Most recently published
Evolving the Scope of the Strategic National Stockpile
Greg Burel
November 27, 2019
While the mission of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has not changed since Congress established this national repository of emergency medicines and supplies, public health events in the United States during the past 20 years have led to a dramatic expansion of the scope of the stockpile’s capabilities. Originally focused
Domestic Terrorism – Defining a Real Threat
Richard Schoeberl and Anthony (Tony) Mottola
November 13, 2019
Over the past two decades, the United States has focused heavily on preventing attacks from Islamic terrorism movements – or those inspired by these movements. However, recent attacks in the United States over the past few years have prompted much debate on how to combat the threat of domestic terrorism.
Post-Disaster Death Figures Do Not Tell the Whole Story
James M. Rush Sr.
November 6, 2019
In any disaster, there is a cost beyond the immediate mortality figures following a disaster due to a lack of proper medical supplies and treatment in mass care shelters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a weekly “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” which serves as a clearinghouse for
Overcoming Healthcare Challenges & Finding Solutions
Catherine L. Feinman
October 30, 2019
The healthcare industry presents many challenges for emergency preparedness professionals. The planning process for a major crisis involves numerous stakeholders, each with their own plans and procedures. Emergency medical services and hospitals, in particular, are tasked with managing dynamic, ever-changing environments that are difficult to predict. A medical surge could
The Value of Crisis Communications
Anthony S. Mangeri
October 23, 2019
The role of the emergency management systems is to bring calm to chaos. The role of the public information officer (PIO) is to disseminate information that is credible, accurate, and reliable. It is a critical component of the initial response to meet the informational needs of residents – trusted, credible
Overcoming Challenges of Hospital Preparedness Plans
Stephen Gibson
October 16, 2019
Transitioning from public sector emergency management for a large city to emergency management for a private sector hospital is not easy. The fundamentals of emergency preparedness are the same, but the hospital setting has unique challenges. Each day, there are different numbers of people within the hospital. Some days, the
The Early Years: Shaping a National Stockpile for Preparedness
Greg Burel
October 9, 2019
In today’s emergency response landscape, public health jurisdictions across the United States rely on the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) when incidents prove large enough or severe enough to deplete medicines and supplies needed to protect communities. In just 20 years, the SNS – now managed by the U.S. Department of
Opioid Epidemic & Narcan’s Unintended Consequences
Andrew R. Roszak
October 2, 2019
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency related to the opioid crisis. Indeed, overdoses and deaths from opioids have skyrocketed over the past decade. In 2017, deaths from opioids were six times higher than in 1999. Opioids impact the quality of life
Trauma-Informed Crisis Management
Michael Ross
September 25, 2019
There is a growing industry of “realistic active shooter” drills. Many are focused on teaching participants how to “survive” an event. These drills involve imitation attacks, physical confrontations, fake weapons, and simulated deaths. Some of these drills have led to actual shootings, people being locked in closets or storage rooms,
Integrating Jurisdiction Plans
Allen B. King III
September 18, 2019
Guidance for developing an integrated, coordinated, and synchronized emergency operations plan (EOP) is provided in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101). Although many emergency managers consider the EOP the foundation of emergency and disaster plans, CPG 101 acknowledges that it is not the only plan that supports emergency management within
Life Support – Ensuring Proper Regulation of the Electric Grid
Michael Mabee
September 11, 2019
With few exceptions, human beings in the United States are literally on life support – plugged in to the electric grid. If that connection is unplugged, everything necessary to sustain the human population stops, including: food, water, fuel, transportation, medical resources, communications, and financial resources. According to a 28 March
Government Shutdowns: Emergencies, Disasters, or Expected Events
Kay C. Goss
September 4, 2019
The 35-day government shutdown of 2018-2019 became the longest in U.S. government history. Food banks, firefighters, and community services agencies ramped up their food and other care services. Much like during natural disasters, a significant number of federal workers and contractors did not have sufficient savings to cover expenses during
The Electric Grid – Overcoming Vulnerability
Michael Mabee
December 4, 2019
In 1850 – nine years before the Carrington Event and 12 years before the Civil War – the population of the United States was 23 million people. At the end of 2018, the population of the U.S. had reached 328 million people. What enabled the population to increase by 305
Evolving the Scope of the Strategic National Stockpile
Greg Burel
November 27, 2019
While the mission of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) has not changed since Congress established this national repository of emergency medicines and supplies, public health events in the United States during the past 20 years have led to a dramatic expansion of the scope of the stockpile’s capabilities. Originally focused
Domestic Terrorism – Defining a Real Threat
Richard Schoeberl and Anthony (Tony) Mottola
November 13, 2019
Over the past two decades, the United States has focused heavily on preventing attacks from Islamic terrorism movements – or those inspired by these movements. However, recent attacks in the United States over the past few years have prompted much debate on how to combat the threat of domestic terrorism.
Post-Disaster Death Figures Do Not Tell the Whole Story
James M. Rush Sr.
November 6, 2019
In any disaster, there is a cost beyond the immediate mortality figures following a disaster due to a lack of proper medical supplies and treatment in mass care shelters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a weekly “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” which serves as a clearinghouse for
Overcoming Healthcare Challenges & Finding Solutions
Catherine L. Feinman
October 30, 2019
The healthcare industry presents many challenges for emergency preparedness professionals. The planning process for a major crisis involves numerous stakeholders, each with their own plans and procedures. Emergency medical services and hospitals, in particular, are tasked with managing dynamic, ever-changing environments that are difficult to predict. A medical surge could
The Value of Crisis Communications
Anthony S. Mangeri
October 23, 2019
The role of the emergency management systems is to bring calm to chaos. The role of the public information officer (PIO) is to disseminate information that is credible, accurate, and reliable. It is a critical component of the initial response to meet the informational needs of residents – trusted, credible
Overcoming Challenges of Hospital Preparedness Plans
Stephen Gibson
October 16, 2019
Transitioning from public sector emergency management for a large city to emergency management for a private sector hospital is not easy. The fundamentals of emergency preparedness are the same, but the hospital setting has unique challenges. Each day, there are different numbers of people within the hospital. Some days, the
The Early Years: Shaping a National Stockpile for Preparedness
Greg Burel
October 9, 2019
In today’s emergency response landscape, public health jurisdictions across the United States rely on the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) when incidents prove large enough or severe enough to deplete medicines and supplies needed to protect communities. In just 20 years, the SNS – now managed by the U.S. Department of
Opioid Epidemic & Narcan’s Unintended Consequences
Andrew R. Roszak
October 2, 2019
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency related to the opioid crisis. Indeed, overdoses and deaths from opioids have skyrocketed over the past decade. In 2017, deaths from opioids were six times higher than in 1999. Opioids impact the quality of life
Trauma-Informed Crisis Management
Michael Ross
September 25, 2019
There is a growing industry of “realistic active shooter” drills. Many are focused on teaching participants how to “survive” an event. These drills involve imitation attacks, physical confrontations, fake weapons, and simulated deaths. Some of these drills have led to actual shootings, people being locked in closets or storage rooms,
Integrating Jurisdiction Plans
Allen B. King III
September 18, 2019
Guidance for developing an integrated, coordinated, and synchronized emergency operations plan (EOP) is provided in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101). Although many emergency managers consider the EOP the foundation of emergency and disaster plans, CPG 101 acknowledges that it is not the only plan that supports emergency management within
Life Support – Ensuring Proper Regulation of the Electric Grid
Michael Mabee
September 11, 2019
With few exceptions, human beings in the United States are literally on life support – plugged in to the electric grid. If that connection is unplugged, everything necessary to sustain the human population stops, including: food, water, fuel, transportation, medical resources, communications, and financial resources. According to a 28 March
Don’t Procrastinate – Collaborate
Catherine L. Feinman
August 28, 2019
After a disaster, stories often emerge about companies and organizations that provided resources and services to aid in the response efforts. Sometimes these are prearranged formal agreements, but often they emerge more spontaneously as the need arises within communities. It, of course, is not possible to plan for every potential
A “Pracademic” Approach to Homeland Security
Terry Hastings and Eric Stern
August 21, 2019
It is important for academics and practitioners to collaborate and learn from each other. Academic research can help to address real-world challenges, and practitioners are uniquely positioned to provide meaningful insight to help shape research agendas.
Pandemic Influenza: Advice & Suggestions From an Expert
Andrew R. Roszak
August 14, 2019
With the myriad of threats that communities prepare for, influenza pandemic is consistently at the top of the priority list. In recent years, strains such as H7N9 and H1N1 have caused concern among health officials. It is no mystery why, considering the 1918 influenza pandemic – which infected over 500
Predictable Surge: Improving Public-Private Collaboration
Eric J. McNulty and John Campbell
August 7, 2019
Public-private collaboration in disaster preparedness and response is currently sub-optimal in its organization and operational performance. This may be due to the perception of government entities that all collaboration must be formal in nature. As a consequence, small, medium, and even large private organizations may be reluctant to become involved
Seven Universities Upping Cybersecurity Educational Programs
Joseph Scherrer and David Reddick
July 31, 2019
Seven universities in the St. Louis, Missouri, area have banded together to improve the quality of cybersecurity education they offer their students. By increasing the number of graduates, together they strive to meet the demand for skilled cybersecurity workers in the region.
Local Law Enforcement for International Threats
Richard Schoeberl and Anthony (Tony) Mottola
July 24, 2019
According to a recent United Nations Security Council report, the number of Islamic State (IS) attacks is down over the past year. However, there is still no doubt that the IS remains a threat – both globally and domestically – particularly as it transforms into a more covert terrorist organization.
Just Another Day in the Office for the United States Coast Guard
Martin D. Masiuk
July 17, 2019
DomPrep’s Publisher, Martin (Marty) Masiuk recently conducted a podcast interview with DomPrep Advisor CDR Joseph J. Leonard Jr. (USCG, ret.) to hear his reaction on this extraordinary drug seizure. Joe then elaborates on the many missions that the Coast Guard conduct every day.
Reducing Weather Anxiety Among Emergency Managers
Andrew (Andy) Altizer and Steve Harris
July 10, 2019
Imagine this scenario. A tornado watch has been in effect for the past six hours. The severe thunderstorm warning expires as the squall line passes over the area, which escaped significant severe weather. Although the Storm Prediction Center shows the area has been downgraded from enhanced to marginal, the
EMP Executive Order & Self-Funding Resilient Microgrids
Charles (Chuck) L. Manto
June 26, 2019
The U.S. government published two landmark emergency management policies in March 2019. The first was the update of the 2015/2016 Space Weather Strategy and Action Plan released from the Office of the President. DomPrep published an article on 15 June 2016 describing how the strategy and action plan affected disaster
The Enterprise That Guards Against Attack
Catherine L. Feinman
June 26, 2019
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to safeguard the United States against terrorism. The department brought together 22 different federal agencies, each with a role to: prevent terrorism and enhance security, especially from a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high-yield explosive (CBRNE) attack;
European CBRNE Summit 2019 – Salisbury & Manchester
Bobby Baker Jr.
June 12, 2019
Birmingham, United Kingdom – Over the past few years, the term “asymmetry” has been applied many times to the emerging threat landscape to first responders and military personnel around the world. Asymmetrical means that two sides do not match or are uneven. Intelligence SEC’s 2019 European CBRNE Summit recently held
How to Lead the Public
Leonard J. Marcus and Eric J. McNulty
June 5, 2019
In almost any adverse incident, whether natural or manmade, the general public is involved. At times, they are the victims and survivors. Active bystanders may be the true first responders simply because of proximity. Volunteers often surge forward hoping to help. Eager though untrained, members of the public can be
Follow Us
Get Instant Access
Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.
