Launched by Methodist minister William Booth and the East London Christian Mission in 1865, The Salvation Army provides services during both daily operations and times of disaster. More than just thrift stores and bell ringers, The Salvation Army provides small- and large-scale disaster relief – from house fires to major hurricanes. This “Army of Good” includes about 5,000 officers, 60,000 employees, and more than 1 million volunteers located in 26 countries and across the United States.
On 16 May 2017, DomPrep hosted a podcast recording with a panel of subject matter experts to discuss the topic of federal grant funding. The discussion was moderated by Andrew Roszak, senior director for emergency preparedness at Child Care Aware® of America.
On 18 April 2017, DomPrep hosted a podcast recording with a panel of subject matter experts to discuss the topic of children in disasters. The discussion was moderated by Andrew Roszak, senior director for emergency preparedness at Child Care Aware® of America. This 40-minute discussion addresses key topics for building community resilience and response, explaining the roles that healthcare coalitions and child care providers can play, emphasizing the value of block grants and legislation, and providing unique ways to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.
The recent assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong Nam raises questions about the VX nerve agent, which could affect emergency responders who have not been recently trained or have not come in direct contact with this deadly chemical. On Thursday, 2 March 2017, DomPrep hosted a 30-minute audio podcast with four subject matter experts. This 30-minute discussion addresses: The approximate amount of lethal material available worldwide, the reasons that chemical weapon agents are a clear and present threat to local and state officials, the difficulty in detecting them, the need for prompt awareness and response, and the ways in which chemical weapons have become the new norm.
On 18 January 2017, DomPrep’s publisher Martin Masiuk met with Joseph Trindal, president and chief operating officer at Coastal International Security, to discuss the challenge of retaining personnel in law enforcement and possible solutions for addressing this problem. As long-term personnel retire, so too does their knowledge. Challenges by external forces, escalation of violence toward officers, and technological challenges each can have adverse effects on recruiting and retaining personnel. Possible solutions involve maintaining high standards and vetting procedures for new officers, beginning efforts at the grade-school level, improving public opinion, building community support, leveraging best practices, and training officers on new technologies and community-centric practices.
At the International Association of Emergency Managers annual conference in October 2016, DomPrep Advisor Anthony Mangeri sat down with Richard Serino, distinguished visiting fellow at Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, to discuss leadership as it relates to crisis communications. An audio of the full interview is now available.
DomPrep’s Editor-in-Chief Catherine Feinman interviewed the following subject matter experts from various disciplines to find out their suggestions for improving the “Whole Community” effort in jurisdictions across the country.
Public health encompasses pandemics and bioterrorism incidents as much as injury and illness threats following other types of disasters. This podcast interview brings together subject matter experts to discuss the challenges, roles, and responsibilities of state, local, and federal agencies when dealing with a public health disaster.
DomesticPreparedness met with Dennis R. Schrader, Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness, FEMA. Schrader, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) deputy administrator for national preparedness – accompanied by Glenn Cannon, FEMA assistant director for disaster operations – discusses the soon-to-be-released final version of the National Response Framework (NRF).
DomesticPreparedness met with Ellen P. Embrey, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. The Pentagon’s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Health Protection and Readiness outlines the military’s role in national disaster support and medical readiness under Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF 8 –Medical and Health Services), and lists the medical support capabilities her department brings to bear.
