There is no way to prevent weather disasters from happening, but advance planning, frequent training drills and exercises, and rapid communications can save lives and reduce damage to infrastructure. Under the “Homeowner” bill, that same combination of managerial tools can also be used to reduce the response and recovery costs caused by natural disasters lying in wait.
On 22 April 2013, DomesticPreparedness.com hosted an Executive Briefing at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Keynote speaker Major General Stephen Reeves, USA (Ret.), started the discussion, and was followed by subject matter experts – each of whom focused on various key components of biodefense – the threats, the costs, and the priorities. These high-level presentations address the scientific, medical, and government policies required to fully comprehend today’s biothreat challenges.
Emergency management is an evolving discipline that requires a progressive emergency manager to
fulfill new and expanding requirements for success. Successful leaders in this field follow a systematic
problem-solving process and excel at coordinating multiple agencies and information sources rather than
simply being experts in one subject. The seven and a half traits discussed here describe the ultimate
emergency manager.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast of the United States. One of the most important lessons learned from that disaster was that the federal government must work with local authorities to support communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of major public health emergencies. The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act is key to making that possible.
People, weather disasters, terrorist attacks, and other criminal activities are inherently unpredictable. Which does not mean that law-enforcement and healthcare agencies cannot prepare for them by using the “special events” calendar as a training curriculum.
In an environment that is constantly changing and increasingly interconnected, many states are finding new ways to use existing assets. In New Jersey, one valuable asset previously used primarily for collecting and analyzing information on terrorist threats played a leading role in the rapid sharing of disaster-response information before, during, and after Hurricane Sandy in late 2012.
Trying to predict risks is a risk in itself. It is, of course, difficult to quantify numerically
the overarching risk involving a particular asset. However, the more complex the assessment model used,
the less likely it is that most people will understand it and the greater effort that must be made to
explain and use the results.
Decision makers, managers, and responders who focus on special needs populations require additional planning to ensure the safe evacuation and well-being, following a major disaster, of those entrusted to their care. Among those populations, there are three distinct groups – those with transportation; those without transportation; and those who cannot or do not want to evacuate.
Since 9/11 and Katrina, significant federal funding has been invested in planning for similar incidents and events that may (or may not) happen in the future. Meanwhile, state and local planners must focus their efforts on the incidents most likely to occur within their own jurisdictions. This approach seems eminently reasonable, but raises new questions about the level of catastrophic planning needed and the ability to cope with sudden disasters of any type.
In a fast-paced world, it makes sense to increase the speed of transportation. However, as plans are being created, there is much more to consider than simply the costs, design, and location of new high-speed rail projects. For one thing, this new mode of transportation will also draw significant attention from those who wish to harm American citizens and U.S. interests in general.
There is no way to prevent weather disasters from happening, but advance planning, frequent training drills and exercises, and rapid communications can save lives and reduce damage to infrastructure. Under the “Homeowner” bill, that same combination of managerial tools can also be used to reduce the response and recovery costs caused by natural disasters lying in wait. 
People, weather disasters, terrorist attacks, and other criminal activities are inherently unpredictable. Which does not mean that law-enforcement and healthcare agencies cannot prepare for them by using the “special events” calendar as a training curriculum. 