Most recently published
Civil Disturbance Resilience-Planning, Technology & Partnerships
Vincent B. Davis
June 3, 2015
A peaceful protest can quickly turn to violence, as was seen recently in Ferguson, Missouri, and in Baltimore, Maryland. One industry-leading company applied lessons learned from its previous experiences with civil unrest to ensure the safety of its personnel and promote resilience within the thousands of communities it serves.
How to Deploy an Ethical Cybercommunications Program
Anyck Turgeon
May 27, 2015
Cybercommunications 101: How to deploy an effective cybercommunications program as part of an emergency, disaster recovery, and business continuity effort. As more common, daily-use devices become automated, the risk of cybersabbotage and cyberattacks increases, so planners must take measures to prevent harm to their efforts, personnel, agencies, and organizations.
Football, Golf & an Integrated Public Safety Information Network
Janusz Wasiolek
May 27, 2015
Managing one large-scale special event can be a public safety challenge for any jurisdiction. However, when multiple events and hundreds of thousands of people converge in one area, communications between public safety officials is critical. Using the Homeland Security Information Network, officials in the greater Phoenix area kept the lines
InfraGard – Over 400 Sector Chiefs in 84 Chapters
Sheri Donahue
May 20, 2015
After receiving credible information about an al-Qaida threat to high-profile buildings where financial institutions were located, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shared that information through the InfraGard network. InfraGard then used the Sector Chief Program to rapidly disseminate the necessary details to the right people within those institutions.
Defining & Working With 21st Century Mass Media
Anthony S. Mangeri
May 19, 2015
Mass media can be allies or adversaries to emergency management agencies. The key for these agencies is to ensure that media outlets are sharing accurate public safety and incident-related information from trusted and reliable sources. This means that emergency managers must understand news media objectives and develop mutually beneficial working
What the Future Holds for Communications Interoperability
Steve Cohan
May 13, 2015
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 put a spotlight on the gaps that existed and, in many jurisdictions, still exist between public safety agencies. Although most preparedness professionals would agree that it is critical to have interoperable communications, there are factors that hinder achievement of this goal. With careful consideration, agencies
Gyrocopters & Other Rapidly Developing Threats
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
May 12, 2015
On 15 April 2015, a 61-year-old mailman from Florida breached restricted airspace over the nation’s capital and landed a gyrocopter on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol building. Although this event did not involve explosives or other hazardous materials, the next incident may not be benign. Communication gaps must
Critical Elements for Creating a Dialogue
Charles L. Werner
May 6, 2015
Accessing and sharing information between various agencies and organizations may be challenging, but are necessary for developing effective situational and operational awareness. The National Information Sharing Consortium (NISC) formalized an approach for such interagency communication. By operationalizing these capabilities, NISC creates dialogue and closes communication gaps.
Transitioning From Routine to Disaster
Tanya Ferraro
May 4, 2015
Public health agencies serve valuable roles and fill operational gaps that only they can perform. Planning and training within and between agencies are necessary for public health services to transition from daily operations to emergency response to a widespread pandemic, environmental hazard, or other critical public health threat.
Making Collaboration Work – Enablers & Barriers
Bruce Martin
April 29, 2015
The devastating tornado that destroyed thousands of homes in Joplin, Missouri, in May 2011 is a key example of successful preexisting collaboration and after-action team building among city officials, business and community leaders, and residents. Resilient communities: (a) define and nurture collaborative environments; (b) identify collaborative enablers and barriers; and
How One Enterprise Ensures Medical Products for Emergencies
David R. Howell and Joanna M. Prasher
April 28, 2015
Pandemic influenza, an aerosolized anthrax attack, a nuclear detonation, chemical or radiological exposure, and other known and emerging threats and disasters are all potential threats to the United States. To combat these, one enterprise – comprising many collaborating federal agencies – is preparing to provide the necessary medical products when
The Evolution of Planning for Animals in Disasters
Richard Green and Elizabeth Serca-Dominguez
April 22, 2015
A man runs into an evacuation zone to rescue his dog. A woman refuses to leave her home in the face of danger because she cannot find her cat. A family is turned away from a shelter because they do not want to leave their pets behind. In all of
How to Change Response Tactics in Times of Civil Unrest
Michael E. Cox Jr.
June 10, 2015
Unlike responses to hurricanes, floods, or other natural hazards, civil disturbances are more likely to place emergency responders in harm’s way as the situation rapidly and unpredictably changes. To avoid becoming a target for angry crowds with projectiles and gunfire, personnel within the area of active fighting or unrest must
Civil Disturbance Resilience-Planning, Technology & Partnerships
Vincent B. Davis
June 3, 2015
A peaceful protest can quickly turn to violence, as was seen recently in Ferguson, Missouri, and in Baltimore, Maryland. One industry-leading company applied lessons learned from its previous experiences with civil unrest to ensure the safety of its personnel and promote resilience within the thousands of communities it serves.
How to Deploy an Ethical Cybercommunications Program
Anyck Turgeon
May 27, 2015
Cybercommunications 101: How to deploy an effective cybercommunications program as part of an emergency, disaster recovery, and business continuity effort. As more common, daily-use devices become automated, the risk of cybersabbotage and cyberattacks increases, so planners must take measures to prevent harm to their efforts, personnel, agencies, and organizations.
Football, Golf & an Integrated Public Safety Information Network
Janusz Wasiolek
May 27, 2015
Managing one large-scale special event can be a public safety challenge for any jurisdiction. However, when multiple events and hundreds of thousands of people converge in one area, communications between public safety officials is critical. Using the Homeland Security Information Network, officials in the greater Phoenix area kept the lines
InfraGard – Over 400 Sector Chiefs in 84 Chapters
Sheri Donahue
May 20, 2015
After receiving credible information about an al-Qaida threat to high-profile buildings where financial institutions were located, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security shared that information through the InfraGard network. InfraGard then used the Sector Chief Program to rapidly disseminate the necessary details to the right people within those institutions.
Defining & Working With 21st Century Mass Media
Anthony S. Mangeri
May 19, 2015
Mass media can be allies or adversaries to emergency management agencies. The key for these agencies is to ensure that media outlets are sharing accurate public safety and incident-related information from trusted and reliable sources. This means that emergency managers must understand news media objectives and develop mutually beneficial working
What the Future Holds for Communications Interoperability
Steve Cohan
May 13, 2015
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 put a spotlight on the gaps that existed and, in many jurisdictions, still exist between public safety agencies. Although most preparedness professionals would agree that it is critical to have interoperable communications, there are factors that hinder achievement of this goal. With careful consideration, agencies
Gyrocopters & Other Rapidly Developing Threats
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
May 12, 2015
On 15 April 2015, a 61-year-old mailman from Florida breached restricted airspace over the nation’s capital and landed a gyrocopter on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol building. Although this event did not involve explosives or other hazardous materials, the next incident may not be benign. Communication gaps must
Critical Elements for Creating a Dialogue
Charles L. Werner
May 6, 2015
Accessing and sharing information between various agencies and organizations may be challenging, but are necessary for developing effective situational and operational awareness. The National Information Sharing Consortium (NISC) formalized an approach for such interagency communication. By operationalizing these capabilities, NISC creates dialogue and closes communication gaps.
Transitioning From Routine to Disaster
Tanya Ferraro
May 4, 2015
Public health agencies serve valuable roles and fill operational gaps that only they can perform. Planning and training within and between agencies are necessary for public health services to transition from daily operations to emergency response to a widespread pandemic, environmental hazard, or other critical public health threat.
Making Collaboration Work – Enablers & Barriers
Bruce Martin
April 29, 2015
The devastating tornado that destroyed thousands of homes in Joplin, Missouri, in May 2011 is a key example of successful preexisting collaboration and after-action team building among city officials, business and community leaders, and residents. Resilient communities: (a) define and nurture collaborative environments; (b) identify collaborative enablers and barriers; and
How One Enterprise Ensures Medical Products for Emergencies
David R. Howell and Joanna M. Prasher
April 28, 2015
Pandemic influenza, an aerosolized anthrax attack, a nuclear detonation, chemical or radiological exposure, and other known and emerging threats and disasters are all potential threats to the United States. To combat these, one enterprise – comprising many collaborating federal agencies – is preparing to provide the necessary medical products when
Disaster Preparedness & Response Require Having Faith
Raphael M. Barishansky and Audrey Mazurek
April 15, 2015
With people regularly attending services each week at faith-based organizations around the world, these organizations must have plans in place to provide safe egress of large crowds of attendees from their buildings on a regular basis. Much can be learned from and implemented into such organizations to provide greater community
The Ebola Phone – Coalitions & Communication
Margaret Davis
April 15, 2015
The National Institutes of Health has been saving the lives of patients diagnosed with Ebola virus. At the same time, Walter Reed Army Institute has been developing and testing a new Ebola vaccine. Montgomery County, Maryland, is home to these world-renowned facilities as well as a leading healthcare coalition that
The Public Health Response Solution (or at Least a Bridge)
Greg Burel
April 14, 2015
Once a public health outbreak occurs, it is too late to prepare. In 2014, Ebola highlighted gaps in the nation’s preparedness for an unexpected viral threat that gained worldwide attention. Having supplies on hand or knowing how and where to get them when needed is the best way to protect
Cultural Communities: Small Considerations Equal Big Benefits
Wayne Bergeron
April 8, 2015
Culture profoundly affects human behavior. Disasters also profoundly affect human behavior. From the beginning stages of a crisis situation – planning and preparations through execution of operations – emergency management decision makers from government agencies and private sector organizations must be able to view their jurisdictions through various cultural lenses.
Collaboration’s Real-World Challenges
Sarah Tidman
April 7, 2015
A superstorm, a Navy yard shooting, and a major transit incident are just three examples where a breakdown in communications, incomplete common operating picture, ineffective coordination, and/or lack of situational awareness negatively affected response efforts. Multiagency collaboration and real-time, critical information are needed in both life-threatening and nonemergency situations.
Prepare Them While They Are Young
Shay Simmons and Ryan Easton
April 6, 2015
Emergency preparedness is not boring – it is fun, interactive, and educational! In Illinois, preparing for a disaster involves games, parks, and day camps for children. With collaborative efforts and partnerships with a variety of community organizations, these valuable teaching opportunities instill family preparedness practices that last for generations.
People With Disabilities – Laws, Plans & Partnerships
Kendall A. Leser
April 1, 2015
As testimony continues in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing case, memories of that day are still fresh in many people’s minds – especially for the 16 people who lost limbs on that tragic day. By law, every jurisdiction must have plans and partnerships in place to ensure that those
Relying on Good Fortune – Not an Acceptable Preparedness Strategy
Robert C. Hutchinson
April 1, 2015
When hundreds of people fall ill from a mysterious biological agent, public health and law enforcement agencies work seamlessly to implement the established policies and enforce any necessary quarantine procedures that they have planned and trained for well in advance of the current threat. At least, that is what should
Learning How to Provide Tactical Medical Support Under Fire
Philip J. Beck
March 25, 2015
At 8:16 a.m. on 16 September 2013, a shot was fired (the first of many) in Building 197 of the Washington Navy Yard. During the next 69 minutes, while at least 117 officers from eight law enforcement agencies attempt to neutralize the threat, two U.S. Park Police tactical medics and
Adrift – The No-Win Scenario in Responder Training
Joseph Cahill
March 24, 2015
In a training scenario, a lose-lose situation may make a lasting impression on students, but does little to improve the decision-making skills of the responders. Regularly faced with making life-or-death decisions, emergency responders should receive training that includes no-win as well as winnable alternatives, thus reflecting real-life scenarios while not
Training Challenge – Choosing the Best Learning Approach
Glen Rudner
March 18, 2015
One responder sits in a room listening to an instructor and discussing key concepts and issues with other participants. Another responder sits at a computer during odd hours going through tutorials and posting on discussion groups. Although both types of trainings are effective, the deciding factors between instructor-led, web-based, or
Ongoing Training Needs: Virginia’s Solution
Stephen Grainer
March 18, 2015
In a remote rural area – far from customary amenities, distractions, and other conveniences – players are faced with challenges and must learn to adapt and overcome in order to reap the benefits, otherwise face the consequences. No, this is not a reality television show, but it is an effective
Follow Us
Get Instant Access
Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.
