Schooling the Next Generation of Professionals | Domestic Preparedness Photo: Sal Puglisi, 2017
Commentary

Schooling the Next Generation of Professionals

by Robert Magliaro -

On 27 June 2017, the Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management (UASEM), the first high school in the United States dedicated to the field, graduated its first cohort of students. Over the past four years, UASEM has engaged students in exploring careers in first response through trips to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) training headquarters, logistics at the New York City Emergency Management Emergency Operations Center, and internships in emergency management organizations across the region.

 
Commentary

Next Responder of the Future

by Kay C. Goss & Catherine L. Feinman -

Each year, experienced emergency management and first responder personnel are retiring from their careers, and retiring the vital skills that they spent their lifetimes learning. As the next generation of young adults moves into these fields, it is critical for the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the previous generations to be passed on through education, training, and mentorships. Some organizations are leading this effort with youth programs that strive to attract new interest in emergency preparedness and response.

Commentary

Advice from W. Craig Fugate: Learn, Do Not Just Observe

by W. Craig Fugate -

I was only 31 when I started in emergency management. There are a lot of young emergency mangers out there faced with some pretty hefty responsibilities. If I were to provide advice to the next generation of emergency managers, I would say this: …

Resilience

FEMA Corps: Bringing in the Next Generation

by Richard Serino & Jennifer Grimes -

When Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast in 2012, its effects were devastating. The storm left a trail of destruction that affected 24 states, killing 159 people, costing $70.2 billion in damage, and leaving millions without power. Yet, in the wake of this terrible disaster, there was a new source of hope: A group of young AmeriCorps members working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) newly launched FEMA Corps assisted the recovery effort.

Commentary

Help Wanted: Next Generation of Emergency Managers

by Catherine L. Feinman -

Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials compose the majority of the modern workforce, but the next generation (Generation Z) is now beginning to emerge from schools and colleges. Before this new generation transforms into a significant portion of the workforce, it is important to determine what makes these young people unique and what they can offer to the emergency management field.

Preparedness

Today’s Emergency Manager: Versatile Enough for Any Industry

by Keith Grossman -

If someone were to walk into a high school classroom today and ask the students about their future professions, there may be one or possibly two students who wish to pursue emergency management. However, as much as the field has grown since 2001, emergency management is still not the dream career of the average high school student. It is much more likely that these students would consider more traditional fields in the business, health, or finance world.

Resilience

FEMA Corps: Youth Engagement in Emergency Management

by Sierra Griffieth -

The FEMA Corps Program is the result of a revolutionized partnership between the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Established in 2012, FEMA Corps falls under the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps umbrella. Its members travel across the country assisting FEMA and its partners with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives.

Commentary

A Generation Z Perspective on Intergenerational Learning

by Gisselle A. Aguirre -

As the next generation enters the emergency management field, it is time to think about the impact experienced generations can have on their younger counterparts. In emergency management, experienced professionals have knowledge that younger generations cannot gain until they are in the field, but they can share that field experience in the classroom and bring textbooks to life.

Preparedness

Mentorship – A Four-Step Example

by Sarah Geydarov -

They meet in the local diner across the street, in a small coffee shop meters away from headquarters, or in the office behind closed doors. But, these get-togethers between emergency management colleagues are not to discuss upgrades to the latest heat emergency plan, or to flesh out details for an upcoming tabletop or functional exercise. These meetings instead promote professional development by providing a roadmap to help emergency management neophytes navigate pages of plans and protocols to learn from their colleagues’ experiences in the field.

Commentary

School Safety and Security: The Power of Students

by Robert Boyd -

On 22 May 2017, DomPrep held a panel discussion on “Responders of the Future” at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. In concert with that event, Secure Schools Alliance Research and Education (the Alliance) released its brief, “Securing Our Schools: Partner Roles and Responsibilities.” Together, these offerings provide significant insight on the power that students can play in the safety and security of their schools.

Preparedness

Next Generation Emergency Management

by Terry Hastings -

The discipline of emergency management is poised to benefit from three converging factors: an increasing number of millennials joining the workforce; the proliferation of emergency management related degree programs; and greater visibility and relevance of the discipline itself due to the increasing frequency, scope, and magnitude of disasters and evolving threats. Together, these factors will shape emergency management for the next generation.

Healthcare

Fit for Duty: The Resilient Responder

by Anthony S. Mangeri Sr. -

The term “fit for duty” in modern firefighting goes beyond being physically fit to include being resilient to the stress and emotional effects of the job. For individual resilience, this means having the ability to prepare for and recover from stressful events so the responder can return to duty with some sense of normality. To accomplish this, responders must sleep well, eat right, and positively engage with peers.

Commentary

Success or Failure of a Response: There Are Options

by Catherine L. Feinman -

The success or failure of an emergency response depends on many factors: planning, capabilities, training, tools, funding, public trust, and the list goes on. This edition of the DomPrep Journal examines potential points of failure as well as formulas for success when responding to a crisis.

Preparedness

Facial Recognition Making an Appearance in Public Safety

by Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso -

The use of facial recognition (FR) technologies to support public safety has long been considered a potent tool for law enforcement. The capability to automatically identify persons of interest in real-time has the potential to alert police of threats before an incident occurs. Long considered a technology of science fiction, FR is finally moving into the public safety mainstream with new capabilities now being rolled out.

Resilience

The True Test of a Successful Crisis Response: Public Trust

by W. Craig Fugate -

No organization, or government, can solve every problem. There will always be a crisis that will require an emergency response. And fundamental to the success of that response will be the public’s reaction. Emergency managers can react and can mobilize, but they will not be successful unless they do so in such a way as to ensure the public trust. This was apparent in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, which was a crisis of government.

Updates

Space Station Project Seeks to Crystalize the Means to Counteract Nerve Poisons

The microgravity conditions of the International Space Station (ISS) may hold the key to improving our understanding of how to combat toxic nerve agents such as sarin and VX. That is the hope of Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) project that is part of an initiative at the National Institutes of Health aimed at developing improved antidotes for chemical agents.

Biosecurity Stakeholders Offer Recommendations for National Biodefense Strategy

More than 50 public and private sector biosecurity stakeholders gathered at a meeting convened by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security on June 22 in Washington, DC, to engage in a discussion about US biodefense capabilities and offer recommendations for the forthcoming National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan.

FEMA Announces Funding Awards to Prepare Communities for Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials announced funding awards for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Program to Prepare Communities for Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attacks (CCTA Program). The CCTA Program will provide $35.94 million to selected recipients to improve their ability to prepare for, prevent, and respond to complex coordinated terrorist attacks in collaboration with the whole community.

Virginia Will Become the First State to Opt-In to FirstNet’s National Public Safety Broadband Network

Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a letter of intent declaring that the Commonwealth of Virginia will allow the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) and AT&T to proceed with the deployment of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network in Virginia. FirstNet is a dedicated public safety interoperable, nationwide mobile broadband network created to enable continued communication during a disaster or other large-scale event.

USGS Publishes a New Blueprint That Can Help Make Subduction Zone Areas More Resilient

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has developed a blueprint for advancing science and resilience from subduction zone hazards. The plan leverages scientific and technologic developments, improves hazard assessments, addresses stakeholder needs, and maximizes capabilities through partnerships to reduce risks. The resulting products will inform decisions and policies to make communities and critical infrastructure less vulnerable.