Domestic Preparedness – Prepared for What? | Domestic Preparedness Photo: ©iStock.com/dmfoss
Commentary

Domestic Preparedness – Prepared for What?

by Rob Schnepp -

Publisher note: Rob Schnepp was one of DomPrep’s first writers and has provided council and guidance to me over the past two decades. I asked him to provide his personal account of the 9/11 attacks as well as the subsequent anthrax attacks. They serve as a reminder of how many felt following those attacks: uncertainty about when and where another threat would emerge, an urgent need to prepare for another terrorist attack, and unity of effort. Today, there is still uncertainty about what potential threats are looming. However, it is time to bring back the urgency to prepare and the unity required to move preparedness efforts forward.

 
Commentary

Never Forget: Focusing Events & Opportunity for Change

by Nim Kidd -

Devastating events can open windows of opportunity. In emergency management, focusing events like 9/11 create opportunities for change. Tragedies like 9/11 or devastating hurricanes create a flurry of activity in the short period that follows. This activity typically involves conversations about how to make things better or make change. However, windows for these conversations always close.

Resilience

September 11 – Remembrance & Recovery

by Anthony S. Mangeri -

It is difficult to imagine that the attacks of 9/11 occurred 20 years ago. Emergency managers build systems to mitigate the potental impacts of disasters on communities. An emergency manager’s job is to plan for the worst and prepare communities for that one moment when it is time to lead. The memory of walking into the New Jersey Emergency Operation Center on September 11, 2001 and seeing the devastation as it unfolded is vivid in my mind. Patriot Day is a day that conjures memories of the lives lost as well as the nation’s subsequent recovery from that devastating event.

Commentary

Lest We Forget

by Martin Masiuk -

Lest We Forget! A reflection and observation on the anniversary of 9/11 from the publisher.

Preparedness

Security Lessons Learned – Part 2, Las Vegas Shootings

by Daniel Rector -

Many of the previous stories and after-action reviews conducted for the 2017 Las Vegas shootings have focused on organizers’ and public safety officials’ responses in the aftermath of the attack. In contrast, this article focuses on the events’ security strengths and weaknesses and then offers recommendations for other event planners and public safety officials to improve their plans for future events.

Preparedness

Security Lessons Learned – Part 1, Boston Marathon Bombings

by Daniel Rector -

Acts of terrorism continue to affect communities worldwide. As the public tries to retain a semblance of everyday life by attending outdoor events, emergency planners must adapt to new intelligence and learn from past attacks. A review of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings identifies the event security plans’ strengths and shortcomings. Other event planners and public safety officials can use this review and recommendations to plan for large public gatherings within their jurisdictions.

Updates

S&T Wildfire Sensor Initiative Heats Up

At the California field event in June 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) successfully tested four prototype technologies for early detection of wildfires, closing out Phase 1 of the Smart Cities Internet of Things Innovation (SCITI) Labs wildland fire sensor effort. SCITI Labs brings together government and private sector partners to identify technologies that meet first responders’ operational needs and ensure the nation’s critical infrastructure remains secure and resilient.

DHS S&T Calls for Technologies for 2022 First Responder Electronic Jamming Exercise (JAMX 22)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) today released a Request for Information (RFI) for participation in the 2022 First Responder Electronic Jamming Exercise (JamX 22) at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, April 25-29, 2022.

Quickly Detecting Cyanide Poisoning After Fires Can Save Lives

In the chaos of burning buildings, it is not just the flames that are dangerous and potentially lethal, but also toxic fumes like cyanide that are released when certain materials are incinerated. These fumes, mixed with smoke, are so toxic that even in very low quantities may pose more risk than the fire itself. Science and Technology Directorate's Chemical Security Analysis Center chemists have invented a test to indicate possible toxic cyanide exposure at the fire scene.

Using Technology to Solve Urban Response Challenges

The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) serves first responders and emergency managers throughout metropolitan areas in the country, helping to solve the complex challenges faced by urban responders. The lab evaluates technologies and provides tools and guidance for all state and local first responders to safeguard their communities.

Taking Guess Work Out of Vaccine Development

Immune response to vaccines is unpredictable, transient, and ineffective, largely due to a lack of understanding of the complex mechanisms of action underlying immune memory. The Assessing Immune Memory (AIM) program seeks to develop a platform capability to predict immune memory informed by a systems-level view of the host response to vaccination and its mechanisms.