Most recently published
Addiction in Emergency Services: Coworkers Help, Denial Hurts
Victor Welzant
February 22, 2012
Major stress and constant pressure are all part of the job for emergency-services personnel and other responders. A less obvious but greater danger is caused by drug and alcohol addictions. Professional help is available, but not always wanted. What is most needed, and in the long term most effective, is
IT and the New Fight Against Drug Trafficking & Gangs
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
February 22, 2012
Tighter laws, high-tech data systems, and considerable operational experience are making it “easier” for law enforcement agencies at all levels of government to fight the unprecedented growth of drug trafficking that is now a major danger in neighborhoods throughout the country. The winner of that fight has yet to be
Forensic Incident Responses & Security Preparedness
Dawn R. Blanche
February 22, 2012
Eight “Centers of Excellence” established; a massive international “Challenge” competition; and a stunning, rapidly expanding, interest in the once arcane science and profession of digital forensics and various related fields. Those are but a few of the notable DC3 accomplishments achieved to date, but additional domains and designations are just
The Most Dangerous Existential Threat: Illegal Drugs
H. Steven Blum
February 15, 2012
The flow of illegal drugs from Mexico into the United States is not a mere “problem” that affects only a few U.S. states along the U.S.-Mexico border, but rather a major national-security threat. Here, a former chief of the U.S. National Guard spells out the complicated details of this clear
NIMS/ICS and Drug-Enforcement Operations – Yes and No
Stephen Grainer
February 15, 2012
Drug trafficking throughout the United States has become such an omnipresent danger that it can be diminished and eventually defeated only by the combined efforts of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies at all levels of government – local, state, and federal. Here, with the names of specific sources necessarily withheld, is
The ‘Big Business’ of Drug Smuggling
Lawrence O'Connell and MIchael Brewer
February 8, 2012
The U.S. Coast Guard and DHS’s Customs & Border Protection Agency have achieved some remarkable interdiction successes in recent years, but so have drug smugglers and cartels. New approaches, tactics, and equipment are needed – along with additional personnel – to achieve a more effective long-term solution to what is
PTSD: The Front Lines of a New Conflict
Kate Rosenblatt
February 8, 2012
The “save rate” of military personnel wounded in battle used to be extremely low. Now it is much higher, thanks in large part to better medicine and improved medical transport (ambulances and helicopters, primarily). However, one unanticipated result has been a huge increase in the survival of personnel suffering from
Lessons Learned: The Mass Shootings in Tucson
Sophia Paros
February 1, 2012
In the violent world of the 21st century, there is no way to absolutely guarantee the safety of any one individual – for example, a Congresswoman holding a press conference at a Safeway without security. But, if nothing else, the senseless shooting last year of U.S. Representative Gabriel Giffords and
Narcan: The Spray That Saves
Joseph Cahill
February 1, 2012
First question: Should “everyday citizens” – however that term is defined – be given access to potentially harmful medications, including antidotes to dangerous narcotics? Well, perhaps. Second question: What if the medication also saves lives? Now the answer is a much more emphatic “perhaps”. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is working
Operation Tomodachi: The U.S./DoD Response to Fukushima
Jamie Stowe
January 25, 2012
When Japan was faced with a Level-7 radiation event following the 2011 earthquake that triggered a devastating tsunami, it drew attention from agencies and governments around the world. The Tomodachi response team was deployed by the U.S. DoD to join Japanese forces in sharing radiation-related information to help contain the
The InfraGard Alliance: Personal Relations & Information Sharing
Sheri Donahue
January 25, 2012
When the most capable and most experienced U.S. law-enforcement agency and 47,000 of the nation’s best informed and most dedicated private citizens join forces to thwart terrorists, track down and capture criminals, and protect the nation’s infrastructure, the smart money is on the “good guys”. Which is only one reason
Surviving the End of the World
Joseph Cahill
January 25, 2012
In almost all dangerous events and incidents, the highest priority of the first responders on the scene is to save lives. The parallel obligation of emergency managers and other senior officials, therefore, is to do as much as possible to save and protect the lives of the lifesavers themselves.
Emergency Responses to CDLs: The Hidden Dangers
Christina Spoons
February 29, 2012
Meth labs are another clear and present danger not only to individual users and the nation as a whole, but also to the lab workers, innocent “civilians” living in the same neighborhood, and – most of all, perhaps – firefighters and other first responders who are risking their own lives
Addiction in Emergency Services: Coworkers Help, Denial Hurts
Victor Welzant
February 22, 2012
Major stress and constant pressure are all part of the job for emergency-services personnel and other responders. A less obvious but greater danger is caused by drug and alcohol addictions. Professional help is available, but not always wanted. What is most needed, and in the long term most effective, is
IT and the New Fight Against Drug Trafficking & Gangs
Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso
February 22, 2012
Tighter laws, high-tech data systems, and considerable operational experience are making it “easier” for law enforcement agencies at all levels of government to fight the unprecedented growth of drug trafficking that is now a major danger in neighborhoods throughout the country. The winner of that fight has yet to be
Forensic Incident Responses & Security Preparedness
Dawn R. Blanche
February 22, 2012
Eight “Centers of Excellence” established; a massive international “Challenge” competition; and a stunning, rapidly expanding, interest in the once arcane science and profession of digital forensics and various related fields. Those are but a few of the notable DC3 accomplishments achieved to date, but additional domains and designations are just
The Most Dangerous Existential Threat: Illegal Drugs
H. Steven Blum
February 15, 2012
The flow of illegal drugs from Mexico into the United States is not a mere “problem” that affects only a few U.S. states along the U.S.-Mexico border, but rather a major national-security threat. Here, a former chief of the U.S. National Guard spells out the complicated details of this clear
NIMS/ICS and Drug-Enforcement Operations – Yes and No
Stephen Grainer
February 15, 2012
Drug trafficking throughout the United States has become such an omnipresent danger that it can be diminished and eventually defeated only by the combined efforts of law-enforcement and intelligence agencies at all levels of government – local, state, and federal. Here, with the names of specific sources necessarily withheld, is
The ‘Big Business’ of Drug Smuggling
Lawrence O'Connell and MIchael Brewer
February 8, 2012
The U.S. Coast Guard and DHS’s Customs & Border Protection Agency have achieved some remarkable interdiction successes in recent years, but so have drug smugglers and cartels. New approaches, tactics, and equipment are needed – along with additional personnel – to achieve a more effective long-term solution to what is
PTSD: The Front Lines of a New Conflict
Kate Rosenblatt
February 8, 2012
The “save rate” of military personnel wounded in battle used to be extremely low. Now it is much higher, thanks in large part to better medicine and improved medical transport (ambulances and helicopters, primarily). However, one unanticipated result has been a huge increase in the survival of personnel suffering from
Lessons Learned: The Mass Shootings in Tucson
Sophia Paros
February 1, 2012
In the violent world of the 21st century, there is no way to absolutely guarantee the safety of any one individual – for example, a Congresswoman holding a press conference at a Safeway without security. But, if nothing else, the senseless shooting last year of U.S. Representative Gabriel Giffords and
Narcan: The Spray That Saves
Joseph Cahill
February 1, 2012
First question: Should “everyday citizens” – however that term is defined – be given access to potentially harmful medications, including antidotes to dangerous narcotics? Well, perhaps. Second question: What if the medication also saves lives? Now the answer is a much more emphatic “perhaps”. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is working
Operation Tomodachi: The U.S./DoD Response to Fukushima
Jamie Stowe
January 25, 2012
When Japan was faced with a Level-7 radiation event following the 2011 earthquake that triggered a devastating tsunami, it drew attention from agencies and governments around the world. The Tomodachi response team was deployed by the U.S. DoD to join Japanese forces in sharing radiation-related information to help contain the
The InfraGard Alliance: Personal Relations & Information Sharing
Sheri Donahue
January 25, 2012
When the most capable and most experienced U.S. law-enforcement agency and 47,000 of the nation’s best informed and most dedicated private citizens join forces to thwart terrorists, track down and capture criminals, and protect the nation’s infrastructure, the smart money is on the “good guys”. Which is only one reason
Disinformation: The Real Cyber Security Challenge
W. Ross Ashley
January 25, 2012
U.S. intelligence experts and analysts are in general agreement that the protection of highly classified information is not only a “gentlemanly” goal, but also vital to the nation’s survival. However, the quality and accuracy of that information also needs to be protected, particularly in an age when there is a
‘Route PM’: Building a Better Evacuation Plan
Geoff Brown
January 18, 2012
One of the most difficult tasks facing emergency planners today involves traffic management – more specifically, getting as many people out of town just as fast as possible in times of crisis. That job is much more difficult when thousands of local residents head south instead of north – which
2012 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut
Domestic Preparedness
January 17, 2012
On 7 February 2012, more than one million people across nine states will participate in the 2012 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut! Learn more and/or sign up today to participate.
Integrating Emergency Management Education Into HSI Disciplines
Domestic Preparedness
January 13, 2012
This two-day course is targeted for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Department Chairs of such EM-related disciplines as sociology, geography, public administration, and/or psychology. The primary goal of the workshop is to assist HSIs by providing helpful information about EM and the benefits and resources available for integrating EM course offerings into
Social Media: A Seismic Opportunity
Jordan Scott
January 11, 2012
On 23 August 2011, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck Mineral, Virginia, and rattled a large area up and down the U.S. East Coast – an area unaccustomed to such seismic events. In the moments that followed, information and shocked reactions spread at an unprecedented rate. But the first reports were not
IT Preparedness: At Long Last, a Major DHS Priority
Jordan Nelms
January 11, 2012
In today’s complex world, information technology (IT) systems serve as both the intellectual libraries and operational brains of virtually all components of the vital infrastructures of businesses, utilities, and the organizations and agencies of all levels of government. For this reason, among others, the maintenance, protection, and preservation of IT
Funding Realities & Emergency Preparedness: A Grim Outlook
Raphael M. Barishansky
January 11, 2012
Most U.S. states and major cities, and the nation as a whole, are now better prepared to cope with terrorist attacks and natural disasters than they were prior to 9/11. But the gains made over the past decade will need a steady stream of continued funding, both to maintain the
New CERT Training Now Available
Domestic Preparedness
January 6, 2012
The National Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) includes two new courses – CERT Train-the-Trainer and CERT Program Manager – that are now available to States and local jurisdictions throughout the country.
Emergency Responder 24/7 Information Tool Available Online
Cortney Streets
January 4, 2012
So-called official channels used to be plagued by what was politely described as “a paucity of information.” Thanks to the combination of improved communications systems and the birth of social media, what was once a desert is now a flood. Fortunately, the Responder Knowledge Base provides an easy way to
The Role of Social Media Before, During, and After a Disaster
Christina Spoons
January 4, 2012
The new all-hazards safety rule for young children, senior citizens, and everyone else in between: Don’t leave home without your smartphone. Be careful what you say, though – several billion people may be listening in… or looking in. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Ask anyone who has
Social Media – The Path Ahead
Mary Lilley
December 21, 2011
Instead of fighting the inevitable, a growing number of forward-looking emergency managers and political leaders are using social media as a low-cost, immediately accessible, and surprisingly efficient way to keep the public at large informed – on a continuing basis – about impending disasters and the response, recovery, and mitigation
Incident Management Doctrine: Who Is In Charge?
Marko Bourne and Mary Anne McKown
December 21, 2011
Protection of the U.S. homeland requires superior and continuing performance by both thinkers and doers. The latter work is more dangerous and deservedly receives more publicity. The thinking part is more tedious, though, and continues with no end in sight. Thinkers now face another mountain to climb with the implementation
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