Most recently published
Railroad Ties Communities Together
James Metzger
February 24, 2016
With Amtrak’s rail lines spanning communities across the United States (and parts of Canada), it is in a prime position to engage the whole community and to build national resilience. Planning, training, and educational efforts provide a way to bring employees, passengers, and other community stakeholders into the preparedness
Public Health Preparedness Realities
Raphael M. Barishansky and Seth Komansky
February 17, 2016
The term “situational awareness” typically conjures images of emergency responders on the scene of a complex incident with many emergency vehicles and various levels of activity, both command and operationally oriented. Public health normally does not enter into the equation, but perhaps it is time to change that thinking.
State of Preparedness 2016: Children & Child Care
Andrew R. Roszak
February 10, 2016
By 30 September 2016, all states will be required to create child care disaster plans under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, which include procedures for facilities to: evacuate; relocate; shelter-in-place; lock-down; communicate; reunify families; continue operations; and accommodate infants, toddlers, and children with additional physical, mental, or
Status of Preparedness: Emergency Medical Services
Seth Komansky
February 10, 2016
Responders in the pre-hospital emergency medical field must be in a state of readiness at all times. Working on the front lines of an emergency incident requires the ability to leverage external resources, the determination to harden operations, and the skillfulness to manage patient surge.
Fire Department Preparedness Made Simple
Michael E. Cox Jr.
February 9, 2016
In the fire service, it is time for leaders to think strategically, challenge long-held assumptions, and move beyond the “norm,” to ensure that their communities are fully prepared for any emergency or incident they may encounter. This can be achieved through careful planning, effective communication, and extensive training.
Emergency Management: The State of Preparedness
Kay C. Goss
February 3, 2016
The United States has built a solid foundation for emergency preparedness, which is based on the whole community concept of bringing together all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public. By working together and building strong leaders, the nation can withstand the many natural and human-caused
Development of Metrics for Personal Preparedness
Shannan Saunders, Jeff Hayes, Daniel Ellis, Dolph Diemont, Megan Chamberlain, Bruce Lockwood, Randy Robertson and Meloyde Batten-Mickens
January 27, 2016
Many emergency management agencies provide valuable information to assist individuals within their communities to prepare for a variety of disasters. However, a method for measuring the success of such programs is needed to determine their effectiveness and to develop new programs to ensure community resilience.
What the ‘Whole Community’ Means to the Whole Community
Richard Serino and Jennifer Grimes
January 27, 2016
Disaster response involves the whole community. To support a united effort, leaders must build a network of trust, establish a history and habit of cooperation, and learn the goals and vulnerabilities of stakeholders. By asking a few key questions, leaders can expand the sphere of their preparedness, response, and recovery
Whole Community – A Five-Year Look Back
Catherine L. Feinman
January 27, 2016
Over the past five years, the term “Whole Community” has become a common catch phrase. However, the question is, “How well is this concept being implemented?” On 16 November 2015, DomPrep hosted a roundtable discussion with subject matter experts to answer this question and share key takeaways and suggestions for
Four Steps to Improve Whole Community
Vincent B. Davis
January 20, 2016
The whole community concept has come a long way over the past five years, but it is time for the mission focus and community outreach to change with the changing needs of the target populations. To effectively make these changes, the effort will require establishing measurable benchmarks and creatively collaborating
Bleeding Control – The Next Step in Active Shooter Guidance
Birch X. Barron
January 20, 2016
Military methods used for bleeding control on the battlefield can be just as effective on the scene of an active shooter, terrorist attack, or other mass casualty incident. It is time to teach these methods to anyone who may someday find himself or herself in a position to save a
Animals as Part of the Whole Community
Anne McCann and Richard Green
January 20, 2016
Animal issues are people issues. As such, all species household pets, service and assistance animals, agricultural animals/livestock, wildlife, and other animals (including zoo animals, shelter animals, and animals used in medical research) – must be an integral part of a community’s disaster plan at the local, state, and federal levels.
The Continuity Gap
Vincent B. Davis
February 24, 2016
Corporate confusion could spell a disastrous response in a crisis. To dispel such confusion, companies should have an emergency manager on staff, ensure that employees are well prepared, and recognize that managing daily business operations is not the same as managing response and recovery operations after a disaster.Business continuity and
Railroad Ties Communities Together
James Metzger
February 24, 2016
With Amtrak’s rail lines spanning communities across the United States (and parts of Canada), it is in a prime position to engage the whole community and to build national resilience. Planning, training, and educational efforts provide a way to bring employees, passengers, and other community stakeholders into the preparedness
Public Health Preparedness Realities
Raphael M. Barishansky and Seth Komansky
February 17, 2016
The term “situational awareness” typically conjures images of emergency responders on the scene of a complex incident with many emergency vehicles and various levels of activity, both command and operationally oriented. Public health normally does not enter into the equation, but perhaps it is time to change that thinking.
State of Preparedness 2016: Children & Child Care
Andrew R. Roszak
February 10, 2016
By 30 September 2016, all states will be required to create child care disaster plans under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act, which include procedures for facilities to: evacuate; relocate; shelter-in-place; lock-down; communicate; reunify families; continue operations; and accommodate infants, toddlers, and children with additional physical, mental, or
Status of Preparedness: Emergency Medical Services
Seth Komansky
February 10, 2016
Responders in the pre-hospital emergency medical field must be in a state of readiness at all times. Working on the front lines of an emergency incident requires the ability to leverage external resources, the determination to harden operations, and the skillfulness to manage patient surge.
Fire Department Preparedness Made Simple
Michael E. Cox Jr.
February 9, 2016
In the fire service, it is time for leaders to think strategically, challenge long-held assumptions, and move beyond the “norm,” to ensure that their communities are fully prepared for any emergency or incident they may encounter. This can be achieved through careful planning, effective communication, and extensive training.
Emergency Management: The State of Preparedness
Kay C. Goss
February 3, 2016
The United States has built a solid foundation for emergency preparedness, which is based on the whole community concept of bringing together all levels of government, the private and nonprofit sectors, and the public. By working together and building strong leaders, the nation can withstand the many natural and human-caused
Development of Metrics for Personal Preparedness
Shannan Saunders, Jeff Hayes, Daniel Ellis, Dolph Diemont, Megan Chamberlain, Bruce Lockwood, Randy Robertson and Meloyde Batten-Mickens
January 27, 2016
Many emergency management agencies provide valuable information to assist individuals within their communities to prepare for a variety of disasters. However, a method for measuring the success of such programs is needed to determine their effectiveness and to develop new programs to ensure community resilience.
What the ‘Whole Community’ Means to the Whole Community
Richard Serino and Jennifer Grimes
January 27, 2016
Disaster response involves the whole community. To support a united effort, leaders must build a network of trust, establish a history and habit of cooperation, and learn the goals and vulnerabilities of stakeholders. By asking a few key questions, leaders can expand the sphere of their preparedness, response, and recovery
Whole Community – A Five-Year Look Back
Catherine L. Feinman
January 27, 2016
Over the past five years, the term “Whole Community” has become a common catch phrase. However, the question is, “How well is this concept being implemented?” On 16 November 2015, DomPrep hosted a roundtable discussion with subject matter experts to answer this question and share key takeaways and suggestions for
Four Steps to Improve Whole Community
Vincent B. Davis
January 20, 2016
The whole community concept has come a long way over the past five years, but it is time for the mission focus and community outreach to change with the changing needs of the target populations. To effectively make these changes, the effort will require establishing measurable benchmarks and creatively collaborating
Bleeding Control – The Next Step in Active Shooter Guidance
Birch X. Barron
January 20, 2016
Military methods used for bleeding control on the battlefield can be just as effective on the scene of an active shooter, terrorist attack, or other mass casualty incident. It is time to teach these methods to anyone who may someday find himself or herself in a position to save a
Ignoring Spontaneous Volunteers – Not an Option
Chelsea Firth
January 13, 2016
Managing spontaneous volunteers following a disaster can be challenging, but may prove beneficial for a community’s response and recovery efforts. A new project is being conducted throughout 2016 to create an outreach and education strategy for harnessing this valuable resource.
Innovations in Healthcare Disaster Management for Veterans
Jessica Wambach Brown
January 12, 2016
Although fewer than 40 percent of U.S. veterans receive care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the agency strives to have broad access to reliable medical care during a disaster. The Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center and its partners are exploring ways to improve healthcare resilience both inside
Children as the Catalyst for Change
Yuri Graves
January 6, 2016
The smallest members of a community have the potential to make the biggest changes. Smokey Bear was created in the 1940s to help prevent forest fires. “Duck and Cover” was created in 1951 to teach personal protection in case of a nuclear explosion. The 2010s need a new campaign to
Uncertain Impact of Critical Biosecurity Reports
Robert C. Hutchinson
January 6, 2016
Although many lessons have been learned from Ebola and other infectious diseases, planning needs are quickly diverted when the previous threat is overshadowed by another emerging or re-emerging disease, or other homeland security threat. However, without adequate prioritization, planning, and preparedness, the nation may be set for failure when the
Training Programs & National Preparedness: An Analysis
Brandon J. Pugh
December 23, 2015
There is a positive relationship between first responder training and national preparedness. A comprehensive examination of three different models shows that training is an invaluable component of homeland security. These key findings summarize detailed analysis conducted on the links between training, response capabilities, and funding.
Overcoming Notification Systems Challenges
William (Bill) Betcher
December 23, 2015
Emergency response, information technology, and healthcare communications are three scenarios in which notification systems play a critical role. Recent disasters have demonstrated the benefits of crowdsourcing during response efforts, so notification systems are leveraging this responsiveness through two-way communication technology that can both disseminate and receive information.
The Art of Awareness for Emergency Medical Calls
Seth Komansky and Raphael M. Barishansky
December 23, 2015
Civilian responders have successfully acquired many skills that were originally developed by military services. Situational awareness is one such skill that would be beneficial to adapt to the civilian members of the emergency medical services. Maintaining a heightened sense of awareness would help responders stay “in the loop.”
Bioterrorism in a Technologically Advanced World
Christina M. Flowers
December 16, 2015
Recent advances in genetics, genomics, and biotechnology could have devastating implications for bioweapons and genetically engineered diseases. As such, these developments raise the question of whether it makes sense to pull attention away from “classic” biothreat targets, in favor of more technologically advanced options. Immediacy and ease of use may
Reimagining Epidemic Communications
Renske Erion, Emily Grubert, Simon Mosbah, Michelle Munyikwa, Biswajit Paul and Christine Tran
December 16, 2015
In the first week of December 2015, professionals involved in epidemic preparedness at the national level participated in a forum convened by graduate students from Emerging Leaders in Science and Society (ELISS), a leadership development program hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in Washington, D.C.
Climate Change Presents an Emerging, Dynamic Set of Hazards
Jeffrey Rubin
December 9, 2015
Despite ongoing political controversy about climate change, one leading organization released a position statement that supports scientific research on weather extremes, which are some of the visible indicators of a changing climate. Changes in weather and habitats need to be addressed to mitigate the potential negative consequences to health and
Forging New Partnerships for Healthcare Preparedness
Jessica Wambach Brown
December 9, 2015
In the first week of December 2015, more than 1,000 professionals in healthcare-related organizations, emergency management agencies, public health departments, emergency medical services (EMS), nongovernmental organizations, and academia met in San Diego, California, to discuss ways to bolster partnerships within and between these disparate groups.
Food for Thought: Emergency Shelters & Food Allergies
Andrew R. Roszak
December 9, 2015
When one peanut has the ability to kill, it is necessary to examine the practices and procedures used in public yet confined spaces such as emergency shelters. By following simple steps, emergency managers are able to perform shelter operations while limiting exposure to allergens and contaminants that could turn a
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