Most recently published
Key Bridge Collapse: Unity of Effort
Michael Prasad
May 22, 2024
As the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse continues in Baltimore, Maryland, the unity of effort among the many agencies and organizations involved has facilitated the progress. Together, they have been addressing the priorities of life safety, incident stabilization, property and asset protection, environmental and economic restoration, and
The Psychology of Crisis
Mary Schoenfeldt
May 22, 2024
The psychological side of a disaster or other impactful event is a critical component of crisis management. However, many people still do not fully understand the predictable phases and patterns that could help them take the appropriate steps or actions to move through the crisis and mitigate its impact. Understanding
Resilience-Based CI and Domestic Preparedness: A Long-Overdue Imperative
Jeff Gaynor
May 15, 2024
For decades, preparedness leaders have known and publicly warned about the rapidly growing and metastasizing threats to and exploitable vulnerabilities of U.S. critical infrastructure (CI). Ongoing iterations of the 1990s-era CI status quo (i.e., cybersecurity- and protection-focused efforts) have proven no match for the existing, much less looming, threats to
Shielding Communities: Public Health Strategies for Natural Hazards
Raphael M. Barishansky and Andrew D. Pickett
May 15, 2024
Public health risks are common concerns when natural hazards occur. However, history shows that the increasing frequency of events and growing population sizes have been increasing the scale of events and the needs of affected populations. To mitigate complex public health challenges, personnel across disciplines must plan, coordinate, and develop
Elegant Community Preparation
Aaron Titus
May 8, 2024
Elegant community preparation means having a process that makes disaster planning efforts simpler for community members. By collaboratively focusing on novel factors in an easily understood way, individuals and families can better prepare for any disaster or disruption.
Navigating the Seismic Dance: Preparedness in the Ring of Fire
Alicia Johnson
May 8, 2024
The Pacific Ring of Fire, a moniker that evokes images of volatility and destruction, is not merely a geographic term but a constant reminder of humans’ vulnerability to the earth’s whims. Learn about the multifaceted nature of earthquake risks and delineate the indispensable role organizations play in mitigating the impacts
National Security: A Range of Threats
Anthony (Tony) Mottola and Richard Schoeberl
May 1, 2024
From organized foreign terrorist groups to homegrown terrorists inspired by them, members of the intelligence community have indicated that the threat of attack inside the U.S. has increased to its highest point since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Communities must explore solutions to meet the ongoing challenges and
Preparing for the Next Public Health Emergency
Catherine L. Feinman
April 24, 2024
Public health is not just about pandemics but also about a wide range of threats that can affect the health and well-being of communities. In this April edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, practitioners share ways to prepare for the next public health emergency.
Sustaining Those Working in Disasters
Jolie Wills
April 24, 2024
Those working in emergency response roles can face periods of prolonged stress, which takes a toll on their health and well-being. It is important to know how to support them before, during, and after emergencies and disasters. By taking a hazards approach, leaders and their teams will be better equipped
The Missing Plague Vials
Robert C. Hutchinson
April 17, 2024
A true story of missing bubonic plague vials, an airport bomb threat, and other suspicious activities again demonstrate continued national and homeland security vulnerabilities and threats. Perspectives may differ, but the concerns are real and provide an opportunity to learn and prepare.
Primary Care Investments to Increase Community Resilience
Angie Im
April 17, 2024
Community health centers are medical lifelines for millions of Americans. However, financial constraints and healthcare workforce challenges strain these critical resources. New initiatives and additional investments can help communities be more resilient and continue to meet community needs during a crisis.
Mental Awareness to Enhance Preparedness
Andrew (Andy) Altizer
April 17, 2024
Emergency managers, public health officials, and first responders often stress the importance of physical fitness, but what about mental fitness? Without focused mental agility in even one of the emergency management phases, mistakes or subpar performance are likely. Learn about this author’s new acronym that can help prioritize mental health
A Critical Imperative for Natural Hazards
Sandra Dennis-Essig
May 29, 2024
As the number and size of natural hazards increase across the globe, communities can take a comprehensive preparedness approach to mitigate their potentially devastating effects. By integrating the intricate interrelations of physical, social, economic, and environmental factors, communities can better withstand, adapt to, and recover from the shocks and stresses
Key Bridge Collapse: Unity of Effort
Michael Prasad
May 22, 2024
As the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse continues in Baltimore, Maryland, the unity of effort among the many agencies and organizations involved has facilitated the progress. Together, they have been addressing the priorities of life safety, incident stabilization, property and asset protection, environmental and economic restoration, and
The Psychology of Crisis
Mary Schoenfeldt
May 22, 2024
The psychological side of a disaster or other impactful event is a critical component of crisis management. However, many people still do not fully understand the predictable phases and patterns that could help them take the appropriate steps or actions to move through the crisis and mitigate its impact. Understanding
Resilience-Based CI and Domestic Preparedness: A Long-Overdue Imperative
Jeff Gaynor
May 15, 2024
For decades, preparedness leaders have known and publicly warned about the rapidly growing and metastasizing threats to and exploitable vulnerabilities of U.S. critical infrastructure (CI). Ongoing iterations of the 1990s-era CI status quo (i.e., cybersecurity- and protection-focused efforts) have proven no match for the existing, much less looming, threats to
Shielding Communities: Public Health Strategies for Natural Hazards
Raphael M. Barishansky and Andrew D. Pickett
May 15, 2024
Public health risks are common concerns when natural hazards occur. However, history shows that the increasing frequency of events and growing population sizes have been increasing the scale of events and the needs of affected populations. To mitigate complex public health challenges, personnel across disciplines must plan, coordinate, and develop
Elegant Community Preparation
Aaron Titus
May 8, 2024
Elegant community preparation means having a process that makes disaster planning efforts simpler for community members. By collaboratively focusing on novel factors in an easily understood way, individuals and families can better prepare for any disaster or disruption.
Navigating the Seismic Dance: Preparedness in the Ring of Fire
Alicia Johnson
May 8, 2024
The Pacific Ring of Fire, a moniker that evokes images of volatility and destruction, is not merely a geographic term but a constant reminder of humans’ vulnerability to the earth’s whims. Learn about the multifaceted nature of earthquake risks and delineate the indispensable role organizations play in mitigating the impacts
National Security: A Range of Threats
Anthony (Tony) Mottola and Richard Schoeberl
May 1, 2024
From organized foreign terrorist groups to homegrown terrorists inspired by them, members of the intelligence community have indicated that the threat of attack inside the U.S. has increased to its highest point since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Communities must explore solutions to meet the ongoing challenges and
Preparing for the Next Public Health Emergency
Catherine L. Feinman
April 24, 2024
Public health is not just about pandemics but also about a wide range of threats that can affect the health and well-being of communities. In this April edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, practitioners share ways to prepare for the next public health emergency.
Sustaining Those Working in Disasters
Jolie Wills
April 24, 2024
Those working in emergency response roles can face periods of prolonged stress, which takes a toll on their health and well-being. It is important to know how to support them before, during, and after emergencies and disasters. By taking a hazards approach, leaders and their teams will be better equipped
The Missing Plague Vials
Robert C. Hutchinson
April 17, 2024
A true story of missing bubonic plague vials, an airport bomb threat, and other suspicious activities again demonstrate continued national and homeland security vulnerabilities and threats. Perspectives may differ, but the concerns are real and provide an opportunity to learn and prepare.
Primary Care Investments to Increase Community Resilience
Angie Im
April 17, 2024
Community health centers are medical lifelines for millions of Americans. However, financial constraints and healthcare workforce challenges strain these critical resources. New initiatives and additional investments can help communities be more resilient and continue to meet community needs during a crisis.
Dungeons and Disasters: Gamification of Public Health Responses
Michael Etzel and Michael Prasad
April 10, 2024
New technologies offer new ways to train personnel and exercise public health responses like COVID-19 and prepare response agencies for many other threats and hazards. Gamification integrates realistic scenarios in a controlled environment that can enhance community capabilities and build interagency collaboration and coordination. Learn more about this training and
Interoperability During Mass Casualty Incidents
Charles J. Guddemi and Catherine L. Feinman
April 3, 2024
During a mass casualty incident, response agencies must be able to communicate in real-time. This means that interoperability plans need to include everyone involved in the response. One lesson learned from past incidents is that hospitals are an often overlooked “responder.” Learn what one agency is doing to close this
Week 2 – Restoring Infrastructure and Instilling Resilience
Joseph J. Leonard Jr.
April 1, 2024
The Key Bridge collapse was not the first of its kind, and it will not be the last. However, there are measures community leaders can take to strengthen infrastructure and instill resilience. Understanding the short-term and long-term goals after such an incident would help Baltimore and other communities restore the
An Editor’s Personal Journey to Emergency Preparedness
Catherine L. Feinman
March 27, 2024
In honor of Women’s History Month, the March edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal features articles by inspirational women who, through their service and writing, are instrumental in building more prepared and resilient communities. The editor also shares her personal journey into emergency preparedness.
Emergency Management Goes to the Hill
Kay C. Goss and Catherine L. Feinman
March 27, 2024
Emergency managers work behind the scenes to ensure the safety, security, and resilience of communities before, during, and after a disaster. As the requests for assistance increase, funding is not meeting these demands. Leaders from three nationwide organizations went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for emergency management professionals and urge
The Evolution of Homeland Security Higher Education
Heather Issvoran
March 27, 2024
After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, homeland security education expanded to ensure that local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal agencies had the tools they needed to combat these threats. This academic leader shares how homeland security programs change to meet new challenges and evolving threats.
Key Bridge Collapse – Transportation Infrastructure and Global Supply Chain
Joseph J. Leonard Jr.
March 26, 2024
Any incident or event can easily disrupt the supply chain, whether local, regional, or international. Time will demonstrate the transportation, supply chain, and other critical impacts of the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Here are six recommendations to ensure the plans, training, resources, capabilities, and facilities to safeguard the nation’s
Gaining New Skills During Emergency Management Assistance Compact Assignments
Inés Bebea
March 20, 2024
Emergency management draws people from many backgrounds and career paths. Some enter the field directly from college, some as a second career, and others have circumstances that lead them to this career over time. Read inspiring stories that led three of these professionals to this growing field.
Recovery – “Coming Back” After Disasters and Emergencies
Kay C. Goss
March 20, 2024
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has spent decades preparing for and responding to disasters. Now, FEMA is revamping its recovery process. Learn about the current efforts from someone who was integrally involved in previous updates to the nation’s mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery operations.
April 2024 Eclipse – Moving From Planning Into Operations
Laurel J. Radow
March 13, 2024
On April 8, 2024, the path of the total solar eclipse will cross much of the middle section of the United States – from Mexico to Canada. As solar eclipse groups move from planning to operations, find out how emergency preparedness and response professionals can provide guidance to their community
Support and Planning Inside 911 Centers
Heather McGaffin
March 13, 2024
In an emergency, call 911. This simple instruction is easy to remember, but many do not know about the people, training, and technology required to make this lifesaving tool available 24-7. Learn about what happens inside the four walls of an emergency communications center and the strategic planning every community
Amateurs of Action – The Women of Radio
Desiree Baccus
March 6, 2024
Volunteers are transforming emergency preparedness with an inclusive, diverse movement of impactful community engagement. Explore the inspiring stories of some remarkable women breaking barriers and building resilient communication networks in the heart of amateur radio.
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