Most recently published
The Island Life – Isolated But Not Alone
Joseph Cahill
July 10, 2013
Public health emergencies, including infectious disease and natural disasters, are issues that every community faces. To address these threats, it is critical for all jurisdictions to understand how law can be used to enhance public health preparedness, as well as improve coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions. As sovereign entities, tribal
A Roadmap for Improving Cyber Preparedness
Monica Giovachino and Sarah Tidman
July 10, 2013
The U.S. information security and technology communities are no longer solely responsible for protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats – emergency managers also play an increasingly important role in that task. Increasing the overall level of cyber preparedness therefore requires closer coordination, information sharing, and effective planning, as well as
Listeria – When Food Bites Back
Dana Pitts
June 26, 2013
Food safety is a top priority at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the only agency tasked with tracking human cases of foodborne illness at the national level, the CDC works – in collaboration with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety &
Governmental Laboratories: Protecting the Public’s Health
Chris Mangal
June 25, 2013
The Annual Meeting of the Association of Public Health Laboratories hosted more than 500 participants who share the common goal of improving public health efforts and laboratory preparedness. Through workshops and online resources, people from multiple disciplines can learn more about the role of public health laboratories in detecting and
Promoting Food Security in Disaster Relief Situations
Scott McCallum
June 19, 2013
In 2011, 14.9 percent of U.S. households (17.9 million households) were “food insecure,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s study, Household Food Security in the United States in 2011. Those numbers equate to slightly more than 50 million Americans living in food-insecure households: 33.5 million adults and almost 17
Early Detection of Zoonotic Emerging Infectious Diseases
Thomas Cotter and Earl Stoddard
June 19, 2013
In 2009, the H1N1 pandemic strain of influenza served as a dramatic wake-up call for biosurveillance experts around the world. Despite major advances in domestic and global surveillance capabilities, H1N1 was spreading rapidly across the United States long before a vaccine could be developed, tested, and mass-produced in time to
Counter-Agroterrorism 101
Patrick P. Rose
June 19, 2013
Some biological agents – anthrax and ricin, for example – can be used as weapons against human targets; others specifically attack animals and food crops. Both types of attack, though, can have devastating effects on the economy and on the morale and overall wellbeing of a nation. To mitigate these
SURVEY: Special Event Plans – When Things Go Wrong
Domestic Preparedness
June 16, 2013
DomPrep would like to know your opinions and experiences in response to key questions that were developed as a result of earlier discussions. Special events occur in large and small communities – and so do disasters. Your responses will help other emergency planners, responders, and receivers better plan for and
Food Safety: An Emergency Manager’s Perspective
Kay C. Goss
June 12, 2013
Emergency management is an evolving discipline that requires a progressive emergency manager to fulfill new and expanding requirements for success. Successful leaders in this field follow a systematic problem-solving process and excel at coordinating multiple agencies and information sources rather than simply being experts in one subject. The seven and
Protecting the Milk Supply During a Foreign Animal Disease Outbreak
Danelle Bickett-Weddle and Pamela Hullinger
June 12, 2013
With thousands of farms and millions of cattle scattered across the United States, regulators, dairy producers, and veterinarians strive to protect the nation’s food supply, including the milk supply chain from cow to breakfast table. Emergency preparedness planners, therefore, must work with agricultural suppliers to protect milk and other food
Defending the Food Supply: The Basic Recipe
Michéle Samarya-Timm
June 12, 2013
Protecting the food supply chain and defending against intentional contamination requires preventive/defensive efforts at all levels of government, particularly within local communities. All stakeholders therefore must be able to identify vulnerabilities, integrate federal requirements, and determine the resources and training needed to effectively protect the nation’s food supply.
The Boston Bombings – Redefining Shelter in Place
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
June 5, 2013
When a bomb explodes, a biological or chemical agent is released, or an active shooter is at large, time is of the essence. In some situations, having residents shelter in place, although costly and inconvenient, may be the fastest and only way to stop the perpetrator and reduce the number
Seeing National Preparedness Through the Public Health Lens
Raphael M. Barishansky
July 17, 2013
Lee caused less damage and fewer fatalities, but vigorously reinforced the lethal lessons learned from Irene less than two months ago – namely, that: (a) There is absolutely no substitute for advance planning; (b) Planning must be as totally comprehensive, in every way, as is humanly possible; and (c)That saving
The Island Life – Isolated But Not Alone
Joseph Cahill
July 10, 2013
Public health emergencies, including infectious disease and natural disasters, are issues that every community faces. To address these threats, it is critical for all jurisdictions to understand how law can be used to enhance public health preparedness, as well as improve coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions. As sovereign entities, tribal
A Roadmap for Improving Cyber Preparedness
Monica Giovachino and Sarah Tidman
July 10, 2013
The U.S. information security and technology communities are no longer solely responsible for protecting critical infrastructure from cyber threats – emergency managers also play an increasingly important role in that task. Increasing the overall level of cyber preparedness therefore requires closer coordination, information sharing, and effective planning, as well as
Listeria – When Food Bites Back
Dana Pitts
June 26, 2013
Food safety is a top priority at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the only agency tasked with tracking human cases of foodborne illness at the national level, the CDC works – in collaboration with the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Food Safety &
Governmental Laboratories: Protecting the Public’s Health
Chris Mangal
June 25, 2013
The Annual Meeting of the Association of Public Health Laboratories hosted more than 500 participants who share the common goal of improving public health efforts and laboratory preparedness. Through workshops and online resources, people from multiple disciplines can learn more about the role of public health laboratories in detecting and
Promoting Food Security in Disaster Relief Situations
Scott McCallum
June 19, 2013
In 2011, 14.9 percent of U.S. households (17.9 million households) were “food insecure,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s study, Household Food Security in the United States in 2011. Those numbers equate to slightly more than 50 million Americans living in food-insecure households: 33.5 million adults and almost 17
Early Detection of Zoonotic Emerging Infectious Diseases
Thomas Cotter and Earl Stoddard
June 19, 2013
In 2009, the H1N1 pandemic strain of influenza served as a dramatic wake-up call for biosurveillance experts around the world. Despite major advances in domestic and global surveillance capabilities, H1N1 was spreading rapidly across the United States long before a vaccine could be developed, tested, and mass-produced in time to
Counter-Agroterrorism 101
Patrick P. Rose
June 19, 2013
Some biological agents – anthrax and ricin, for example – can be used as weapons against human targets; others specifically attack animals and food crops. Both types of attack, though, can have devastating effects on the economy and on the morale and overall wellbeing of a nation. To mitigate these
SURVEY: Special Event Plans – When Things Go Wrong
Domestic Preparedness
June 16, 2013
DomPrep would like to know your opinions and experiences in response to key questions that were developed as a result of earlier discussions. Special events occur in large and small communities – and so do disasters. Your responses will help other emergency planners, responders, and receivers better plan for and
Food Safety: An Emergency Manager’s Perspective
Kay C. Goss
June 12, 2013
Emergency management is an evolving discipline that requires a progressive emergency manager to fulfill new and expanding requirements for success. Successful leaders in this field follow a systematic problem-solving process and excel at coordinating multiple agencies and information sources rather than simply being experts in one subject. The seven and
Protecting the Milk Supply During a Foreign Animal Disease Outbreak
Danelle Bickett-Weddle and Pamela Hullinger
June 12, 2013
With thousands of farms and millions of cattle scattered across the United States, regulators, dairy producers, and veterinarians strive to protect the nation’s food supply, including the milk supply chain from cow to breakfast table. Emergency preparedness planners, therefore, must work with agricultural suppliers to protect milk and other food
Defending the Food Supply: The Basic Recipe
Michéle Samarya-Timm
June 12, 2013
Protecting the food supply chain and defending against intentional contamination requires preventive/defensive efforts at all levels of government, particularly within local communities. All stakeholders therefore must be able to identify vulnerabilities, integrate federal requirements, and determine the resources and training needed to effectively protect the nation’s food supply.
Protecting Schools – Tornadoes & Other Natural Disasters
Kay C. Goss
May 29, 2013
As the southwest areas of the country face deadly tornadoes, other areas are preparing their communities and schools for the 2013 Hurricane season, which officially starts on the first day of June. Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes usually give advance warning – sometimes several days – before making landfall. Schools, though, must
Local Heroes Helping Their Fellow Citizens With Disabilities
Stephen M. Thal and William H. Austin
May 22, 2013
In 2005, the Capitol Region Emergency Planning Committee (CREPC) in Hartford, Connecticut, experienced success in many areas of emergency response preparation. Building on homeland security grants, regional leadership, a common mission, and sheer determination, most activities carried out by the committee, and the agencies represented on the committee, were a
Lessons Learned From Katrina Pay Off in Response to Sandy
Jamie Stowe
May 22, 2013
From military “takeover” to a “win-win” situation for states affected by natural disasters: The U.S. Department of Defense used the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina to develop new tactics – and used them creatively when assisting the response and recovery efforts in New Jersey and New York in the wake
National Preparedness: Challenges, Definitions & Jurisdictions
Jordan Nelms and Amanda Faul
May 22, 2013
Implementing the guidance provided by Presidential Directive 8 can lead to organizational and procedural challenges – while also working toward greater national preparedness. The first step in implementation is to identify threats and hazards and define the risk as it pertains to a particular jurisdiction. The next step is to
Incident Command for Natural Disasters: A Natural Fit
Stephen Grainer
May 15, 2013
In February 2003, President George W. Bush signed Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 5 (HSPD-5), which directed the establishment of a National Incident Management System (NIMS). That directive mandated, among other things, the adaptation and adoption of an Incident Command System (ICS) as a core component of the NIMS. As
Fortifying the Financial Infrastructure
James Lee Witt and James M. Loy
May 15, 2013
There is no way to prevent weather disasters from happening, but advance planning, frequent training drills and exercises, and rapid communications can save lives and reduce damage to infrastructure. Under the “Homeowner” bill, that same combination of managerial tools can also be used to reduce the response and recovery costs
Tornado Preparedness Planning
Scott Fitzsimmons
May 8, 2013
Emergency management is an evolving discipline that requires a progressive emergency manager to fulfill new and expanding requirements for success. Successful leaders in this field follow a systematic problem-solving process and excel at coordinating multiple agencies and information sources rather than simply being experts in one subject. The seven and
Reauthorizing the Nation’s Preparedness
Raphael M. Barishansky
May 8, 2013
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States. One of the most important lessons learned from that disaster was that the federal government must work with local authorities to support communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of major public
Specialized Teams Meet Unique Challenges
Joseph Cahill
May 1, 2013
People, weather disasters, terrorist attacks, and other criminal activities are inherently unpredictable. Which does not mean that law-enforcement and healthcare agencies cannot prepare for them by using the “special events” calendar as a training curriculum.
Fusion During Crisis: Aftermath of a Perfect Storm
Christian Schulz and Raymond Guidetti
May 1, 2013
In an environment that is constantly changing and increasingly interconnected, many states are finding new ways to use existing assets. In New Jersey, one valuable asset previously used primarily for collecting and analyzing information on terrorist threats played a leading role in the rapid sharing of disaster-response information before, during,
Avoiding the Threat Posed by Predictive Certainty
Michael Vesely
April 24, 2013
Trying to predict risks is a risk in itself. It is, of course, difficult to quantify numerically the overarching risk involving a particular asset. However, the more complex the assessment model used, the less likely it is that most people will understand it and the greater effort that must be
Transportation Requirements for Special Needs Populations
Thomas Russo
April 17, 2013
Decision makers, managers, and responders who focus on special needs populations require additional planning to ensure the safe evacuation and well-being, following a major disaster, of those entrusted to their care. Among those populations, there are three distinct groups – those with transportation; those without transportation; and those who cannot
Follow Us
Get Instant Access
Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.
