Most recently published
Situational Awareness & How to Obtain It
Jason Pagan
January 16, 2019
Emergency management is a dynamic field filled with numerous personalities managing ever-changing environments. Some emergency managers handle disastrous events on a yearly basis compared with others who go their entire careers without facing a single disaster. They maneuver unique political landscapes, manage robust emergency management offices, or work in offices
Crisis Leadership â Doing More With Less
Terry Hastings
January 9, 2019
During a crisis, leaders must be able to adapt and operate in an uncertain environment. In doing so, leaders are required to make more consequential and challenging decisions with less information and less time to decide. They also have fewer options to consider and likely garner more scrutiny for their
Trauma Lessons Learned From a School Shooting
Robert C. Hutchinson
December 26, 2018
At the end of the school day on 14 February 2018, a former student entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS) in Parkland, Florida, and committed a mass murder on the campus that forever changed numerous lives and an entire community. During the attack, 17 students and staff were killed
Gene Drives â An Emerging Terrorist Threat
Richard Schoeberl
December 19, 2018
Conventional acts of terrorism will likely never fade away, and advancements in technology will continually raise concerns for governments and global security practitioners. The increasing threat and possibility of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) use is evolving. Terrorist groups are actively seeking materials and the expertise to manufacture
Environmental Health â Profoundly Local & Profoundly Useful
David T. Dyjack
December 12, 2018
Nutrition, community resilience, and poverty are just a few factors that are of great importance to public health professionals, which include representatives for maternal and child health, preparedness, nutrition, epidemiology, and land use planning, among others. However, the second largest segment of the public health workforce â the environmental health
Combating Pandemic Threats â Global Health Security Agenda
Gary Flory
December 5, 2018
On 6-8 November 2018, global health leaders from around the globe met in Bali, Indonesia, for the 5th Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting. At the meeting, the GHSA launched a five-year plan to address health security issues called GHSA 2024 and U.S. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary
Food Safety Alert: Recurring E. Coli Outbreaks
Gagandeep Gill and Lindsay Fahnestock
November 28, 2018
Food is essential to life. Its production, distribution, and consumption present unique â and increasingly urgent â economic and public health challenges. Roughly 50% of the worldâs assets, 50% of global employment, and 50% of consumer expenditures are related to the food system. Closer to home, the second and third
Ebola Outbreak in the DRC Commentary
The Global Health Security Alliance
November 26, 2018
On 6 November 2018, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested the current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) might not be contained due to lack of cooperation from local communities and an unstable security situation. Assertions
Courses That Mirror Real-World Ebola Outbreak
The Center for Domestic Preparedness
November 14, 2018
When faced with cases of highly infectious diseases, emergency responders and medical receivers need to know how to protect themselves and prevent the disease from spreading to others. One training facility is focusing on this topic with courses that instruct healthcare workers and other responders about infection-control barrier guidelines and
The Importance of Swift Water Rescue Teams
Allison Knox
November 7, 2018
Emergency management is a complex, collaborative network of agencies, levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers coming together following a disaster. In addition to general plans and practices that can be applied to many emergency responses, some emergencies require more specialized training that may not be available in every jurisdiction.
Planning for Animals in an Emergency Management Strategy
Heather Kitchen
October 31, 2018
Throughout history, animals and pets have held varying degrees of importance to the people who care for them. They have been worshipped, raised for food, served as co-workers on farms, or just loved as companions. Regardless of their âworth,â when something disrupts the ability to care for those animals, outside
Modern Responses to Todayâs Disasters
Catherine L. Feinman
October 31, 2018
Disaster plans of previous generations do not adequately reflect the risks, threats, and needs of modern society. Changing demographics, aging populations, and increasing natural and human-caused disasters each reinforce the need for emergency and disaster preparedness professionals to gain the knowledge and training needed to make informed decisions to mitigate
Balancing Privacy & School Safety Within FERPA
Robert C. Hutchinson
January 23, 2019
On 2 January 2019, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission (MSDHSPSC) released its initial report. The commission report addressed many critical issues and lessons learned within its 15 chapters. The chapter on information sharing discussed the actual or perceived restrictions from privacy laws such as the Family
Situational Awareness & How to Obtain It
Jason Pagan
January 16, 2019
Emergency management is a dynamic field filled with numerous personalities managing ever-changing environments. Some emergency managers handle disastrous events on a yearly basis compared with others who go their entire careers without facing a single disaster. They maneuver unique political landscapes, manage robust emergency management offices, or work in offices
Crisis Leadership â Doing More With Less
Terry Hastings
January 9, 2019
During a crisis, leaders must be able to adapt and operate in an uncertain environment. In doing so, leaders are required to make more consequential and challenging decisions with less information and less time to decide. They also have fewer options to consider and likely garner more scrutiny for their
Trauma Lessons Learned From a School Shooting
Robert C. Hutchinson
December 26, 2018
At the end of the school day on 14 February 2018, a former student entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSDHS) in Parkland, Florida, and committed a mass murder on the campus that forever changed numerous lives and an entire community. During the attack, 17 students and staff were killed
Gene Drives â An Emerging Terrorist Threat
Richard Schoeberl
December 19, 2018
Conventional acts of terrorism will likely never fade away, and advancements in technology will continually raise concerns for governments and global security practitioners. The increasing threat and possibility of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) use is evolving. Terrorist groups are actively seeking materials and the expertise to manufacture
Environmental Health â Profoundly Local & Profoundly Useful
David T. Dyjack
December 12, 2018
Nutrition, community resilience, and poverty are just a few factors that are of great importance to public health professionals, which include representatives for maternal and child health, preparedness, nutrition, epidemiology, and land use planning, among others. However, the second largest segment of the public health workforce â the environmental health
Combating Pandemic Threats â Global Health Security Agenda
Gary Flory
December 5, 2018
On 6-8 November 2018, global health leaders from around the globe met in Bali, Indonesia, for the 5th Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting. At the meeting, the GHSA launched a five-year plan to address health security issues called GHSA 2024 and U.S. Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary
Food Safety Alert: Recurring E. Coli Outbreaks
Gagandeep Gill and Lindsay Fahnestock
November 28, 2018
Food is essential to life. Its production, distribution, and consumption present unique â and increasingly urgent â economic and public health challenges. Roughly 50% of the worldâs assets, 50% of global employment, and 50% of consumer expenditures are related to the food system. Closer to home, the second and third
Ebola Outbreak in the DRC Commentary
The Global Health Security Alliance
November 26, 2018
On 6 November 2018, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested the current Ebola outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) might not be contained due to lack of cooperation from local communities and an unstable security situation. Assertions
Courses That Mirror Real-World Ebola Outbreak
The Center for Domestic Preparedness
November 14, 2018
When faced with cases of highly infectious diseases, emergency responders and medical receivers need to know how to protect themselves and prevent the disease from spreading to others. One training facility is focusing on this topic with courses that instruct healthcare workers and other responders about infection-control barrier guidelines and
The Importance of Swift Water Rescue Teams
Allison Knox
November 7, 2018
Emergency management is a complex, collaborative network of agencies, levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers coming together following a disaster. In addition to general plans and practices that can be applied to many emergency responses, some emergencies require more specialized training that may not be available in every jurisdiction.
Planning for Animals in an Emergency Management Strategy
Heather Kitchen
October 31, 2018
Throughout history, animals and pets have held varying degrees of importance to the people who care for them. They have been worshipped, raised for food, served as co-workers on farms, or just loved as companions. Regardless of their âworth,â when something disrupts the ability to care for those animals, outside
The Opioid Crisis & Its Impact on Public Safety
Catherine L. Feinman
October 17, 2018
The United States is in the midst of an epidemic of addiction to opioids and fentanyl. On 18 September 2018, DomPrep hosted a roundtable discussion at MedStar NRH Rehabilitation Network in Washington, DC, to discuss this threat. The three-hour conversation led by Craig DeAtley, PA-C, emergency manager for MedStar System,
The Value of Knowledge & Training in Response Operations
Anthony S. Mangeri
October 10, 2018
In todayâs emergency service professions, it is essential to master the core knowledge necessary to understand the research and emerging technology that guide incident response. To become truly prepared to respond, each emergency professional must take the time to develop the knowledge to manage the threat and initiate response operations.
Active Threat Response in Nashua, New Hampshire
Mark Hastings
October 3, 2018
Prior to 2013, the active threat plans in Nashua, New Hampshire (NH), consisted of separate responses by law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS). There was no coordinated plan. Involvement with area hospitals was not considered other than receiving patients. The Nashua Police SWAT Team and the Nashua Office
Special Edition: School Security
Robert Boyd
October 2, 2018
In 2017, the Secure Schools Alliance (the Alliance) began a unique relationship with the DomPrep Journal. The goal was to raise awareness of the need to improve K-12 school security within the emergency preparedness community. This special reprint edition is a compilation of this effort, beginning with the macro argument
FEMA Challenges & Responses, 2017-2018
Kay C. Goss
September 26, 2018
The overall goal of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), emergency management programs, and the profession of emergency management is to have the disaster system be federally supported, state managed, and locally executed. FEMA maintains a delicate and fragile balance between leading and nurturing this enormous system and this exciting
Control System Cybersecurity Concerns
Joseph Weiss
September 12, 2018
The U.S. electric grid, which was designed more than 100 years ago, consists of control systems and field equipment. The grid was originally designed with large central station generation â for example, coal, oil, nuclear, natural gas, hydro â with transmission and distribution substations to deliver electricity to the end
Introducing the âACTâ Crisis Management Framework
Terry Hastings
September 5, 2018
There is no shortage of crisis management tools and concepts, yet individuals and organizations often still struggle to respond effectively when a crisis occurs. There are likely numerous reasons for this, but one challenge stems from an inability to operationalize the key concepts during a crisis. It can be helpful
Disasters â Seeing the Big Picture
Catherine L. Feinman
August 29, 2018
Stakeholders in each discipline are tasked with protecting their industriesâ assets and resources from potential risks and threats. However, each industry is interdependent on numerous other industries and their preparedness practices. The âwhole communityâ concept encompasses the âall for one and one for allâ motto. Together, communities can build strength
Combating the Single Point of Failure
Dana A. Goward
August 22, 2018
On 25-26 January 2016, many first responder radio systems across North America reported faults. The U.S. government received similar reports from cellular networks and digital broadcast companies around the world. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight safety system called ADS-B was also out of service for several hours. Some systems
Technology Behind the Next Heat Emergency
Tashawn Brown
August 15, 2018
According to the National Weather Service, there were 107 fatalities across the United States related to heat in 2017 â more than the deaths related to tornados, hurricanes, and cold weather combined. Local emergency management agencies must work closely with the National Weather Service â as well as other agencies and organizations
Managing Crisis & Disaster in a Connected Digital World
Wayne Bergeron
August 8, 2018
#SafetyBeforeSelfie â Please make sure to exit the burning building before texting, tweeting, posting, or live streaming about it. Surprisingly, the current security and emergency management (EM) environment that exists both in the public and increasingly in the private sector may necessitate such emergency warning statements as part of EM
Planning Needed â Climate Change Impact on Animals
Johanna Rahkonen and Richard Green
August 1, 2018
Animal populations will be uniquely impacted by the increasing, changing, and compounding disasters attributed to the rapidly advancing effects of climate change. Companion animals will face displacement, livestock will suffer from physiological stressors, and wildlife may face localized extinctions. Animals from all sectors may experience increased instances of negative health
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