Article Out Loud

Emergency management professionals are tasked with making their communities more resilient to future threats and disasters. However, emergency management leaders and their organizations must adjust and adapt to more than just response scenarios.

When intentional acts of violence occur, people often wonder if the incident was preventable. For example, after a mass shooting killed 19 students and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, many were questioning the predictability of the gunman’s actions and the decision-making process of the responders.

Law enforcement officers, paramedics, and other responders have received extensive training in dealing with active shooters and the wounds resulting from active shooter incidents. However, the potential force multipliers in all these attacks that are just beginning to receive attention are the potential victims at the scene.

When there is a need for sheltering animals, there are several options – each comes with advantages and disadvantages. Conditions, agency policies, experiences, resources, or timing typically drive the decision as to what type of shelter is used.

Despite the deaths of Islamic State and al-Qaida leadership, violent extremism is not gone. This article describes why, despite recent successful strikes against terrorist groups, intelligence agencies and others tasked with protecting their communities must stay vigilant.

Catastrophic earthquakes and a desire for residents to help their neighbors inspired the creation of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). Since its creation in 1986, CERT has become a nationwide program that continues to evolve.