Creating a Common Operating Picture for Wildfire Season
Akshay Birla
July 27, 2022
Life is beginning to return to normal following the past two years of the pandemic, but the world is still as unpredictable as ever. When it seems as though one
Societal Violence & Its Impact on Critical Infrastructure
Nathan DiPillo and Tim Scarrott
July 27, 2022
The “new normal” following the COVID-19 outbreak is still evolving. Although some people have welcomed the relief from many years of commuting and focused on personal growth and time with
Discovering Another New Normal
Catherine L. Feinman
July 27, 2022
Because of the interconnectedness of so many aspects of society, the authors in this July edition
of the Domestic Preparedness Journal help readers better understand what is needed in the new normal: a
common operating picture, predictable lifelines, new or repurposed technological tools, and more. The
new normal after COVID will be quite different from the years after 9/11. However, with critical
thinking, research, and innovation, communities will discover their new normal – again.
Four Takeaways From the Nashville Christmas Bombing
Robert F. Kelly and Dean C. Alexander
July 20, 2022
The Nashville Christmas bombing provides valuable lessons about targeted violence incidents. This research on pre-attack indicators shares four key takeaways for law enforcement and other preparedness professionals to understand regarding lone wolf and leaderless resistance attacks. Knowing other pre-attack indicators may help thwart a future attack even when the motive is unknown.
Teleforensic Tools – From Telemedicine to Law Enforcement
Michael Melton
July 20, 2022
Telemedicine capabilities have become valuable medical tools to provide life-saving treatment to patients where and when needed. Similarly, off-site skills and knowledge can be transferred to on-site law enforcement personnel through teleforensics to identify and thwart threats, while increasing crime clearances. This article describes how expanding capabilities, identifying needs, delivering instructions, and facilitating remote applications are examples of technology serving as a force multiplier across disciplines.
Public Health Preparedness– Finding Its Path Forward
Raphael M. Barishansky
July 13, 2022
Public health preparedness has emerged and matured as a distinct discipline since the events of 9/11 and the subsequent Ameri-thrax attacks. Although, in the past, public health agencies were pushed to the forefront of various emergencies, the planning and infrastructure for public health emergency response were not funded and not in place until after 2001. This article describes the gaps that need to be addressed as the discipline continues to face public health emergencies worldwide.
Making Communications a Predictable Lifeline Solution
Charles J. Guddemi
July 13, 2022
Community lifelines ensure that businesses and the government can continue functioning and society can thrive. However, a breakdown in daily operations is inevitable when one or more lifeline is lost. In communications, this means a disruption in technology that has become interwoven into societal norms – talking, texting, data transfer, social media, etc. This article shares possible solutions to the predictable loss of the communications lifeline.
“Boot Camp” for Emergency Managers
David Covington
July 6, 2022
In most fields, basic training is part of the learning process. Fire, law enforcement, the
military, and other disciplines have training academies for building competencies and testing new
recruits. An exception to these types of requirements is the field of emergency management. This new
training academy will ensure that all emergency managers are trained to the same standards regardless
how much boots-on-the-ground experience they bring with them.
What Preparedness & Response Leaders Need in the New Normal
Catherine L. Feinman
July 6, 2022
To address the challenges that emergency preparedness professionals face in an ever-changing threat
environment, the Domestic Preparedness Journal hosted a panel discussion at the Texas Emergency
Management Conference in San Antonio, Texas, on June 2, 2022. The multidiscipline panel was moderated by
James (Jim) Featherstone, a principal consultant at a crisis management consultant agency, Themata
Strategic LLC. Participants included the Texas Division of Emergency Management (Deputy Chiefs Suzannah
Jones and Country Weidler), Texas Department of Public Safety (Major Rhonda Lawson), Dallas Fire-Rescue
(Chief Dominique Artis), Amarillo Public Health (Casie Stoughton), and Texas Army National Guard,
Director Operations, Plans and Training (Colonel Robert Eason). This article summarizes the panelists’
responses to questions that leaders should be asking themselves.
