shocks” such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and severe winter storms – resulting in the loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
The Key to Saving Lives in CBRNE Events
Bobby Baker Jr.
March 28, 2018
In January 2018, in New York City, a group of professionals – representing entities including the Department of Homeland Security, private contractors, hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (hazmat/WMD), law enforcement officers, and intelligence experts – gathered to discuss the emerging threats to U.S. passenger rail service. Not only are these
Emerging Threats to Rail Infrastructure: Part II, Passenger
Catherine L. Feinman
March 28, 2018
With millions of passengers travelling each day by rail and subway in the United States alone, the passenger rail industry and the communities they serve are faced with difficult safety and security challenges – from equipment failures to terrorist attacks. A whole community approach is needed to address these
Roles in Disaster – Completing the Chain
Catherine L. Feinman
March 28, 2018
A passenger train derails in an urban community. Whether caused by intentional or unintentional factors, this incident would have consequences that go well beyond the rail company and the passengers traveling in these fated rail cars. Surrounding companies and communities would be affected, hazardous materials may be a threat, critical
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