Most recently published
Pandemic Preparedness, From A Local and State Perspective
Nim Kidd, Carol Moehrle and Judson Freed
August 31, 2021
In cooperation with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), DomPrep is please to produce and host a ninety-minute (90) audio conversation that will discuss the pandemic and other concurrent incidents.
COVID-19: Impact on Financial Fraud
Michael Breslin
August 25, 2021
The past 16 months have been challenging. COVID-19 left a trail of destruction and a tremendous loss of life. It has had an impact on almost every aspect of daily life. The economy, supply chains, social norms, schools, and places of worship were all affected. The pandemic also led to
Emergency Management Projects in a Quasi-Pandemic World
Sarah Keally
August 18, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic put many projects on hold and stalled efforts to build the workforce and train the next generation. Now that agencies are revisiting pre-pandemic projects, the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management in Virginia offers a best practices approach for introducing internship programs and filling critical operational and
Building Codes Support Disaster Preparedness & Resilience
Karl Fippinger
August 11, 2021
Building codes and standards have long been a silent partner in the health, safety, and welfare of communities and are becoming increasingly more important in society. Todayās emergency managers and community leaders face a multitude of risks including extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tornados, straight-line winds, flooding, drought, and
Psychological Effects of COVID-19 on Frontline Workers
Hannah Bennett
August 4, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the lives of healthcare workers and first responders ā impacts they are still feeling. As workers on the frontlines, these people took a harder hit than the rest of the American population when COVID-19 swept across the nation. Several studies have shown that the pandemic
Red Teaming for Disaster Preparedness
Kole (KC) Campbell
July 28, 2021
Many companies and government offices were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained lockdowns, despite years of warnings and guidance from experts and the federal government. This lack of preparedness cost companies dearly, from delays in setting up work from home software to supply chain disruptions that could have been
Telecommunication Overload ā The 2021 Edition
Erik Westgard
July 21, 2021
āTelecommunication overloadā is a commonly used term that is a regular feature of various emergency scenarios. However, one fact needs to be remembered. Although some copper carrier network pieces are still in place in the United States, nearly all new investment is going into fiber backbones and updated wireless services.
Start or Restart VOADs/COADs During the Preparedness Phase
Michael Prasad
July 14, 2021
Volunteer and community organizations active in disaster (VOADs/COADs) operate best by using their four Cās: cooperation, coordination, collaboration, and communication. Emergency managers can build or strengthen this whole community capability in their own jurisdictions through public-private partnerships (PPPs), by performing the four Eās ā empower, endow, educate, and entrust.
Situational Awareness for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
Akshay Birla
July 7, 2021
In an emergency response, multiple groups of stakeholders such as city, county, state, and federal agencies are brought together to solve a crisis or execute a mission. While groups of individuals from within an agency may have a shared understanding of their mission, organization, hierarchy, and norms of engagement, proper
The Other Life of Command Trucks
Erik Westgard
June 23, 2021
For many years, large outdoor sporting events have requested government and nongovernment organization mobile command and communications trucks to support races. Although traditionally used by incident commanders, volunteer amateur radio groups have found various ways to collaborate during special events and use these resources in Minneapolis, Minnesota to support medical
Online & Social Media Risks ā Protecting Children, Part 2
Michael Breslin and Robert Lowery Jr.
June 16, 2021
The nation has experienced unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic given the requisite need for social distancing and isolation experienced from stay-at-home orders. Daily lives were transformed. For homebound children, this was disruptive and changed daily routines. While at home, children engaged in a variety of safe and supervised
Online & Social Media Risks – Protecting Children, Part 1
Michael Breslin and Robert Lowery Jr.
June 9, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic brought child predators into peopleās homes. In the critical areas of human trafficking and child exploitation, the risks to children increased due to criminals shifting their methods and techniques to online streaming services. Increased virtual learning and stay-home mandates forced children to transition from a classroom environment
Security Lessons Learned ā Part 1, Boston Marathon Bombings
Daniel Rector
September 1, 2021
Acts of terrorism continue to affect communities worldwide. As the public tries to retain a semblance of everyday life by attending outdoor events, emergency planners must adapt to new intelligence and learn from past attacks. A review of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings identifies the event security plansā strengths and
Pandemic Preparedness, From A Local and State Perspective
Nim Kidd, Carol Moehrle and Judson Freed
August 31, 2021
In cooperation with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), DomPrep is please to produce and host a ninety-minute (90) audio conversation that will discuss the pandemic and other concurrent incidents.
COVID-19: Impact on Financial Fraud
Michael Breslin
August 25, 2021
The past 16 months have been challenging. COVID-19 left a trail of destruction and a tremendous loss of life. It has had an impact on almost every aspect of daily life. The economy, supply chains, social norms, schools, and places of worship were all affected. The pandemic also led to
Emergency Management Projects in a Quasi-Pandemic World
Sarah Keally
August 18, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic put many projects on hold and stalled efforts to build the workforce and train the next generation. Now that agencies are revisiting pre-pandemic projects, the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management in Virginia offers a best practices approach for introducing internship programs and filling critical operational and
Building Codes Support Disaster Preparedness & Resilience
Karl Fippinger
August 11, 2021
Building codes and standards have long been a silent partner in the health, safety, and welfare of communities and are becoming increasingly more important in society. Todayās emergency managers and community leaders face a multitude of risks including extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tornados, straight-line winds, flooding, drought, and
Psychological Effects of COVID-19 on Frontline Workers
Hannah Bennett
August 4, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the lives of healthcare workers and first responders ā impacts they are still feeling. As workers on the frontlines, these people took a harder hit than the rest of the American population when COVID-19 swept across the nation. Several studies have shown that the pandemic
Red Teaming for Disaster Preparedness
Kole (KC) Campbell
July 28, 2021
Many companies and government offices were unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained lockdowns, despite years of warnings and guidance from experts and the federal government. This lack of preparedness cost companies dearly, from delays in setting up work from home software to supply chain disruptions that could have been
Telecommunication Overload ā The 2021 Edition
Erik Westgard
July 21, 2021
āTelecommunication overloadā is a commonly used term that is a regular feature of various emergency scenarios. However, one fact needs to be remembered. Although some copper carrier network pieces are still in place in the United States, nearly all new investment is going into fiber backbones and updated wireless services.
Start or Restart VOADs/COADs During the Preparedness Phase
Michael Prasad
July 14, 2021
Volunteer and community organizations active in disaster (VOADs/COADs) operate best by using their four Cās: cooperation, coordination, collaboration, and communication. Emergency managers can build or strengthen this whole community capability in their own jurisdictions through public-private partnerships (PPPs), by performing the four Eās ā empower, endow, educate, and entrust.
Situational Awareness for Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration
Akshay Birla
July 7, 2021
In an emergency response, multiple groups of stakeholders such as city, county, state, and federal agencies are brought together to solve a crisis or execute a mission. While groups of individuals from within an agency may have a shared understanding of their mission, organization, hierarchy, and norms of engagement, proper
The Other Life of Command Trucks
Erik Westgard
June 23, 2021
For many years, large outdoor sporting events have requested government and nongovernment organization mobile command and communications trucks to support races. Although traditionally used by incident commanders, volunteer amateur radio groups have found various ways to collaborate during special events and use these resources in Minneapolis, Minnesota to support medical
Online & Social Media Risks ā Protecting Children, Part 2
Michael Breslin and Robert Lowery Jr.
June 16, 2021
The nation has experienced unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic given the requisite need for social distancing and isolation experienced from stay-at-home orders. Daily lives were transformed. For homebound children, this was disruptive and changed daily routines. While at home, children engaged in a variety of safe and supervised
Impact of Critical Biosecurity Reports ā Uncertainty Remains
Robert C. Hutchinson
May 26, 2021
Domestic Preparedness published an article in 2016 discussing the uncertain impact of several biosecurity reports on national planning and preparedness for biosecurity and pandemic threats. The article focused on the consistent and repeated warnings of the consequences for failing to plan and prepare for a multitude of biosecurity threats. The
Revisiting Face Masks Near the End of a Long Journey
David Mayfield
May 19, 2021
On 11 March 2021, the world reached a dubious milestone ā one year since the World Health Organization (WHO) first declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Soon after that declaration, a large portion of the world shut down. In the 12 months that followed, community stakeholders have become relatively well-versed in
Post-Hazard Event Airport Recovery
Jaskanwal P. S. Chhabra, Greg Brunelle, Youngsuk Kim, Junichi Sakai and Deepak Pant
May 12, 2021
The role airports play in the world is critical. Even a minor disruption to their operations has immediate cascading impacts, which can be familiar to anyone who has experienced a delayed departure and the dreaded āWill I make my connection?ā stress that follows. However, airport disruptions create far greater economic
National Preparedness Failure: Hindsight Is 2020
Michael A. Brown
May 5, 2021
In February 2021, the Congressional Research Service released an evaluative nonpartisan report on the National Preparedness System (NPS). This report noted problems and difficulties experienced in 2020 during the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. For example, lack of personal protective equipment, disorganized logistical distribution, and other issues that demand attention. In
Formalizing the Role of Intelligence & Investigation
Michael Prasad
April 28, 2021
Emergency managers need actionable intelligence before, during, and after disasters. More than just situational awareness, the collection, analysis, and sharing of intelligence can provide an incidentās response and recovery command and general staff with much needed decision-making information.
Coastlines Are Now a Moving Target ā Literally
John Englander
April 21, 2021
In March 2021, a Cape Cod weather station in Chatham, Massachusetts was abandoned due to coastal erosion. With much media coverage, some of the articles mentioned that the situation is likely to worsen. The fact that they associated the erosion with climate change and that it was a weather station
Public Order Policing & Volunteers
Erik Westgard
April 14, 2021
Two days into the May 2020 George Floyd riots in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, hundreds (on the way to ~1,500) of properties were burning, with smoke visible on the horizon. Top leaders appeared on television stating that law and order were breaking down and urging calm within the community. Based on
Supply Chain Management During a Pandemic
Greg Burel, Bobby Baker Jr. and Wayne Williams
April 7, 2021
Three experts present their insights and experiences on managing a supply chain during a pandemic. Areas to be discussed: TECHNOLOGY: How does technology enhance or complicate resilience and the supply chain? RELATIONSHIPS: How have relationships with customers and suppliers changed during the the pandemic? COLLABORATION: How does federal, state, local,
Understand the Terrorist, Preempt the Threat
Laura Ehrmantraut
April 7, 2021
It is important to understand why people do the things they do when trying to figure out an individualās motives and reasons. It is even more captivating when it involves an individual doing unspeakable actions toward another, such as murder or abuse. When it comes to terrorism, there are many
Embracing Resilience: At a Crossroad of Opportunity
Greg Brunelle and Deborah Weiser
March 31, 2021
March 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan (Tohoku) Earthquake. On the afternoon of 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9.1 megathrust earthquake struck where the Pacific Plate subducts underneath the Honshu region of Japan. This was a massive event. The earthquake rupture lasted 150-160 seconds, with shaking
The New World of Interoperability Communications
Charles J. Guddemi
March 17, 2021
Four years ago, during the 2017 Inauguration, the country and the world existed in a very different reality than they do today. Today, a ānew worldā exists within a global pandemic and among First Amendment activities and protests. The 2021 Inauguration was unique for these reasons but also presented challenges
Mitigating Wildfires ā Conceptualizing Possibilities
Senay Ozbay
March 10, 2021
Mitigating wildfires is not only essential for protecting life, property, and critical infrastructure. It also is essential for controlling changes within the climate, which ultimately causes disasters around the world. National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) estimates that wildfires now cost between $63 and $285 billion a year. According to data
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