Most recently published

Peer Review of Grant Applications: How to Succeed
Anthony M. Coelho, Jr.
July 20, 2011
Every writer, amateur or professional, wants to be pleased with his or her own “copy.” Every successful writer, though, knows it is much more important to please the readers. And/or the reviewers. And/or the political officials who make the final goo-go budget decisions.

Making Funds Count: Developing a Grant-Making Program
Michele Mindlin
July 20, 2011
There are many paths a community can take in search of a preparedness grant, but only one way to ensure that the search will be successful: Follow the Rules! This means advance planning, consulting, paying meticulous attention to all of the rules and regulations involved, and making sensible decisions every

Federal Domestic Preparedness Funding: Overview and Outlook
Catherine Parker and Bobby Courtney
July 20, 2011
Before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, federal funding for preparedness grants was much lower than it should have been. Then it was increased exponentially. The nation is now better prepared than ever before to deal with mass-casualty incidents – and there are huge fiscal problems ahead. So major cutbacks in grant

Needed From DHS: An Institutional Commitment to Change
Matt Mayer
July 20, 2011
The cities and states seeking grant funds from DHS will be facing an uphill climb for the foreseeable future. DHS itself could help considerably, though, by clarifying the rules, eliminating inconsistencies, dropping all pork-barrel considerations, and – most important of all – inviting U.S. states and cities to become full

A Three-Question Approach to Grants
Joseph Cahill
July 13, 2011
“Is the Grant a Good Fix?” “What Will It Take to Implement the Grant?” “What Are the Estimated Continuing Costs of the Project?” Those not-so-easy questions should be asked long before a grant is requested. The answers may at times be discouraging, but not nearly as discouraging as losing a

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Grants – The Anatomy of Success
Dianne L. Thorpe and Kristen N. Koch
July 13, 2011
Contrary to what some citizens believe, federal preparedness grants are not “free money.” Applying for such grants takes months of advance planning, hard work and close cooperation between and among numerous agencies, and a meticulous attention to detail at all times. Here is a helpful road map that may not

Responder Funding: FEMA & Other Federal Preparedness Grants
Cortney Streets
July 13, 2011
Total preparedness is perhaps impossible in the Age of Terrorism – and, it seems, of a major increase in the number and scope of natural disasters. But at least partial preparedness is not only feasible but politically and operationally mandatory as well. As always, preparedness starts with planning – and

The Future of Grants in Domestic Preparedness Survey
Domestic Preparedness
July 6, 2011
Your Opinion Matters! DomPrep wants to know your opinion on how the future of federal grant funding will impact program priorities, multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary collaboration efforts, and the effective administration of grants.

Public Health and Medical Interoperability Challenges
Bruce Clements
June 29, 2011
Rapid advances in telemedicine and in the computerization of medical records are now the norm, but are made extremely complicated by – well, by other rapid advances in telemedicine and in the computerization of medical records. Additional breakthroughs are still possible, and highly desired. The pace of progress should perhaps

Man-Caused Incidents – New Challenges & Systems
Stephen Grainer
June 22, 2011
“Man-caused incidents” – the politically correct term used to describe terrorist attacks – have increased in frequency and severity in recent years and are likely to continue to do so far into the future. Which is one of many good reasons why U.S. emergency managers are focusing more attention on

Manmade Disasters: The Need for Interoperable Communications
Omar Alkhalaf
June 22, 2011
The mounting of a successful response to a major disaster requires the combined skills of firefighters, emergency managers, policemen, and other experienced professionals. It helps considerably, though, if they can talk to one another – ask anyone who lived through the London subway bombings, the Rhode Island nightclub fire, or

NLE 2011: Successful Learning, Plus Partnership Building
Kay C. Goss
June 15, 2011
Question: What do Boston’s church bells and the Mississippi River have in common? Answer: Both survived the greatest earthquake in U.S. history (the San Francisco quake pales in comparison). The 200th anniversary of the New Madrid disaster was remembered, appropriately, earlier this year by FEMA, NEMA, CUSEC and an estimated

National Preparedness Grants – Strategies for Investment Reductions
Dennis R. Schrader
July 20, 2011
The current debate over the national debt is a stern reminder that, even in politics and economics, what goes up will almost always also come down. The same is true for the funding provided for DHS/HHS preparedness grants – which are now starting to decline in both size and number,

Peer Review of Grant Applications: How to Succeed
Anthony M. Coelho, Jr.
July 20, 2011
Every writer, amateur or professional, wants to be pleased with his or her own “copy.” Every successful writer, though, knows it is much more important to please the readers. And/or the reviewers. And/or the political officials who make the final goo-go budget decisions.

Making Funds Count: Developing a Grant-Making Program
Michele Mindlin
July 20, 2011
There are many paths a community can take in search of a preparedness grant, but only one way to ensure that the search will be successful: Follow the Rules! This means advance planning, consulting, paying meticulous attention to all of the rules and regulations involved, and making sensible decisions every

Federal Domestic Preparedness Funding: Overview and Outlook
Catherine Parker and Bobby Courtney
July 20, 2011
Before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, federal funding for preparedness grants was much lower than it should have been. Then it was increased exponentially. The nation is now better prepared than ever before to deal with mass-casualty incidents – and there are huge fiscal problems ahead. So major cutbacks in grant

Needed From DHS: An Institutional Commitment to Change
Matt Mayer
July 20, 2011
The cities and states seeking grant funds from DHS will be facing an uphill climb for the foreseeable future. DHS itself could help considerably, though, by clarifying the rules, eliminating inconsistencies, dropping all pork-barrel considerations, and – most important of all – inviting U.S. states and cities to become full

A Three-Question Approach to Grants
Joseph Cahill
July 13, 2011
“Is the Grant a Good Fix?” “What Will It Take to Implement the Grant?” “What Are the Estimated Continuing Costs of the Project?” Those not-so-easy questions should be asked long before a grant is requested. The answers may at times be discouraging, but not nearly as discouraging as losing a

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Grants – The Anatomy of Success
Dianne L. Thorpe and Kristen N. Koch
July 13, 2011
Contrary to what some citizens believe, federal preparedness grants are not “free money.” Applying for such grants takes months of advance planning, hard work and close cooperation between and among numerous agencies, and a meticulous attention to detail at all times. Here is a helpful road map that may not

Responder Funding: FEMA & Other Federal Preparedness Grants
Cortney Streets
July 13, 2011
Total preparedness is perhaps impossible in the Age of Terrorism – and, it seems, of a major increase in the number and scope of natural disasters. But at least partial preparedness is not only feasible but politically and operationally mandatory as well. As always, preparedness starts with planning – and

The Future of Grants in Domestic Preparedness Survey
Domestic Preparedness
July 6, 2011
Your Opinion Matters! DomPrep wants to know your opinion on how the future of federal grant funding will impact program priorities, multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary collaboration efforts, and the effective administration of grants.

Public Health and Medical Interoperability Challenges
Bruce Clements
June 29, 2011
Rapid advances in telemedicine and in the computerization of medical records are now the norm, but are made extremely complicated by – well, by other rapid advances in telemedicine and in the computerization of medical records. Additional breakthroughs are still possible, and highly desired. The pace of progress should perhaps

Man-Caused Incidents – New Challenges & Systems
Stephen Grainer
June 22, 2011
“Man-caused incidents” – the politically correct term used to describe terrorist attacks – have increased in frequency and severity in recent years and are likely to continue to do so far into the future. Which is one of many good reasons why U.S. emergency managers are focusing more attention on

Manmade Disasters: The Need for Interoperable Communications
Omar Alkhalaf
June 22, 2011
The mounting of a successful response to a major disaster requires the combined skills of firefighters, emergency managers, policemen, and other experienced professionals. It helps considerably, though, if they can talk to one another – ask anyone who lived through the London subway bombings, the Rhode Island nightclub fire, or
45 Seconds of Danger, a Lifetime of Lessons
Craig DeAtley
June 8, 2011
The EF5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, during the evening of 22 May 2011 was among the deadliest in U.S. history. More than 140 persons died, over 1,000 were injured, and thousands of others were left homeless. In addition, it has been estimated that the cost to “rebuild” Joplin could
The Public Health Role During Mass-Fatality Incidents
Raphael M. Barishansky and Audrey Mazurek
June 8, 2011
Many major disasters start without warning, continue for periods ranging from mere seconds to weeks or months, and leave behind a chaotic mass of useless rubble and ruined lives. The work of public health agencies necessarily starts well before the first tremor, continues through the entire response/recovery/resilience process, and ends
Antidotes: The Care and Cure for ‘What Ails You’
Joseph Cahill
June 1, 2011
The twin goals – total security, and immediate accessibility – prescribed for the perfect medical antidote program are not only mutually exclusive but also theoretically impossible to achieve. Almost. But there are some effective compromise measures that can bridge the differences, lower the loss rate, and significantly improve on-scene operational
Changing Trends in Maritime Piracy: A New & Major Threat
MIchael Brewer and Scott Brewer
June 1, 2011
The plots and successes of recent “pirate” movies notwithstanding, the real, totally ruthless, and well armed pirates of the 21st century must be recognized for what they really are: thieves, cutthroats, and murderers – who are now working with terrorist groups. That evil coalition must be confronted fully, fearlessly, and
RAD Operations Training Improves Radiological Response
Domestic Preparedness
June 1, 2011
The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in coordination with the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program (REPP) office of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), offers five courses focusing on radiological preparedness in communities across the United States. The radiological courses prepare first responders to deal with all types of radiological incidents,
Medical Surge Management: Public-Private Healthcare Coalitions
Chad Priest and Bobby Courtney
May 25, 2011
Thanks (sort of) to the ravages caused by Hurricane Katrina, and a number of other disasters – including terrorist attacks – there is a growing awareness that U.S. healthcare facilities must focus much greater attention on building, and/or improving, their individual and collective “surge” capabilities. Here is a brief report
Mass Evacuation of Medical and Functional Needs Populations
Bruce Clements
May 25, 2011
It is reasonable to expect that, when the population of a community – or nation – grows, the need for a mass evacuation of some type will grow at the same pace. That need increases exponentially, though: (a) when catastrophic weather events occur with greater frequency; and/or (b) in the
The Handling of Mass Fatalities During Medical Surges
Anthony S. Mangeri
May 25, 2011
The earthquakes, tornadoes, and terrorist attacks of the past several years have led to increased global awareness of the need to create, improve, and expand mass-casualty response capabilities. The most immediate emphasis, understandably, is on the saving of lives. But there also must be much greater attention, it says here,
Training Programs for Infrastructure Partners
Domestic Preparedness
May 24, 2011
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Infrastructure Protection offers a wide array of training programs and resources, free of charge, to government and private sector partners.
The Expanding Role of Sanitarians in Public Health Emergencies
Rahul Gupta
May 18, 2011
Doctors, nurses, and other highly visible professionals get the greatest credit, deservedly, in most public-health incidents and events. Playing increasingly important roles, though – before, during, and after such incidents – are the nation’s unsung and much less publicized sanitarians whose special expertise in numerous operational scenarios is finally being
Hospitals & Fire Departments: Three-Alarm Fires, MSH & Best-Practice Results
Theodore Tully
May 18, 2011
A major fire in one of the nation’s finest hospitals led quickly to: (a) the massive evacuation of almost 450 patients; and (b) numerous follow-up meetings to find out what had gone wrong and how to handle such incidents more quickly, and more effectively, in the future. The end result
TRANSCAER Launches Online Safety Training
Domestic Preparedness
May 17, 2011
TRANSCAER® (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) has launched its first-ever Anhydrous Ammonia Training online training program to educate and train officials across the country on emergency responses to anhydrous ammonia incidents.
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