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Offshore Facilities: Growing Vulnerabilities in the Maritime Environment

Christopher Doane and Joseph DiRenzo III November 19, 2008
Any opinions expressed in the preceding article represent their own views and are not necessarily the official views of the U.S. Coast Guard.Offshore energy platforms, which are vital to help the United States meet its energy requirements, not only are growing in number but also create unique security challenges. Using

Rescue 21 Update: Advanced Comm Capabilities for the New Century

Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane April 2, 2008
Mayday! Mayday! The internationally recognized distress call for mariners and aviators; however, if no one hears the call, help will not be dispatched.  The U.S. Coast Guard has been taking steps to make sure that their ships and shore stations do hear the call, whenever and wherever it is sounded,

COTPs Updating Port Plans to Combat Maritime Terrorism

Christopher Doane and Joseph DiRenzo III January 2, 2008
Successfully combating maritime terrorism within a U.S. port requires a coordinated effort among federal, state, local, and private-sector security forces. To coordinate the multi-force effort required involves extensive joint planning, well ahead of time, between and among the numerous stakeholders involved. In accordance with guidelines mandated in the Maritime Transportation

Rocks, Shoals, Obstructions, and the SAFE Port Act

Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane November 5, 2007
The SAFE Port Act – officially called the Security and Accountability For Every Port Act, which was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 2006 – addresses a broad spectrum of port-security matters that had not been adequately covered by previous laws, including the Maritime Transportation Act of 2002.  One aspect

The Next Wave of Synergy in Port/Maritime Security

Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane August 3, 2007
Synergy, fusion, jointness, unity of effort – all are important characteristics to the success of the multi-agency operations needed to ensure the security of ports in the United States – but those laudable characteristics also are difficult to achieve, particularly when a broad spectrum of agencies control their forces from

USMA’s CTC Addresses Global Terrorism Threat

Christopher Doane and Joseph DiRenzo III June 13, 2007
When the words “West Point” are mentioned, the names and exploits of famous generals such as Grant, Eisenhower, and Patton come to mind along with visions of crisp fall days, duty, honor, country, as well as an institution, the U.S. Military Academy (USMA), that is as much of America’s fabric

Port Security Exercises and Training: A Formidable Curriculum

Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane May 2, 2007
As explained on the U.S. Transportation Security Agency’s website, PortSTEP (the Port Security Training and Exercise Program) was established as a partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard to improve “the intermodal transportation industry’s ability to prepare for and contend with a Transportation Security Incident.” The program is in that context

Guarding the Great Lakes: Athena and the Northern Maritime Border Initiative

Christopher Doane and Joseph DiRenzo III April 4, 2007
The U.S. northern maritime border poses a significant challenge for U.S. and Canadian law-enforcement agencies. The Great Lakes border between the two nations, which extends over 1,500 miles, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway teem with commercial and recreational traffic routinely moving back and forth between the territorial waters separating the

The MOTR Process – Ensuring Unity of Effort in Maritime Security

Joseph DiRenzo III and Christopher Doane February 28, 2007
Several U.S. government agencies have overlapping jurisdictional responsibilities in the enforcement of laws and treaties, particularly in maritime matters. For many years these agencies have from time to time responded independently to the same threat information, a practice that would seem to be an inefficient use of taxpayer money.  The

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Article Out Loud – Mission Ready Packages: New Possibilities

January 15, 2025
In 2005, the Superdome in New Orleans served as a mass shelter and accommodated over 25,000 people during Hurricane Katrina. Those accommodations, though, were inadequate, with limited power, plumbing, and other resources. To avoid a similar scenario, the Mission Ready Venue Initiative enables stadiums to be a resource for immediate

Article Out Loud – Evolution of a Critical Emergency Response Tool

January 8, 2025
During a derecho in May 2024, Texas agencies contacted and conducted wellness checks on residents with disabilities or with functional and access needs. One tool facilitated the process, sharing critical information about registrants to the emergency responders and planners who needed to know. Learn about this collaborative process.

Article Out Loud – Why Public Works Needs a Seat at the Planning Table

January 8, 2025
This is an article by Greg Hoffnung, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, January 8, 2025. Despite their critical role in disaster response, public works agencies are not always included in the emergency planning process. Key steps can help ensure that these and other agencies can more effectively respond

Article Out Loud – Opportunities for Artificial Intelligence in Emergency Management

December 18, 2024
This is an article by Alex Hagen and Jon Barr, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 18, 2024. Recent research into the relationship between AI and emergency management uncovered an environment prepared for AI-based solutions. While AI must overcome some infrastructure hurdles, technologies to prevent, mitigate, and recover

ARTICLE OUT LOUD – Introducing AI to the Emergency Management Workforce: A Case Study

December 18, 2024
This is an article by Lenora G. Borchardt, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, December 18, 2024. AI can contribute to professional competency and learners’ success while efficiently training emergency management professionals and managing the bottom line. Learn how AI can create competency and outcomes-based learning tailored to each

ARTICLE OUT LOUD – Protecting Critical Infrastructure From Weaponized Drones

December 4, 2024
Electricity substations are traditionally only protected by chain-link fences and signage warning of the dangers of high voltage. However, this still leaves property vulnerable, especially to weaponized drones attacking from above, a mode of terrorism being used more extensively across the world and at home. Learn about the vulnerability of
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Domestic Preparedness

2883 Highway 71 E
P.O. Box 285
Del Valle, TX 78617-9998

Editorial Statement

Founded in 1998, Domestic Preparedness continues to be a pioneering thought leader in the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery space. The multidisciplinary editorial focus helps professionals acquire critical information to develop collaborative, real-world solutions. With relevant, multidisciplinary, whole-community intelligence from the front lines, practitioners can learn from diverse perspectives. The authoritative, practitioner-centered, multimedia information platform disseminates intelligence the way busy management-level public- and private-sector professionals want to learn. This is the trusted source for content written by practitioners, for practitioners, with relevant, real-world best practices.

DomesticPreparedness.com, the Domestic Preparedness Journal and the Weekly Brief include facts, views, opinions, and recommendations of individuals and organizations deemed of interest. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas A&M University System do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of, or otherwise endorse, these views, facts, opinions or recommendations.
©2025 Texas Division of Emergency Management

Domestic Preparedness

2883 Highway 71E

P.O. Box 285

Del Valle, TX 78617-9998

Editorial Statement

Founded in 1998, Domestic Preparedness continues to be a pioneering thought leader in the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery space. The multidisciplinary editorial focus helps professionals acquire critical information to develop collaborative, real-world solutions. With relevant, multidisciplinary, whole-community intelligence from the front lines, practitioners can learn from diverse perspectives. The authoritative, practitioner-centered, multimedia information platform disseminates intelligence the way busy management-level public- and private-sector professionals want to learn. This is the trusted source for content written by practitioners, for practitioners, with relevant, real-world best practices.

DomesticPreparedness.com, the Domestic Preparedness Journal and the Weekly Brief include facts, views, opinions, and recommendations of individuals and organizations deemed of interest. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas A&M University System do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of, or otherwise endorse, these views, facts, opinions or recommendations.
©2025 Texas Division of Emergency Management
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