Emergency preparedness and response professionals willingly insert themselves into many emergencies and disasters that they could have avoided in other professions. However, they use these opportunities to make positive changes and build resiliency within their communities.
Despite punishing hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Florida, the 2022 season has been relatively quiet for much of the Gulf coast and Atlantic seaboard. This article describes the resources that help communities mitigate risk now before the next hurricane season.
Interested in sharing your thoughts on ways to improve the Domestic Preparedness Journal? Willing to help by participating in a 60-minute market research interview? We’re conducting interviews by videoconference the week of December 5th and 12th and we want to hear from you!
Despite small local governments being overrun with malware, ransomware, and myriad other threats, it is difficult to find experienced cybersecurity professionals. Meanwhile, students search for nonexistent entry-level jobs. One Washington State-based nonprofit is seeking to close this cybersecurity gap.
Given 20 years of pandemic planning, is it not surprising when people ask, “Why were we not ready?” This question should be explored whether the time has come to put the country on a warlike footing for pandemic response with a coherent, institutionalized, and tested pandemic policy.
Emergency preparedness professionals continually strive to protect the lives and health of those within their communities. This October edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal describes how some professionals are doing that.
The term “whole community” is frequently used in preparedness materials and discussions. In practice, though, how often is the whole community represented and all community resources considered? Here are some key resources that should not be overlooked.
Leaders face many challenges when charged with preparing for the next emergency or disaster. However, the key word is team, so it is critical to manage, prepare, and take care of the team members. Whatever tasks leaders must juggle, do not lose sight of the team that makes all the preparedness, response, and recovery efforts possible.
Effective trainings are ones where the participants remember and later implement what they learned into their daily operations. Not everyone knows how they would respond in a true emergency. However, some trainings provide a more realistic glimpse into disaster scenarios than others. This first-hand account describes what it was like for one participant inside a hospital training facility.
Because of the interconnectedness of so many aspects of society, the authors in this July edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal help readers better understand what is needed in the new normal: a common operating picture, predictable lifelines, new or repurposed technological tools, and more. The new normal after COVID will be quite different from the years after 9/11. However, with critical thinking, research, and innovation, communities will discover their new normal – again.
