by RANDALL W. HANIFEN, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.
From small fire companies covering large areas of rural land to large fire departments covering highly populated urban cities, suburban fire departments are tasked with a mixture of both. One firefighter who has spent his career in a suburban fire department shares the five key lessons he has learned throughout his career.
By CAMERON W. SLOCUM & JAMES LEE WITT, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, November 10, 2010.
This 2010 article describes how the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) used the lessons learned from Hurricanes Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008 to develop an effective response and rebuilding plan that not only has been used by UTMB itself to cope with future disasters but also provides a Gold Standard recovery blueprint for other organizations and institutions of all types.
By W. CRAIG CONKLIN, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, August 04, 2010.
In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security released two new publications to help federal officials throughout the country tighten the physical security of the office buildings, warehouses, and hundreds of thousands of other taxpayer-funded federal facilities entrusted to their care. This 2010 article describes those standards, one of which was incorporated into and one that was superseded by the 2021 edition of The Risk Management Process for Federal Facilities: An Interagency Security Committee Standard (RMP).
By JOSEPH CAHILL, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, March 08, 2006.
The laws are in place but are often unenforceable. Transportation assets are available but are almost always overcommitted. Clear mandates from local, state, and federal decision-makers are obviously needed to restore order from the current chaos. This 2006 article describes the challenges associated with contractual agreements between ambulance providers and facilities. During disasters, these contracts may be difficult to fulfill.
By GARY SIMPSON, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, August 22, 2007.
Since this article was written in 2007, major developments have been made to bridge the communication gap for emergency response agencies. However, in times of crisis, the communications between neighboring jurisdictions can still be problematic. Advanced technology has solved the problems and confusion for some jurisdictions, while creating new costly problems for others. This article highlights the interoperability struggle that agencies have faced and some are still trying to overcome today.
by ADAM TAGER, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.
Each disaster a community faces must be effectively managed. By viewing each crisis as a project and each emergency manager as a project manager, communities will be better prepared to mitigate future threats, manage special events, and respond to emergencies and disasters. This article describes how traditional models converge to create a comprehensive project management approach.
by ASHLEIGH HOLMES , An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.
When an emergency or disaster occurs, healthcare facilities require reliable communications for ensuring the safety and well-being of those in their care. The New York City Emergency Management Department has revamped its City’s emergency radio communications program to ensure that critical information can be exchanged before the next incident. Their best practice serves as an example for other jurisdictions to upgrade their equipment and build in communication redundancies.
By CATHERINE L. FEINMAN , An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, March 28, 2018.
On April 12, 2022, a man in a gas mask began shooting passengers in a New York subway car. With millions of passengers traveling each day by rail and subway in the United States alone, the passenger rail industry and the communities they serve are faced with difficult safety and security challenges – from equipment failures to terrorist attacks. This 2018 article shares expert recommendations on how a whole community approach is needed to address these challenges, understand the threats and consequences, and promote a culture of resilience.
By VERNON HERRON & MICHAEL VESELY , An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, July 18, 2012.
The New York shooting incident in the subway demonstrates how citizen awareness campaigns are working. Passengers helped stop the bleed of shooting victims. Eye witness reports pointed police in the right direction. Alert citizens noticed someone suspicious. And the shooter was caught the next day. As discussed in this 2012 article, homeland defense and emergency management begin at home. New Yorkers demonstrated last week that, when they saw something, they not only said something but they also did something.
by RODNEY ANDREASEN , An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.
Active shooters and other violent incidents occur all over the country – in urban and rural areas, in big cities and small towns, in large and small facilities. Many examples demonstrate the need to understand and plan for them and the significant consequences that could follow. This article empowers the reader to better understand how these incidents may occur and ways to better mitigate and respond when healthcare and other facility is threatened.
