Most recently published
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
Defining Emergency Management in the 21st Century
Anthony S. Mangeri
December 14, 2011
The profession of emergency management has come a long, long way from the streets of London to the gates of the White House, but the policing principles enunciated by Sir Robert Peel provide a strong foundation for President Barack Obama’s Presidential Policy Directive 8 on National Preparedness and its goal
Today and Tomorrow: Approaching the Mythical Tricorder
Christopher Wrenn
December 14, 2011
The detection and identification capabilities of today’s U.S. military and homeland-security units are still short of Starfleet status. But they are getting light years closer, thanks in large part to current and projected budget cutbacks that reward both versatility and creative thinking and punish those who do not see “the
The Future of EMS: Upward & Outward
Joseph Cahill
December 7, 2011
In the Old West, the town barber often served as the town doctor as well. The parallel today is far from exact, but the current generation of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) is rapidly learning new and more advanced skills. By using such technologically advanced medical systems and devices, the capabilities
The 2012 Public Health Preparedness Summit: Regroup, Refocus, Refresh
Jack Herrmann
December 7, 2011
New technologies and greater budgetary, political, and workplace challenges, so what else is new? That is the question that participants in next year’s Anaheim “Summit” will do their best to answer while also devising better and more imaginative ways to, as always, do more with less resources…and with fewer people.
Mass Shootings: Planning and Response Considerations
Domestic Preparedness
December 6, 2011
Critical incidents such as school shootings, workplace violence incidents, domestic violence attacks, and terrorist threats are occurring with alarming frequency. This four-hour planning and response course led by the Kernersville Fire Department will help public safety agencies and crisis planners adapt to these changes in society so that the appropriate
Mapping: An Increasingly Valuable Emergency Management Tool
Kay C. Goss
November 30, 2011
Since the mid-19th century, the method for mapping disasters has evolved from hard-copy maps with manually plotted cases of cholera outbreaks to advanced satellite-based global information systems. The development, introduction, and use of a broad spectrum of GIS systems that can pinpoint – quickly, precisely, and on a continuing basis
Reasonable Search – Or Another ‘Big Brother’ Situation?
Richard Schoeberl
November 23, 2011
Which is more important – the preservation of civil rights, or a substantial (but unprovable) gain in homeland security? That is the question that the U.S. Supreme Court must answer as it ponders the numerous complexities in the controversial case known as United States v. Jones.
Joplin & Irene Force Changes in Hospital Evac Plans
Theodore Tully
November 23, 2011
Article Out Loud Significant changes in hospital emergency planning have taken place since and largely because of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hospitals, along with nursing homes, have had their safety and security requirements strengthened by regulatory and/or accreditation agencies to ensure that their emergency plans take into account how they
Emerging Technology Enables Mass Patient Evacuations
Bruce Clements
November 16, 2011
From time to time, hospitals themselves can be dangerous to a patient’s health. That is particularly true when a patient is being transferred or evacuated, and even more so when a large number of patients are being evacuated at the same time. This is precisely why RFIDs, JPATS, and GPS
Tracking and Locating Fire and Emergency Personnel
Christina Spoons
November 9, 2011
As firefighters and other emergency responders well know, disaster may be lurking just around the next corner. Or maybe in the burning room one floor below. Which is why breadcrumbs and a working PASS or any other reliable type of tracking-and-location system are so important in fighting fires. “The life
The Impact of Tracking on Response Efforts
Omar Alkhalaf
November 2, 2011
From Post-It notes to high-tech wireless systems, the evidence – verified by a horrendous mass-casualty incident (MCI) in California and close calls in several other states – is clear: Rapid, comprehensive, and well-controlled communications are key to the mounting and management of an effective response. Adherence to the National Incident
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
Defining Emergency Management in the 21st Century
Anthony S. Mangeri
December 14, 2011
The profession of emergency management has come a long, long way from the streets of London to the gates of the White House, but the policing principles enunciated by Sir Robert Peel provide a strong foundation for President Barack Obama’s Presidential Policy Directive 8 on National Preparedness and its goal
Today and Tomorrow: Approaching the Mythical Tricorder
Christopher Wrenn
December 14, 2011
The detection and identification capabilities of today’s U.S. military and homeland-security units are still short of Starfleet status. But they are getting light years closer, thanks in large part to current and projected budget cutbacks that reward both versatility and creative thinking and punish those who do not see “the
The Future of EMS: Upward & Outward
Joseph Cahill
December 7, 2011
In the Old West, the town barber often served as the town doctor as well. The parallel today is far from exact, but the current generation of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) is rapidly learning new and more advanced skills. By using such technologically advanced medical systems and devices, the capabilities
The 2012 Public Health Preparedness Summit: Regroup, Refocus, Refresh
Jack Herrmann
December 7, 2011
New technologies and greater budgetary, political, and workplace challenges, so what else is new? That is the question that participants in next year’s Anaheim “Summit” will do their best to answer while also devising better and more imaginative ways to, as always, do more with less resources…and with fewer people.
Mass Shootings: Planning and Response Considerations
Domestic Preparedness
December 6, 2011
Critical incidents such as school shootings, workplace violence incidents, domestic violence attacks, and terrorist threats are occurring with alarming frequency. This four-hour planning and response course led by the Kernersville Fire Department will help public safety agencies and crisis planners adapt to these changes in society so that the appropriate
Mapping: An Increasingly Valuable Emergency Management Tool
Kay C. Goss
November 30, 2011
Since the mid-19th century, the method for mapping disasters has evolved from hard-copy maps with manually plotted cases of cholera outbreaks to advanced satellite-based global information systems. The development, introduction, and use of a broad spectrum of GIS systems that can pinpoint – quickly, precisely, and on a continuing basis
Reasonable Search – Or Another ‘Big Brother’ Situation?
Richard Schoeberl
November 23, 2011
Which is more important – the preservation of civil rights, or a substantial (but unprovable) gain in homeland security? That is the question that the U.S. Supreme Court must answer as it ponders the numerous complexities in the controversial case known as United States v. Jones.
Joplin & Irene Force Changes in Hospital Evac Plans
Theodore Tully
November 23, 2011
Article Out Loud Significant changes in hospital emergency planning have taken place since and largely because of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hospitals, along with nursing homes, have had their safety and security requirements strengthened by regulatory and/or accreditation agencies to ensure that their emergency plans take into account how they
Emerging Technology Enables Mass Patient Evacuations
Bruce Clements
November 16, 2011
From time to time, hospitals themselves can be dangerous to a patient’s health. That is particularly true when a patient is being transferred or evacuated, and even more so when a large number of patients are being evacuated at the same time. This is precisely why RFIDs, JPATS, and GPS
Tracking and Locating Fire and Emergency Personnel
Christina Spoons
November 9, 2011
As firefighters and other emergency responders well know, disaster may be lurking just around the next corner. Or maybe in the burning room one floor below. Which is why breadcrumbs and a working PASS or any other reliable type of tracking-and-location system are so important in fighting fires. “The life
Sacramento P.D. Incorporates Training with Private-Sector Businesses
Domestic Preparedness
October 26, 2011
“Treat your employees right and they will treat the customers right.” That is both the motto and the official policy of the Sacramento, California, Police Department (P.D.). And, thanks to some helpful advice from Target and other area businesses, the results show it – a surprising drop in the local
MCM Dispensing: The Public Health Point of View
Raphael M. Barishansky and Audrey Mazurek
October 26, 2011
To plan for and defeat the frequently changing threats posed by pandemics (both natural and terrorist-related) requires advance planning, comprehensive training, and stockpiling mountains of supplies, including medications needed to protect literally millions of citizens. But these efforts involve numerous complexities.
HICS National Summit: Building on the Past, Preparing for the Future
Craig DeAtley
October 26, 2011
A distinguished DomPrep40 Advisor presents his exclusive insider’s report on a “Summit Meeting” held in California earlier this month during which the nation’s current Hospital Incident Command System (HICS) guidelines were discussed, debated, and dissected in minute detail. New policies that will develop as a result may well affect the
Tennessee Hospitals Use HERT to Enhance Preparedness
Shannon Arledge
October 19, 2011
The versatile Center for Domestic Preparedness, already a true national asset, continues to expand its curriculum – and its value to healthcare professionals throughout the country. The center’s Hospital Emergency Response Training course, the latest example, provides “incredible” hands-on training that will be particularly valuable in dealing with the decontamination
Public Health Lessons from Hurricane Irene & Tropical Storm Lee
Beth McAteer
October 19, 2011
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
The Public Health Ethics of Contagion
Bruce Clements
October 12, 2011
The recent film Contagion illustrates the challenges a society may experience when facing a rapidly spreading and highly lethal virus. Director Steven Soderbergh carefully constructed the film to reflect a realistic public health and medical response to a severe pandemic. Many of the technical public health aspects of the film
Radiological and Psychological Medical Countermeasures
Sophia Paros
October 12, 2011
As natural and manmade disasters increase in intensity, the need for hospital preparedness plans, as well as mass relocation plans, becomes critical when taking into account the public health and medical needs of at-risk individuals and groups in the event of a public health emergency.
Afterglow – Countering the Deadly Effects of Radiation
Joseph Cahill
October 5, 2011
Silent, odor-free, invisible, and deadly: The radiation left by a dirty bomb, hazmat spill, or laboratory accident is usually difficult to detect and represents a “double danger” not only to those already on the scene of a potential mass-casualty incident but also to the EMTs and first responders seeking to
CDP’s School Bus Enhances Mass Triage Scenario
Shannon Arledge
October 5, 2011
The “first child” could not be saved, which meant that considerable time had already been wasted. But real life is a grim teacher – which is exactly why the Center for Domestic Preparedness makes its chilling incident scenarios as lifelike and realistic as possible. The end result: Invaluable training for
Building Resilience: Emergency Management Standards, Technology, and Training
Kay C. Goss
September 28, 2011
The term “Resilience” started out as a vague and ill-defined insiders’ buzzword, later escalated into a good idea, then became an operational goal, and eventually an equal partner with readiness, response, and recovery. In the last several years it has continued to evolve into a major area of operations and
Attaining Resilience: Getting From Here to There
Robert McCreight
September 28, 2011
Everyone is in favor of “good government” (at a reasonable cost). But a clear, complete, and universally accepted definition of what constitutes good government is almost impossible to find. The same holds true of “resilience” – which all responders, emergency managers, political leaders, and everyday citizens approve of – and
Anthrax Prevention – Risks vs. Benefits
Thomas K. Zink
September 21, 2011
Thanks at least partially to the “do no harm” precept mandated in the Hippocratic Oath, the practice of medicine has for centuries been built on a firm foundation of acceptable ethics. Which is why some highly respected medical experts are now raising questions about current U.S. policies governing the proper
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