Most recently published
Triggered Collapse, Part 3: Lessons in Lawlessness
Drew Miller
March 11, 2020
A pandemic, loss of the electric system, or other triggering disaster need not be that effective in directly killing people to generate a collapse that results in millions of deaths and a weakened nation. The “cascading effects” of an economic shut down – loss of law and order, looting and
From Hysteria to Complacency, Then Back Again
James M. Rush Sr.
March 4, 2020
With recent urgent stories about the coronavirus, it seemed to be just a matter of time for the nation to revert to hysteria. Instead of a calm, resolute culture of preparedness, there has been a “PowerGlide” of public sentiment. In the 1960s, many Chevrolet automobiles had a PowerGlide transmission with
Police as Medical Responders in Active Threat Events
Charles H. Kean
February 26, 2020
April 20, 1999, was a bellwether day in American law enforcement history. An act of mass murder occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 13 people dead and 21 injured, and the old model of responding to active threat events was changed forever. The active pursuit of the
The Future of Emergency Preparedness
William H. Austin
February 19, 2020
The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. has an inscription on the Northeast corner that reads, “What is past is Prologue.” This simple but profound advice may easily be the emergency manager’s most calming guidance. The journey starts right now.
A Family Tradition – Old School Florida Smuggling, Chapter 2
Robert C. Hutchinson
February 14, 2020
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien loads, broad
Small Steps Toward Long-Term Power Outage Preparedness
Deborah Link
January 29, 2020
Although a long-term, widespread power outage may not be a top priority in community preparedness plans, many communities have considered the devastating effects of such a scenario. A long-term power outage, for the purpose of this article, is defined as one that lasts from the time regular and emergency resources
Family Child Care Emergency Preparedness
Jillian Ritter
January 22, 2020
Many families depend on child care providers to care for their children so parents can work and go to school. Parents often choose family child care because of the appeal of a home-like environment, smaller group sizes, and greater opportunity for flexible hours. However, they must be equipped with information
Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks: Paris Attacks of 2015
Robert Mueck
January 15, 2020
On 21 October 2019, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office announced that the investigation into the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, France, had concluded. It took French authorities four years to complete the investigation. The attacks targeted outdoor cafes, a stadium, and a concert hall – resulting in 130 deaths and
Looking Ahead – Future of the Strategic National Stockpile
Greg Burel
December 25, 2019
This year marks 20 years since Congress established the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), originally named the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, in preparation for the year 2000. The intent was to arm the country against possible terrorist threats that could disrupt the U.S. medical supply chain. With a $51 million appropriation and
Data-Driven Emergency Management
Terry Hastings, Patrick Campion and Mathew Curran
December 18, 2019
As the discipline has evolved, data and quantitative analytics are becoming a bigger part of emergency management. This trend is likely to continue as technology and data become more available. Current and future emergency managers need to understand data and how it can be used to support all phases of
Drugs, Homelessness & a Growing Public Health Disaster
Paula Gordon
December 11, 2019
Conditions of squalor, which may be found in a refugee settlement or on the streets of a third world country, appear to be rapidly increasing in certain places in the United States over the past several years. This phenomenon is evident not only in a growing number of cities in
The Electric Grid – Overcoming Vulnerability
Michael Mabee
December 4, 2019
In 1850 – nine years before the Carrington Event and 12 years before the Civil War – the population of the United States was 23 million people. At the end of 2018, the population of the U.S. had reached 328 million people. What enabled the population to increase by 305
PPE Shortages & Funding Gaps for Pandemics
Greg Burel
March 18, 2020
SARS, H1N1, Ebola, Zika, and now the COVID-19 pandemic blindsided U.S. public health officials and the world at large. Although this is a newsworthy headline, it is not entirely accurate. Hyperbole may sell newspapers, but has ignored the great progress that has been made in national public health emergency preparedness.
Triggered Collapse, Part 3: Lessons in Lawlessness
Drew Miller
March 11, 2020
A pandemic, loss of the electric system, or other triggering disaster need not be that effective in directly killing people to generate a collapse that results in millions of deaths and a weakened nation. The “cascading effects” of an economic shut down – loss of law and order, looting and
From Hysteria to Complacency, Then Back Again
James M. Rush Sr.
March 4, 2020
With recent urgent stories about the coronavirus, it seemed to be just a matter of time for the nation to revert to hysteria. Instead of a calm, resolute culture of preparedness, there has been a “PowerGlide” of public sentiment. In the 1960s, many Chevrolet automobiles had a PowerGlide transmission with
Police as Medical Responders in Active Threat Events
Charles H. Kean
February 26, 2020
April 20, 1999, was a bellwether day in American law enforcement history. An act of mass murder occurred at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 13 people dead and 21 injured, and the old model of responding to active threat events was changed forever. The active pursuit of the
The Future of Emergency Preparedness
William H. Austin
February 19, 2020
The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. has an inscription on the Northeast corner that reads, “What is past is Prologue.” This simple but profound advice may easily be the emergency manager’s most calming guidance. The journey starts right now.
A Family Tradition – Old School Florida Smuggling, Chapter 2
Robert C. Hutchinson
February 14, 2020
The evolution of drug smuggling and related crimes in south Florida can be viewed through one family and their many criminal associates. The Barker Family entered the smuggling business in the 1970s and transitioned from marijuana to cocaine and illegal aliens by the 1990s. Through drug and alien loads, broad
Small Steps Toward Long-Term Power Outage Preparedness
Deborah Link
January 29, 2020
Although a long-term, widespread power outage may not be a top priority in community preparedness plans, many communities have considered the devastating effects of such a scenario. A long-term power outage, for the purpose of this article, is defined as one that lasts from the time regular and emergency resources
Family Child Care Emergency Preparedness
Jillian Ritter
January 22, 2020
Many families depend on child care providers to care for their children so parents can work and go to school. Parents often choose family child care because of the appeal of a home-like environment, smaller group sizes, and greater opportunity for flexible hours. However, they must be equipped with information
Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks: Paris Attacks of 2015
Robert Mueck
January 15, 2020
On 21 October 2019, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office announced that the investigation into the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, France, had concluded. It took French authorities four years to complete the investigation. The attacks targeted outdoor cafes, a stadium, and a concert hall – resulting in 130 deaths and
Looking Ahead – Future of the Strategic National Stockpile
Greg Burel
December 25, 2019
This year marks 20 years since Congress established the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), originally named the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile, in preparation for the year 2000. The intent was to arm the country against possible terrorist threats that could disrupt the U.S. medical supply chain. With a $51 million appropriation and
Data-Driven Emergency Management
Terry Hastings, Patrick Campion and Mathew Curran
December 18, 2019
As the discipline has evolved, data and quantitative analytics are becoming a bigger part of emergency management. This trend is likely to continue as technology and data become more available. Current and future emergency managers need to understand data and how it can be used to support all phases of
Drugs, Homelessness & a Growing Public Health Disaster
Paula Gordon
December 11, 2019
Conditions of squalor, which may be found in a refugee settlement or on the streets of a third world country, appear to be rapidly increasing in certain places in the United States over the past several years. This phenomenon is evident not only in a growing number of cities in
Domestic Terrorism – Defining a Real Threat
Richard Schoeberl and Anthony (Tony) Mottola
November 13, 2019
Over the past two decades, the United States has focused heavily on preventing attacks from Islamic terrorism movements – or those inspired by these movements. However, recent attacks in the United States over the past few years have prompted much debate on how to combat the threat of domestic terrorism.
Post-Disaster Death Figures Do Not Tell the Whole Story
James M. Rush Sr.
November 6, 2019
In any disaster, there is a cost beyond the immediate mortality figures following a disaster due to a lack of proper medical supplies and treatment in mass care shelters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a weekly “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” which serves as a clearinghouse for
Overcoming Healthcare Challenges & Finding Solutions
Catherine L. Feinman
October 30, 2019
The healthcare industry presents many challenges for emergency preparedness professionals. The planning process for a major crisis involves numerous stakeholders, each with their own plans and procedures. Emergency medical services and hospitals, in particular, are tasked with managing dynamic, ever-changing environments that are difficult to predict. A medical surge could
The Value of Crisis Communications
Anthony S. Mangeri
October 23, 2019
The role of the emergency management systems is to bring calm to chaos. The role of the public information officer (PIO) is to disseminate information that is credible, accurate, and reliable. It is a critical component of the initial response to meet the informational needs of residents – trusted, credible
Overcoming Challenges of Hospital Preparedness Plans
Stephen Gibson
October 16, 2019
Transitioning from public sector emergency management for a large city to emergency management for a private sector hospital is not easy. The fundamentals of emergency preparedness are the same, but the hospital setting has unique challenges. Each day, there are different numbers of people within the hospital. Some days, the
The Early Years: Shaping a National Stockpile for Preparedness
Greg Burel
October 9, 2019
In today’s emergency response landscape, public health jurisdictions across the United States rely on the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) when incidents prove large enough or severe enough to deplete medicines and supplies needed to protect communities. In just 20 years, the SNS – now managed by the U.S. Department of
Opioid Epidemic & Narcan’s Unintended Consequences
Andrew R. Roszak
October 2, 2019
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency related to the opioid crisis. Indeed, overdoses and deaths from opioids have skyrocketed over the past decade. In 2017, deaths from opioids were six times higher than in 1999. Opioids impact the quality of life
Trauma-Informed Crisis Management
Michael Ross
September 25, 2019
There is a growing industry of “realistic active shooter” drills. Many are focused on teaching participants how to “survive” an event. These drills involve imitation attacks, physical confrontations, fake weapons, and simulated deaths. Some of these drills have led to actual shootings, people being locked in closets or storage rooms,
Integrating Jurisdiction Plans
Allen B. King III
September 18, 2019
Guidance for developing an integrated, coordinated, and synchronized emergency operations plan (EOP) is provided in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101). Although many emergency managers consider the EOP the foundation of emergency and disaster plans, CPG 101 acknowledges that it is not the only plan that supports emergency management within
Life Support – Ensuring Proper Regulation of the Electric Grid
Michael Mabee
September 11, 2019
With few exceptions, human beings in the United States are literally on life support – plugged in to the electric grid. If that connection is unplugged, everything necessary to sustain the human population stops, including: food, water, fuel, transportation, medical resources, communications, and financial resources. According to a 28 March
Government Shutdowns: Emergencies, Disasters, or Expected Events
Kay C. Goss
September 4, 2019
The 35-day government shutdown of 2018-2019 became the longest in U.S. government history. Food banks, firefighters, and community services agencies ramped up their food and other care services. Much like during natural disasters, a significant number of federal workers and contractors did not have sufficient savings to cover expenses during
Emergency Animal Sheltering Options
Richard Green and Timothy Perciful
August 28, 2019
Article Out Loud When there is a need for sheltering animals, there are several options – each comes with advantages and disadvantages. Conditions, agency policies, experiences, resources, or timing typically drive the decision as to what type of shelter is used. Regardless of the type of shelter utilized, the primary
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