may 2022

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Promoting Food Security in Disaster Relief Situations

By SCOTT MCCALLUM, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, June 19, 2013.

As baby formula shortages continue across the country, many agencies and organizations are working together to get supplies to those in need. Providing food to the hungry entails gathering donations, distributing food, and tracking every step of the process to keep the supply chain safe and secure. Revisit this 2013 article to learn how public and private partnerships have been formed to create a robust distribution system that is not only reliable but also scalable in times of disaster when relief is most urgently needed.

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Ludwig Benner: The Father of Modern HAZMAT Thinking?

By  ROB SCHNEPP, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, June 29, 2005.

In the late 1960s, far too many firefighters were dying in the line of duty when fighting fires involving hazardous materials (hazmat). One man, Ludwig Benner, realized that changes were needed, both in the way firefighters were being trained and in the decision-making process. This 2005 article provides some history behind how modern hazmat thinking evolved.

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

Updates

HHS Leaders Urge States to Maximize Efforts to Support Children’s Mental Health

Agencies across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a joint letter to states, tribes, and jurisdictions encouraging them to prioritize and maximize their efforts to strengthen children’s mental health and well-being.

Resilience

Crowd Behavior & Elaborated Social Identity Modeling

by Robert Leverone -

Law enforcement agencies are tasked with protecting life and safety as well as the civil liberties of those within their jurisdictions. Crowds present even more complex and dynamic scenarios. However, this research on crowd psychology can help law enforcement officers navigate these complexities on an operational level. Being able to gauge crowd behavior would help officers make more informed planning and response decisions and reduce the risk of civil unrest.

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Crowd Behavior & Elaborated Social Identity Modeling

by ROBERT LEVERONE, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.

Law enforcement agencies are tasked with protecting life and safety as well as the civil liberties of those within their jurisdictions. Crowds present even more complex and dynamic scenarios. However, this research on crowd psychology can help law enforcement officers navigate these complexities on an operational level. Being able to gauge crowd behavior would help officers make more informed planning and response decisions and reduce the risk of civil unrest.

Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson. 

Commentary

Protecting Life and Safety – A Job for Everyone

by Catherine L. Feinman -

Firefighters, emergency medical services, law enforcement officers, and emergency managers can create force multipliers through the education and training of other community stakeholders. This May edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal provides valuable information for emergency response organizations to consider when fortifying their efforts and engaging other community stakeholders.

Reports

EMS Safety Practices

This report provides tools to support and strengthen fire and emergency medical services and stakeholders to prepare for, prevent, mitigate and respond to all hazards. The reports defines elemets of satefy, phyical and mental health, infection control, hazardous materials and protective equipment, emergency operations, vechicle operations and how to bring them all the tools together in one unit. 

View Full Report
Preparedness

Stop the Bleed Training for Immediate Responders

by Andy Altizer -

When an injury causes a life-threatening bleed, minutes matter. There may not be enough time for first responders to arrive on the scene, so immediate responders are needed. Knowing how to respond to this type of injury and being able to stop the bleeding are skills that everyone should learn. This article explains why and how to do that.

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Stop the Bleed Training for Immediate Responders

by ANDY ALTIZER, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.

When an injury causes a life-threatening bleed, minutes matter. There may not be enough time for first responders to arrive on the scene, so immediate responders are needed. Knowing how to respond to this type of injury and being able to stop the bleeding are skills that everyone should learn. This article explains why and how to do that.

Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson.

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Canada Emergency Management - The Same, But Different

By JOHN SAUNDERS, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, July 18, 2012.

Blizzards, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, icebergs, and volcanic eruptions are just some of the natural hazards found across the unique Canadian terrain. Although knowing who is charge during an incident can be a challenge under the existing political structure, emergency managers continue to communicate, collaborate, and learn from other nations to better improve capabilities within their own borders. This 2012 article from Canada is an example of how every country must identify and manage the various hazards and challenges that exist across their diverse jurisdictions. 

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Native Community Resilience Leaps Forward

By LYNDA ZAMBRANO, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, May 03, 2017.

As in any community, a solid network of partnerships is needed to address the specific needs of its community members. Native American and Alaska Native populations span the nation, but face similar preparedness challenges. The National Tribal Emergency Management Council has been addressing resilience gaps since before this article was written in 2017. In June 2022, they will take another leap forward as they coordinate their first National Level Exercise (called "Thunderbird and Whale 2022") with public and private partners throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

Updates

DHS Announces $1.6 Billion in Preparedness Grants

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas today announced $1.6 billion for eight Fiscal Year 2022 preparedness grant programs. Together, these programs provide critical funding to help state and local officials prepare for, prevent, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism and other hazards.

Updates

DHS Wraps Up Jamming Exercise to Strengthen First Responder Communications

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agenc hosted JamX 22, an exercise to counter electronic jamming at White Sands Missile Range with federal, state, local and industry participants. Information shared during this exercise will enhance anti-jamming technologies and inform policy to ensure resilient requirements for first responders’ communications systems.

Updates

Unique binding of Delta variant may explain high transmissibility

Unlike other SARS-CoV-2 variants, the Delta variant can attach to copies of itself, forming larger aggregations, or clumps, of viral particles, suggests a study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. The researchers theorize that this linking property may have played a role in the ability of the Delta variant to spread more rapidly than all the variants that preceded it.

Resilience

Suburban Fire Operations: Five Lessons Learned

by Randall W. Hanifen -

From small fire companies covering large areas of rural land to large fire departments covering highly populated urban cities, suburban fire departments are tasked with a mixture of both. One firefighter who has spent his career in a suburban fire department shares the five key lessons he has learned throughout his career.

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Suburban Fire Operations: Five Lessons Learned

by RANDALL W. HANIFEN, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.

From small fire companies covering large areas of rural land to large fire departments covering highly populated urban cities, suburban fire departments are tasked with a mixture of both. One firefighter who has spent his career in a suburban fire department shares the five key lessons he has learned throughout his career. 

Narrated by Bonnie Weidler. 

 

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Security Standards to Help Keep Federal Facilities Safe

By W. CRAIG CONKLIN, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, August 04, 2010.

In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security released two new publications to help federal officials throughout the country tighten the physical security of the office buildings, warehouses, and hundreds of thousands of other taxpayer-funded federal facilities entrusted to their care. This 2010 article describes those standards, one of which was incorporated into and one that was superseded by the 2021 edition of The Risk Management Process for Federal Facilities: An Interagency Security Committee Standard (RMP).

Narrated by Randy Vivian.

Podcast

Article Out Loud - UTMB: From Disaster Planning to Long-Term Recovery

By CAMERON W. SLOCUM & JAMES LEE WITT, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, November 10, 2010.

This 2010 article describes how the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) used the lessons learned from Hurricanes Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008 to develop an effective response and rebuilding plan that not only has been used by UTMB itself to cope with future disasters but also provides a Gold Standard recovery blueprint for other organizations and institutions of all types.

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

Updates

Community Policing Development

The 2022 Community Policing Development program is designed to advance the practice of community policing by providing guidance on promising practices through the development and testing of innovative strategies; building knowledge about effective practices and outcomes; and supporting new, creative approaches to preventing crime and promoting safe communities.

Updates

Collaborative Reform Initiative

The 2022 Collaborative Reform Initiative encompasses three technical assistance programs offering expert services to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies to support effective community policing. This continuum of services is designed to build trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve; improve operational efficiencies and effectiveness; enhance officer safety and wellness; and develop and disseminate evidence-based, promising, and innovative public safety practices.

Preparedness

Project Management Approach in Emergency Management

by Adam Tager -

Each disaster a community faces must be effectively managed. By viewing each crisis as a project and each emergency manager as a project manager, communities will be better prepared to mitigate future threats, manage special events, and respond to emergencies and disasters. This article describes how traditional models converge to create a comprehensive project management approach.

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Evacuation Planning: A Long, Long Way to Go

By JOSEPH CAHILL, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, March 08, 2006.

The laws are in place but are often unenforceable. Transportation assets are available but are almost always overcommitted. Clear mandates from local, state, and federal decision-makers are obviously needed to restore order from the current chaos. This 2006 article describes the challenges associated with contractual agreements between ambulance providers and facilities. During disasters, these contracts may be difficult to fulfill.

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

 

 

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Systems and Solutions - The Gateways to Interoperability

By GARY SIMPSON, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, August 22, 2007.

Since this article was written in 2007, major developments have been made to bridge the communication gap for emergency response agencies. However, in times of crisis, the communications between neighboring jurisdictions can still be problematic. Advanced technology has solved the problems and confusion for some jurisdictions, while creating new costly problems for others. This article highlights the interoperability struggle that agencies have faced and some are still trying to overcome today.

Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

Podcast

Article Out Loud - Project Management Approach in Emergency Management

by ADAM TAGER, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal. 

Each disaster a community faces must be effectively managed. By viewing each crisis as a project and each emergency manager as a project manager, communities will be better prepared to mitigate future threats, manage special events, and respond to emergencies and disasters. This article describes how traditional models converge to create a comprehensive project management approach. 

Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson.