Editor’s Note: Maximize Training, Minimize Risk

The December 2024 edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal provides insight into the intersection of AI and emergency preparedness. With their exponentially increasing speed of development, existing, emerging, and not-yet-created technologies must all be part of the planning process in 2025 and beyond.

In Memoriam: Lynda Zambrano

Advisor Lynda Zambrano’s legacy is far-reaching, and the Domestic Preparedness community will miss her and her contributions deeply.

Advisory Board Spotlight: Interview with Sadie Martinez

Sadie Martinez is on the advisory board for the Domestic Preparedness Journal. Sadie is the Colorado State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s Access and Functional Needs Coordinator. Sadie uses the Communication, Maintaining Health/Medical, Independence, Support Services and Safety, and Transportation (CMIST) resource framework, which provides a whole-community inclusion approach to identify the actual resource needs of a community. She sat down with Journal Marketing Coordinator Nicolette Casey to share her passion for her work.

Editor’s Note: Responding to Disasters in 2025 and Beyond

woman wearing virtual reality goggles with a disaster sceneThe December 2024 edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal provides insight into the intersection of AI and emergency preparedness. With their exponentially increasing speed of development, existing, emerging, and not-yet-created technologies must all be part of the planning process in 2025 and beyond.

Advisory Board Spotlight: Interview with Major Rhonda Lawson

Rhonda Lawson is a major in the chief’s office of the Texas Highway Patrol (THP) Division. She began her 27-year career with the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1997 as a trooper. In 2012, Lawson transferred to the Texas Division of Emergency Management as captain and deputy Operations Section coordinator, serving as the division’s THP liaison. In 2016, Lawson was promoted to major and Operations Section coordinator for the Emergency Management Council in the Texas State Operations Center during state-level activations. In 2019, when TDEM became an independent agency under the Texas A&M University System, she transferred to the THP Division, where she is the THP-TDEM liaison and oversees the Highway Safety Operations Center. In this interview, we learn about her journey into emergency management.

Preparing for the Next Biothreat: Lessons Not to Forget

In 2024, senior officials from hospitals, healthcare organizations, public health, emergency management, and other responder communities convened at two workshops to share the lessons they learned as leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their lessons learned can help communities better prepare for the next biothreat.

Editor’s Note: Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence

A close-up of a hand gently holding a glowing sphere with the letters AI prominently displayed in the center. The sphere emits a bright blue light, symbolizing the power and potential of artificial intelligence. This image conveys a futuristic vision of AI technology being carefully controlled and harnessed by human innovation.The December 2024 edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal provides insight into the intersection of AI and emergency preparedness. With their exponentially increasing speed of development, existing, emerging, and not-yet-created technologies must all be part of the planning process in 2025 and beyond.

Advisory Board Spotlight: Interview with Caroline Agarabi, Ph.D.

What does it take to bridge science and strategy in the world of emergency preparedness? Caroline Agarabi, Ph.D., shares how her work shapes disaster response plans, supports lifesaving countermeasures, and prepares communities for the unexpected. Dive into her unique journey and insights in this compelling conversation.

Editor’s Note: Giving Thanks for the Planners

In this November edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, get a glimpse into securing New York City’s largest events. In addition, this month’s authors clarify the misconceptions and realities of human trafficking, explain why messaging matters, share about self-care during deployments, and warn of threats that communities across the country may encounter.
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