Public Health Archives

The Ongoing Quest to Assess & Measure Preparedness

Terry Hastings, Chris Hennen, Gerald Manley, John Pendio, Joe Sastre, Kevin Sligh and Arthur (Art) Samaras February 1, 2017

Since 9/11, billions of dollars and an enormous amount of effort have been directed at enhancing national preparedness efforts as they relate to human-caused and natural disasters, yet many jurisdictions and organizations still struggle to determine how prepared they are and how prepared they need to be.

Sustainable Emergency Preparedness & Response for Hospitals

Rachel Clark and Oscar Enriquez January 25, 2017

A cohesive, well-developed disaster response team is essential to prevent adverse incidents and lives lost. Meeting current safety guidelines must be enculturated for a successful program, thus saving lives and providing optimal quality of life after a major disaster. Completing the minimal requirements for tasks to meet current safety guidelines

The Changing Face of Disasters Demands New Thinking

Vincent B. Davis January 24, 2017

New problems call for new solutions. The definitions and parameters, in which emergency management, law enforcement, nongovernmental organizations, and others now work under, are inadequate to meet the new challenges of today. Furthermore, the old rules as to how and why to prepare simply do not apply anymore.

Enhancing Incident Management for Local Responders

Jeffrey Driskill Sr. January 16, 2017

Since 2003, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) has required local officials to report NIMS compliance actions to their respective emergency management agencies, which in turn reported these results to the state. The National Incident Management System is entering its 14th year with varied degrees of accomplishment.

The Year of the Railway Station

Steven Polunsky December 21, 2016

The year 2017 should be a great year for mobility and infrastructure in the United States. All signs are pointing to a robust economy, and policymakers are looking favorably on transportation projects – road, rail, air, public, private, and in between. In particular, the upcoming year will see a number

Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Emergency Management

Darren E. Price December 21, 2016

Responding to disasters is a critical function for first responders and the emergency management community. Rotary and fixed-winged aircraft have traditionally performed disaster response missions, such as overhead damage assessments, reconnaissance, and missing person searches. However, with the advancement of unmanned aircraft systems, there is an opportunity to perform conventional

Authoritarianism & the American Response: 2017 Forecast

Christopher Milburn December 21, 2016

The threats facing the United States in 2017 largely stem from the challenge and response cycle set in motion by the global rise of authoritarianism and violent fascism. Authoritarian leaders frequently promise to restore national pride and return people to their lost golden age: a mythical world in which life

Bombing an Ideology: No One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Richard Schoeberl December 20, 2016

Stretching from Belgium to France, the United States to Iraq, the world has been blemished with terror attacks ranging from active shooter scenarios at entertainment venues, to plowing vehicles into crowded streets. Over the past decade, the United States has joined the global community of those exposed to the consequences

Tomorrow’s Emergency Management Capabilities

Jeffrey Kaliner December 14, 2016

If someone were to walk into a high school classroom today and ask the students about their future professions, there may be one or possibly two students who wish to pursue emergency management. However, as much as the field has grown since 2001, emergency management is still not the dream

Noncriminal Alien Self-Identification Program

Armin Cate December 14, 2016

The removal of criminal illegal aliens is a top priority for President-Elect Donald Trump. However, identifying, locating, processing, and deporting 3 million criminal aliens among the 20 million illegal aliens in the United States would completely overwhelm the removal process currently in place. One proposed program may help speed the processing of criminal

Preparing for a New Pandemic With an Old Plan

Robert C. Hutchinson December 7, 2016

The measurable level of national planning and preparedness for a serious pandemic threat or biological attack continues to be a subject of great discussion, debate, and concern in the United States and around the world. This level of readiness continues to be a challenge as identified in regular studies, reports, and articles.

Importance of Presidential Leadership in Emergency Management

Kay C. Goss November 23, 2016

With over 30 years working in emergency management – 12 years in a state governor’s office, almost 8 years at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as associate director in charge of national preparedness, training, and exercises, and 11 years in the private sector at Electronic Data Systems and Systems Research and Analysis

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