Most recently published
Wanted: Mental Health Support for Disaster Trauma
Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Mary Schoenfeldt and Ruth Baugher Palmer
August 3, 2022
Disaster response organizations have become increasingly adept at meeting the basic needs of survivors, including shelter, food, water, and medical treatment. However, traumatic disaster-related experiences â including threats to life, exposure to death and injury, and the destruction of homes and communities â also take a psychological toll on survivors. Common responses to
Responding Respectfully to People With Disabilities
James Martin
August 3, 2022
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, doctors, nurses, and others in emergency response roles are regularly tasked with responding to emergencies and disaster sites and communicating with various people who have been involved in or witnessed an incident. However, some research has shown that there is âa gap in first respondersâ
Creating a Common Operating Picture for Wildfire Season
Akshay Birla
July 27, 2022
Life is beginning to return to normal following the past two years of the pandemic, but the world is still as unpredictable as ever. When it seems as though one catastrophic situation is coming to an end, another tends to emerge as the newest public safety issue. One set of
Societal Violence & Its Impact on Critical Infrastructure
Nathan DiPillo and Tim Scarrott
July 27, 2022
The ânew normalâ following the COVID-19 outbreak is still evolving. Although some people have welcomed the relief from many years of commuting and focused on personal growth and time with family, others have become disenfranchised, isolated, depressed, or lack purpose and empathy. As the United States reels from the recent
Four Takeaways From the Nashville Christmas Bombing
Robert F. Kelly and Dean C. Alexander
July 20, 2022
The Nashville Christmas bombing provides valuable lessons about targeted violence incidents. This research on pre-attack indicators shares four key takeaways for law enforcement and other preparedness professionals to understand regarding lone wolf and leaderless resistance attacks. Knowing other pre-attack indicators may help thwart a future attack even when the motive
Teleforensic Tools â From Telemedicine to Law Enforcement
Michael Melton
July 20, 2022
Telemedicine capabilities have become valuable medical tools to provide life-saving treatment to patients where and when needed. Similarly, off-site skills and knowledge can be transferred to on-site law enforcement personnel through teleforensics to identify and thwart threats, while increasing crime clearances. This article describes how expanding capabilities, identifying needs, delivering
Public Health Preparednessâ Finding Its Path Forward
Raphael M. Barishansky
July 13, 2022
Public health preparedness has emerged and matured as a distinct discipline since the events of 9/11 and the subsequent Ameri-thrax attacks. Although, in the past, public health agencies were pushed to the forefront of various emergencies, the planning and infrastructure for public health emergency response were not funded and not
Making Communications a Predictable Lifeline Solution
Charles J. Guddemi
July 13, 2022
Community lifelines ensure that businesses and the government can continue functioning and society can thrive. However, a breakdown in daily operations is inevitable when one or more lifeline is lost. In communications, this means a disruption in technology that has become interwoven into societal norms â talking, texting, data transfer,
How The Best Get Better: Partnerships & A Trifecta Disaster
Judy Kruger and Scott Harris
June 21, 2022
Japan is more prepared for future disasters due to communications and annual investments into exercises and drills with local and international partners. Tokyo Disney Resort leveraged private-public partnerships to increase preparedness in employees, guests, business services, critical infrastructure facilities, and government stakeholders to manage future disruptions caused by natural disasters.
Public Safety Grant Programs Changes â A 10-Year Review
Kurt Bradley
June 15, 2022
Article Out Loud Change is inevitable. As society continues to progress in the âdigital age,â so has applying for various federal grant programs. It is becoming almost impossible to apply to these programs via a paper application, as in the past. To remain competitive when applying for these grants, it
The Risk-Based Approach to Hazardous Material/WMD Incidents
Tony Mussorfiti
June 8, 2022
Low-frequency, high-consequence events are rare, emergency responders still need to be able to evaluate these complex problems and determine initial actions. To avoid being overwhelmed and increasing the risks to both responders and civilians, emergency responders need to be able to quickly identify all potential hazards, then predict the outcome
Crowd Behavior & Elaborated Social Identity Modeling
Robert Leverone
May 25, 2022
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
The Expanding Role of Tactical Medicine
Ian Pleet
August 10, 2022
Effective trainings are ones where the participants remember and later implement what they learned into their daily operations. Not everyone knows how they would respond in a true emergency. However, some trainings provide a more realistic glimpse into disaster scenarios than others. This first-hand account describes what it was like
Wanted: Mental Health Support for Disaster Trauma
Mary McNaughton-Cassill, Mary Schoenfeldt and Ruth Baugher Palmer
August 3, 2022
Disaster response organizations have become increasingly adept at meeting the basic needs of survivors, including shelter, food, water, and medical treatment. However, traumatic disaster-related experiences â including threats to life, exposure to death and injury, and the destruction of homes and communities â also take a psychological toll on survivors. Common responses to
Responding Respectfully to People With Disabilities
James Martin
August 3, 2022
Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, doctors, nurses, and others in emergency response roles are regularly tasked with responding to emergencies and disaster sites and communicating with various people who have been involved in or witnessed an incident. However, some research has shown that there is âa gap in first respondersâ
Creating a Common Operating Picture for Wildfire Season
Akshay Birla
July 27, 2022
Life is beginning to return to normal following the past two years of the pandemic, but the world is still as unpredictable as ever. When it seems as though one catastrophic situation is coming to an end, another tends to emerge as the newest public safety issue. One set of
Societal Violence & Its Impact on Critical Infrastructure
Nathan DiPillo and Tim Scarrott
July 27, 2022
The ânew normalâ following the COVID-19 outbreak is still evolving. Although some people have welcomed the relief from many years of commuting and focused on personal growth and time with family, others have become disenfranchised, isolated, depressed, or lack purpose and empathy. As the United States reels from the recent
Four Takeaways From the Nashville Christmas Bombing
Robert F. Kelly and Dean C. Alexander
July 20, 2022
The Nashville Christmas bombing provides valuable lessons about targeted violence incidents. This research on pre-attack indicators shares four key takeaways for law enforcement and other preparedness professionals to understand regarding lone wolf and leaderless resistance attacks. Knowing other pre-attack indicators may help thwart a future attack even when the motive
Teleforensic Tools â From Telemedicine to Law Enforcement
Michael Melton
July 20, 2022
Telemedicine capabilities have become valuable medical tools to provide life-saving treatment to patients where and when needed. Similarly, off-site skills and knowledge can be transferred to on-site law enforcement personnel through teleforensics to identify and thwart threats, while increasing crime clearances. This article describes how expanding capabilities, identifying needs, delivering
Public Health Preparednessâ Finding Its Path Forward
Raphael M. Barishansky
July 13, 2022
Public health preparedness has emerged and matured as a distinct discipline since the events of 9/11 and the subsequent Ameri-thrax attacks. Although, in the past, public health agencies were pushed to the forefront of various emergencies, the planning and infrastructure for public health emergency response were not funded and not
Making Communications a Predictable Lifeline Solution
Charles J. Guddemi
July 13, 2022
Community lifelines ensure that businesses and the government can continue functioning and society can thrive. However, a breakdown in daily operations is inevitable when one or more lifeline is lost. In communications, this means a disruption in technology that has become interwoven into societal norms â talking, texting, data transfer,
How The Best Get Better: Partnerships & A Trifecta Disaster
Judy Kruger and Scott Harris
June 21, 2022
Japan is more prepared for future disasters due to communications and annual investments into exercises and drills with local and international partners. Tokyo Disney Resort leveraged private-public partnerships to increase preparedness in employees, guests, business services, critical infrastructure facilities, and government stakeholders to manage future disruptions caused by natural disasters.
Public Safety Grant Programs Changes â A 10-Year Review
Kurt Bradley
June 15, 2022
Article Out Loud Change is inevitable. As society continues to progress in the âdigital age,â so has applying for various federal grant programs. It is becoming almost impossible to apply to these programs via a paper application, as in the past. To remain competitive when applying for these grants, it
The Risk-Based Approach to Hazardous Material/WMD Incidents
Tony Mussorfiti
June 8, 2022
Low-frequency, high-consequence events are rare, emergency responders still need to be able to evaluate these complex problems and determine initial actions. To avoid being overwhelmed and increasing the risks to both responders and civilians, emergency responders need to be able to quickly identify all potential hazards, then predict the outcome
Suburban Fire Operations: Five Lessons Learned
Randall W. Hanifen
May 11, 2022
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
Project Management Approach in Emergency Management
Adam Tager
May 4, 2022
 Emergency managers are project managers. While the intersection between the two professions is not often explicitly highlighted, navigating the phases of emergency management largely follows the project management framework. Therefore, a deeper understanding of project management best practices can only serve to enhance the ability to help communities and
Best Practice: Auxiliary Radios for Healthcare Facilities
Ashleigh Holmes
April 27, 2022
When an emergency or disaster occurs, healthcare facilities require reliable communications for ensuring the safety and well-being of those in their care. The New York City Emergency Management Department has revamped its Cityâs emergency radio communications program to ensure that critical information can be exchanged before the next incident. Their
A Growing Threat to Healthcare and Other Facilities
Rodney Andreasen
April 20, 2022
Active shooter and other violent incidents occur all over the country â in urban and rural areas, in big cities and small towns, in large and small facilities. Many examples demonstrate the need to understand and plan for them and the significant consequences that could follow. This article empowers the
Securing & Protecting the Nationâs Cybersecurity Infrastructure
Raymond Walker and Chandler Lofland
April 13, 2022
The Colonial Pipeline cyberattack in May 2021 exposed the urgent need to safeguard and upgrade the critical infrastructure systems in the United States. Congress acknowledged that the government lacks the authority to require private companies â which own, operate, and protect 85% of the nationâs critical energy infrastructure assets â
A Foot in the Door â The Value of Internships
Sambavi Jani
April 6, 2022
Experience required. Many jobs require wide-ranging qualifications and expertise to be able to apply and interview. However, people often ask, âHow can I get the experience if I cannot get a job?â A great way to get âa foot in the doorâ is through internships, which can be vital in
Disaster Procurement: Navigating the Supply Chain
Brian McGinley
March 30, 2022
 There are moments during a disaster that something needs to be purchased. Depending on the nature of the purchase, it could be something small, perhaps something that can be purchased with a company credit card. On the other hand, it could be a purchase for millions of dollars and,
Radiation Emergency Medical Challenges and a Global Pandemic
Ron Cain
March 23, 2022
It seems that every day over the past two years there are plenty of news stories covering the strain hospitals are facing in staffing shortages and the impacts from a global pandemic. Emergency medical services (EMS) are also dealing with their own similar issues across the nation. Many of these
PNT Signals as National Critical Infrastructure
Nathan DiPillo
March 16, 2022
 Several national critical functions and all 16 critical infrastructure sectors rely either directly or indirectly on functional and consistent position, navigation, and timing (PNT) signals. As such, fragility of weak and easily imitated global positioning system (GPS) signals could lead to catastrophic impacts on dependent and interdependent critical infrastructure
Bipartisan Commission Says Nation Unprepared for Biological Events
Asha M. George and John T. O'Brien
March 9, 2022
On 17 February 2022, Dr. Asha M. George, executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, testified as an expert witness before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at a hearing on addressing the gaps in the nationâs biodefense and level of preparedness to respond to
A New Model for Proactive Prevention
Rick Shaw
March 2, 2022
Article Out Loud Shootings, acts of violence, crimes, abuse, suicides, overdoses, and other incidents and tragedies are increasing nationwide. Cities across the nation saw a surge of homicides in 2020 and many cities were at or near record levels for homicides in 2021. Cities also saw spikes in 2020 and
Application of the Cynefin Framework to COVID-19 Pandemic
Judy Kruger and Romeo Lavarias
February 23, 2022
Since the spring of 2020, variables such as mistrust of government leaders, anti-maskers, and economic concerns complicated COVID-19 community response. The Cynefin framework is a sensemaking theory in the social sciences to create a framework for emergency managers in large-scale events.
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