It seems somewhat complicated on paper, but The Netherlands' crisis-management system works well in practice. The nation's compact geography, the close working relationships between the various ministries involved, and the experience gained from previous disasters all augur well for eventual success in dealing with future emergencies.
Similar to the ways in which communicators and transporters are used in Star Trek, smartphones and social media are being used to "beam" real-time information and images to incident commanders, law-enforcement agencies, and sometimes the entire world. Analysts can now leverage these tools to gather a wealth of information in a very short period of time.
Communications is a responsibility that can be particularly challenging during emergency-disaster operations. By communicating across a broad spectrum of frequencies and networks, members of Floridas Air National Guard are able to share their resources with civilian agencies and help bridge the information gap.
To avoid a recipe for disaster, the following prescription is recommended for all-hazards preparedness: two-thirds planning and one-third execution. Anything and everything can happen at a special event in communities throughout the nation, so the advance planning and training should reflect that fact.
In the United States today, losses caused by natural disasters and the frequency of such events are both on the rise. Moreover, because state and federal budgets are still declining, the nation's emergency management community is constantly challenged to do more with less, while still continuing to improve disaster resilience capabilities. A recent high-level panel discussion in the nation's capital developed recommendations for immediate and continuing improvement.
Part 4 of Dr. Vanderwagen's groundbreaking five-part series on the numerous - and extremely difficult - challenges involved in implementing the U.S. National Health Security Strategy. This white paper addresses challenges related to event management and "seeing through the fog" during the intense phase of response - i.e., when events are fluid and information is not only changing but also lacks clarity.
A lot can be accomplished in 60 days with 2 million people. By emphasizing training, drills, and education, Safe America will be helping families and businesses be better equipped to handle the next major disaster.
Professional athletes focus first on personal training skills, but understand that team training is needed to win games - and championships. The Center for Domestic Preparedness uses that winning philosophy for their "Capstone" events, in which students from many professional disciplines join forces to address realistic scenarios that require their combined as well as individual skills.
The U.S. Fire Administration's (USFA) National Fire Academy (NFA) announces the availability of a new NFA Online course: Foundational Concepts of Chemistry (Q228), which provides students with fundamental knowledge to prepare for the more advanced Hazardous Materials curriculum courses.
Part 3 of Dr. Vanderwagen's groundbreaking five-part series on the numerous - and extremely difficult - challenges involved in implementing the U.S. National Health Security Strategy. This white paper addresses challenges related to preparing for a mass evacuation, conducting such an evacuation, and fulfilling information needs within a shelter environment. Although specific to domestic events, many of the same approaches also have merit in an international environment.
