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Peer Review of Grant Applications: How to Succeed

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.
Read More »

Making Funds Count: Developing a Grant-Making Program

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
Read More »

Federal Domestic Preparedness Funding: Overview and Outlook

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
Read More »

Needed From DHS: An Institutional Commitment to Change

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
Read More »

A Three-Question Approach to Grants

“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
Read More »

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Grants – The Anatomy of Success

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
Read More »

Responder Funding: FEMA & Other Federal Preparedness Grants

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
Read More »

The Future of Grants in Domestic Preparedness Survey

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.
Read More »

Public Health and Medical Interoperability Challenges

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
Read More »

Man-Caused Incidents – New Challenges & Systems

“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
Read More »

Manmade Disasters: The Need for Interoperable Communications

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
Read More »

NLE 2011: Successful Learning, Plus Partnership Building

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
Read More »

Peer Review of Grant Applications: How to Succeed

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.
Read More »

Making Funds Count: Developing a Grant-Making Program

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
Read More »

Federal Domestic Preparedness Funding: Overview and Outlook

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
Read More »

Needed From DHS: An Institutional Commitment to Change

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
Read More »

A Three-Question Approach to Grants

“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
Read More »

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Grants – The Anatomy of Success

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
Read More »

Responder Funding: FEMA & Other Federal Preparedness Grants

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
Read More »

The Future of Grants in Domestic Preparedness Survey

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.
Read More »

Public Health and Medical Interoperability Challenges

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
Read More »

Man-Caused Incidents – New Challenges & Systems

“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
Read More »

Manmade Disasters: The Need for Interoperable Communications

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
Read More »

45 Seconds of Danger, a Lifetime of Lessons

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
Read More »

The Public Health Role During Mass-Fatality Incidents

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
Read More »

Antidotes: The Care and Cure for ‘What Ails You’

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
Read More »

Changing Trends in Maritime Piracy: A New & Major Threat

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
Read More »

RAD Operations Training Improves Radiological Response

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,
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Medical Surge Management: Public-Private Healthcare Coalitions

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
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Mass Evacuation of Medical and Functional Needs Populations

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
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The Handling of Mass Fatalities During Medical Surges

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,
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The Expanding Role of Sanitarians in Public Health Emergencies

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
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TRANSCAER Launches Online Safety Training

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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