SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ARCHIVES
Public Safety Drones: Disasters & Drones for Good
Charles L. Werner
September 16, 2020
Drones are having a dramatic impact on public safety and emergency management operations. While some form of public safety drone has been in place for a while, drones did not begin to see wider adoption until 2016 when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented 14 CFR Part 107 (Part 107)
Acceptable Loss: Presentations From Experts
Carmit Rapaport, Robert C. Hutchinson and Galen Adams
September 9, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised many discussions on the topic of acceptable losses. For community decision makers, this is a difficult yet necessary issue to consider before making decisions that may have life-threatening consequences. Spurred by two articles and followed up with a nationwide survey and report, this podcast was
Remote Contact Tracing: A New Twist on an Old Practice
David Reddick and John Anthony
August 26, 2020
The idea of contact tracing is nothing new. It has been practiced for decades to help stop the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox and HIV. It has been taught to public health professionals for decades. However, with the global explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it has
All Models Are Wrong (But Modeling Is as Necessary as Ever)
Terry Hastings and Colin Krainin
August 19, 2020
British statistician, George Box, famously stated that “all models are wrong, but some are useful.” The nation’s experience with COVID-19 has highlighted this fact as policy makers have struggled to calibrate their actions based on imperfect data and modeling. Yet, modeling is useful and will continue to be an important
Do Not Stop Exercising – Go Remote!
Andrew (Andy) Altizer and James Westbrook
July 29, 2020
An important aspect of emergency preparedness is a robust exercise program designed with the vital purpose of identifying gaps, updating plans, and strengthening emergency response. Exercises bring together key stakeholders to help build collaborative relationships that pay huge dividends when the real emergency arises. Simply understanding other agency protocols and
The Epitome of Failure – Part 3
William H. Austin
July 22, 2020
At the beginning of a 28 May 2020 court hearing, U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup made the following opening statement, “If there ever was a corporation that deserved to go to prison, it is PG&E for the number of people it has killed in California.” Pacific Gas and Electric’s
A New Way of Looking at Earthquake Plans
Frances Dunniway
July 15, 2020
With the inevitability of earthquakes in California, disaster preparedness and evacuation focused on the safety of lives is of utmost importance. The health, welfare, and safety of children are of paramount importance, as children are left in the protection of school district officials. In 2005, California Legislature passed Assembly Bill
EMS Continuity of Operations Plan: A Critical Lifeline Component
Ron Cain
July 8, 2020
“A lifeline enables the continuous operation of critical government and business functions and is essential to human health and safety or economic security.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed the Community Lifelines construct after the 2017 and 2018 hurricane seasons. The framework of Community Lifelines allows the whole community
The Dynamics of Human Trafficking: Before & After COVID-19
Michael Breslin
June 24, 2020
These are challenging times. The immediate impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are impossible to ignore when viewed in terms of the sickness and death it has brought upon the world community. It continues to impact the global economy and social norms. The long-term impacts of this virus and subsequent mitigation
An All-Hazards Educational Approach to Emergency Management
Paula Gordon
June 17, 2020
The nature and scope of the emergency management field can be defined in a variety of ways. An all-hazards definition of emergency management encompasses some essential homeland security concerns. A conceptual framework then helps bring together an understanding of the challenges facing those in the emergency management and homeland security
Active Shooter Preparedness: Beyond Run/Hide/Fight
Chad Hyland
June 10, 2020
Run/Hide/Fight or Avoid/Deny/Defend – no matter which mantra is taught/trained, there is one unfortunate constant between both methodologies: the shooting has begun, and there is an imminent loss of life occurring at the workplace, school, church, grocery store, or wherever the active shooters have selected their targets. Thorough understanding of
Management of the Strategic National Stockpile, A Path Forward
Carl Brewer
May 20, 2020
Because of COVID-19, it is time to reevaluate preparedness and reconsider threats to the homeland. Good intentions and grand theories do not make good programs. Programs work best when they’re based on a detailed understanding of the problem begin solved and how they are implemented on the ground with solid
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