Most recently published

Agricultural Incidents and Effective Multi-Agency Coordination
Mark Ghilarducci and Frank Castro
September 16, 2009
An attack on U.S. cities could topple skyscrapers, destroy seaports, and block highways, tunnels, and bridges. Those are all local effects. An attack on the nation’s food supply could sicken the entire nation, so coordinating a response and recovery operation require a different approach.

CARD’s Incident Command System for Community Responders
Ana-Marie Jones
September 16, 2009
Introduction to an innovative PowerPoint presentation on the how-to fundamentals of developing a united approach for a broad spectrum of agencies pooling their resources to deal with community emergencies faster and more effectively.

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Nine
Adam Montella
September 16, 2009
The Colonists fight, then reunite, but recognize that their chances of long-term survival diminish almost visibly with each passing week. They have done well – exceptionally well, under the circumstances – but know that a brighter tomorrow is many miles away. Can they make it?

Public Health, EMS, Emergency Management: Partners in Preparedness
Kay C. Goss
September 9, 2009
The brave new world of the 21st century has added weapons of mass destruction to the already long list of dangers facing individual citizens, political jurisdictions & humanity in general. The new keys to survival are not good weather and good luck, but cooperation and collaboration at all levels of

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Eight
Adam Montella
September 9, 2009
The survivors gain an additional member, and encounter not one but several additional problems. Tempers flare, supplies dwindle – but human genius provides a spark of mobile optimism. What are the lessons learned that future generations can use to develop and implement their own survival plans?

Team Typing & Other Innovations: The California Way
Jan Dunbar
September 2, 2009
Mutual aid – between emergency responder agencies, and between cities, counties, and other political jurisdictions – is a noble goal, and worth striving for. But all the good will in the world is meaningless if equipment compatibilities are lacking, there are no uniform training rules, and other essential criteria are

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Seven
Adam Montella
September 2, 2009
Another trip (always dangerous) to the L.A. River teaches the Colonists that the challenges they face are psychological and emotional as well as physical. They also know that they need a continuing supply of protein; fortunately, there is a lot of it scurrying about the warehouse.

Fusion Centers & Public Health Agencies: Unlikely or Natural Partners?
Adam Bulava
August 26, 2009
What once seemed an unlikely alliance – a nationwide working partnership between federal agencies and state/local law-enforcement and public-health agencies – is not only working well but also providing synergistically improved results.

Responding to Incidents in a Neighboring Port
Corey Ranslem
August 26, 2009
The U.S. port system is huge, complex, and immensely important to the nation’s economy and to homeland security. The 24/7 protection of that system is an extremely difficult task and usually involves a host of different organizations and agencies working in close cooperation with one another.

EMS: Increased Emphasis on the Medical Aspect
Joseph Cahill
August 26, 2009
The still ongoing professionalization of the EMS field has been a gradual but hugely successful undertaking that has resulted not only in the saving of many, many lives but also has made those lives richer, less painful, and longer-lasting.

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Six
Adam Montella
August 26, 2009
The ten volunteers continue their quest for survival – but are suddenly rocked by the unexpected, and unexplained, disappearance of one of their members. The “real” loss of this one person is in some ways emotionally more distressing than the cataclysmic loss of the entire nation in which they had

Qualifications, Credentials, and a Need for Speed
Glen Rudner
August 19, 2009
Progress in the development of a national credentialing system has ranged from slow to slower. Which is no longer good enough for government work, particularly in the new Age of Terrorism when the nation’s enemies strike suddenly, at random, and without remorse.

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Ten
Adam Montella
September 23, 2009
The ambitious, entertaining, and stunningly innovative series ends with the volunteers’ “Exodus” – “Escape” would be an equally accurate description – to a new and seemingly better world 150 miles or so south, a bit further inland, and apparently blessed with a greater abundance of the resources needed for human

Agricultural Incidents and Effective Multi-Agency Coordination
Mark Ghilarducci and Frank Castro
September 16, 2009
An attack on U.S. cities could topple skyscrapers, destroy seaports, and block highways, tunnels, and bridges. Those are all local effects. An attack on the nation’s food supply could sicken the entire nation, so coordinating a response and recovery operation require a different approach.

CARD’s Incident Command System for Community Responders
Ana-Marie Jones
September 16, 2009
Introduction to an innovative PowerPoint presentation on the how-to fundamentals of developing a united approach for a broad spectrum of agencies pooling their resources to deal with community emergencies faster and more effectively.

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Nine
Adam Montella
September 16, 2009
The Colonists fight, then reunite, but recognize that their chances of long-term survival diminish almost visibly with each passing week. They have done well – exceptionally well, under the circumstances – but know that a brighter tomorrow is many miles away. Can they make it?

Public Health, EMS, Emergency Management: Partners in Preparedness
Kay C. Goss
September 9, 2009
The brave new world of the 21st century has added weapons of mass destruction to the already long list of dangers facing individual citizens, political jurisdictions & humanity in general. The new keys to survival are not good weather and good luck, but cooperation and collaboration at all levels of

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Eight
Adam Montella
September 9, 2009
The survivors gain an additional member, and encounter not one but several additional problems. Tempers flare, supplies dwindle – but human genius provides a spark of mobile optimism. What are the lessons learned that future generations can use to develop and implement their own survival plans?

Team Typing & Other Innovations: The California Way
Jan Dunbar
September 2, 2009
Mutual aid – between emergency responder agencies, and between cities, counties, and other political jurisdictions – is a noble goal, and worth striving for. But all the good will in the world is meaningless if equipment compatibilities are lacking, there are no uniform training rules, and other essential criteria are

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Seven
Adam Montella
September 2, 2009
Another trip (always dangerous) to the L.A. River teaches the Colonists that the challenges they face are psychological and emotional as well as physical. They also know that they need a continuing supply of protein; fortunately, there is a lot of it scurrying about the warehouse.

Fusion Centers & Public Health Agencies: Unlikely or Natural Partners?
Adam Bulava
August 26, 2009
What once seemed an unlikely alliance – a nationwide working partnership between federal agencies and state/local law-enforcement and public-health agencies – is not only working well but also providing synergistically improved results.

Responding to Incidents in a Neighboring Port
Corey Ranslem
August 26, 2009
The U.S. port system is huge, complex, and immensely important to the nation’s economy and to homeland security. The 24/7 protection of that system is an extremely difficult task and usually involves a host of different organizations and agencies working in close cooperation with one another.

EMS: Increased Emphasis on the Medical Aspect
Joseph Cahill
August 26, 2009
The still ongoing professionalization of the EMS field has been a gradual but hugely successful undertaking that has resulted not only in the saving of many, many lives but also has made those lives richer, less painful, and longer-lasting.

Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Six
Adam Montella
August 26, 2009
The ten volunteers continue their quest for survival – but are suddenly rocked by the unexpected, and unexplained, disappearance of one of their members. The “real” loss of this one person is in some ways emotionally more distressing than the cataclysmic loss of the entire nation in which they had
National Recovery Doctrine: The Next Preparedness Frontier
Dennis R. Schrader
August 19, 2009
Recovery operations cannot begin until the first responders have finished their work. But recovery plans can and should be in place well before disaster strikes. To date, though, there has been very little movement on the promulgation of a detailed Recovery Doctrine.
The Development of National Standards for Credentialing
Diana Hopkins
August 12, 2009
Who goes there? And what are his/her skills, professional qualifications, and other capabilities? The only sure way to answer these and other questions posed in times of crisis is through a national credentialing system that takes into account a long list of practical requirements and possible pitfalls.
Managing the SNS Stockpile: A Case Study
Joseph Cahill
August 12, 2009
The Strategic National Stockpile (of vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and other medical supplies) is one of the most important “”tools”” available to fight a pandemic. This case study tells how two states worked with Upp Technology Inc. to sharpen that tool and make it exponentially more effective.
Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Four
Adam Montella
August 12, 2009
The volunteers continue their efforts to build a new and better world from the destruction all around them. But they also must take time to protect themselves from attack by other survivors not as well intentioned.
Emergency Services Credentialing: FEMA Leads the Way
Kay C. Goss
August 5, 2009
NCR, ANSI, and Commonwealth of Virginia also in the vanguard as states, cities, and even private-sector agencies and organizations pool resources to standardize and upgrade security checks at major events that attract large crowds – including terrorists and other criminals seeking to gain national and global recognition.
A New and Challenging Era for Rural Homeland Security
Jonathan A. Dudek
August 5, 2009
For more than two centuries the great state of Maine was known and cherished for its rustic simplicity – which, of course, made it a particularly attractive take-off point for two of the Islamic fundamentalists involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Three
Adam Montella
August 5, 2009
After securing the basic necessities for survival, episode three found the volunteers focusing on the one creature comfort they can’t live without: a hot shower. But focusing on comfort left them open to a massive attack that threatened their long-term survival. The take away lesson is how to cope with
Protecting the Super Bowl – A Perfect Defense Is Mandatory
Diana Hopkins
July 29, 2009
The cost, and the challenge, of providing security at the Super Bowl and other major sports events has escalated exponentially in the almost eight years since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. And there are absolutely no fumbles allowed.
Discovery Channel TV Series: The Colony – Week Two
Adam Montella
July 29, 2009
The ten volunteers continue their efforts to create a new civilization despite attempts by the Marauders seeking to steal the basic essentials found in the abandoned warehouse. The greatest challenges facing the volunteers, though, are their own fears and uncertainties.
Wisconsin Air Guard Hosts Full-Scale Joint Exercise
Alyson Berzinski and Eric Liesse
July 27, 2009
The Army and Air National Guard’s annual international Operation Global Patriot exercise, hosting roughly 3,000 National Guard Troops from forty-five different states and six different coalition nations. The exercise’s overall training goal is for different coalition nations and National Guard units to work together in real-world scenarios.
The PPO & Surge Capacity: A Different Type of ‘Insurance’
John J. Burke
July 22, 2009
The reverberations from last month’s Washington, D.C., Metro crash were heard throughout the country – and set off a silent “”security alarm”” of sorts in the Town of Sandwich, Massachusetts, where emergency planners had their own good reasons for paying special attention.
Special Events: Reality TV for Training & Exercises
Joseph Cahill
July 22, 2009
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.
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