Most recently published
Thomas J. Lockwood, Senior Advisor, DHS Office of Screening Coordination
John F. Morton and Thomas J. Lockwood
January 30, 2008
How does the department manage, and reconcile, the complex and politically difficult task of identification security with privacy needs, site-access requirements, and the National Incident Management System process?
Business and Personal Preparedness – the Key to Collective Survival
Adam Montella
January 23, 2008
Small businesses have big problems – during and in the aftermath of incidents causing damage to their facilities, inventories, and supply chains. The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council recognizes the problem & is doing something about it.
The Management of Mass-Fatality Incidents
August Vernon
January 16, 2008
Reverence, respect, professional expertise, and detailed planning – all are among the essential tools needed by state and local planners to successfully deal with the aftermath of a major disaster causing a large number of deaths and injuries.
Moulage Casts Reality With Mock Injuries
Shannon Arledge
January 16, 2008
An ancient & honorable Renaissance word is put to good use at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, where moulage artists replicate broken arms, cuts, bruises, & other injuries to make first-responder training more realistic and more effective.
Regional Hospital Coordination: Common Sense Made Mandatory
Theodore Tully
January 9, 2008
Private-sector U.S. hospitals are finding out that working more closely with one another in the new Age of Terrorism, as now required by law, is not only a prudent policy but also a sound business practice as well.
EMS Operations at Alternate-Treatment Vaccination Centers
Joseph Cahill
January 2, 2008
In a mass-casualty incident involving the rapid spread of dangerous diseases the most effective immediate defense will be a massive vaccination program. But who will do the vaccinating? No one knows for sure.
Love Thy Neighbor – But Keep Your Distance
Jerry Mothershead
December 12, 2007
Kill diseases by starving them to death through social distancing! That is probably the most effective and lowest-cost means of containing the spread of diseases carried in microbe-laced weapons of mass destruction.
Dennis R. Schrader, Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness, FEMA
Dennis R. Schrader
December 12, 2007
The new DHS “All Hazards” leader shares his views on the funding and operations of Incident Management Assistance Teams, Emergency Operations Centers, and other components of today’s “forward leaning” Federal Emergency Management Agency.
New Tools to Help with HICS Implementation
Craig DeAtley
December 5, 2007
A job well begun is half done – supposedly. Recently issued Hospital Incident Command System guidelines may not be half the job, but they should make it much easier and considerably less complicated.
The Vile and Versatile Internet: A New Tool for the Cyber-Savvy Terrorist
Joseph Steger
November 28, 2007
The Internet is arguably the greatest cross-cultural bridge in the history of mankind. Its global reach enhances business, research, and personal relationships at the speed of light. In addition, it is a tremendously underestimated and versatile tool now being massively used by terrorists. Its most attractive features include the user’s
A New NIMS Challenge: Train to Compliance, or Train for Competence?
Stephen Grainer
November 28, 2007
Should a state train its first responders to meet federally-mandated “compliance” criteria (and thereby become eligible for future funding), or to develop true/new operational capabilities?
Spores: The Threat of a Catastrophic Attack on America
Neil C. Livingstone
November 28, 2007
The first anthrax terrorist attack on the United States was relatively minor. Now a second attack, exponentially more lethal, is almost certain. When, not if, it happens, the decision makers in Congress & the White House will have only themselves to blame
A Burning Question: National Fire Insurance?
Joseph Cahill
February 6, 2008
The almost pandemic outbreak of wildfires in California & other western states last year has aroused interest in a sometimes proposed but never authorized partial solution: enactment of a federally subsidized program to help high-risk communities.
Thomas J. Lockwood, Senior Advisor, DHS Office of Screening Coordination
John F. Morton and Thomas J. Lockwood
January 30, 2008
How does the department manage, and reconcile, the complex and politically difficult task of identification security with privacy needs, site-access requirements, and the National Incident Management System process?
Business and Personal Preparedness – the Key to Collective Survival
Adam Montella
January 23, 2008
Small businesses have big problems – during and in the aftermath of incidents causing damage to their facilities, inventories, and supply chains. The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council recognizes the problem & is doing something about it.
The Management of Mass-Fatality Incidents
August Vernon
January 16, 2008
Reverence, respect, professional expertise, and detailed planning – all are among the essential tools needed by state and local planners to successfully deal with the aftermath of a major disaster causing a large number of deaths and injuries.
Moulage Casts Reality With Mock Injuries
Shannon Arledge
January 16, 2008
An ancient & honorable Renaissance word is put to good use at FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness, where moulage artists replicate broken arms, cuts, bruises, & other injuries to make first-responder training more realistic and more effective.
Regional Hospital Coordination: Common Sense Made Mandatory
Theodore Tully
January 9, 2008
Private-sector U.S. hospitals are finding out that working more closely with one another in the new Age of Terrorism, as now required by law, is not only a prudent policy but also a sound business practice as well.
EMS Operations at Alternate-Treatment Vaccination Centers
Joseph Cahill
January 2, 2008
In a mass-casualty incident involving the rapid spread of dangerous diseases the most effective immediate defense will be a massive vaccination program. But who will do the vaccinating? No one knows for sure.
Love Thy Neighbor – But Keep Your Distance
Jerry Mothershead
December 12, 2007
Kill diseases by starving them to death through social distancing! That is probably the most effective and lowest-cost means of containing the spread of diseases carried in microbe-laced weapons of mass destruction.
Dennis R. Schrader, Deputy Administrator, National Preparedness, FEMA
Dennis R. Schrader
December 12, 2007
The new DHS “All Hazards” leader shares his views on the funding and operations of Incident Management Assistance Teams, Emergency Operations Centers, and other components of today’s “forward leaning” Federal Emergency Management Agency.
New Tools to Help with HICS Implementation
Craig DeAtley
December 5, 2007
A job well begun is half done – supposedly. Recently issued Hospital Incident Command System guidelines may not be half the job, but they should make it much easier and considerably less complicated.
The Vile and Versatile Internet: A New Tool for the Cyber-Savvy Terrorist
Joseph Steger
November 28, 2007
The Internet is arguably the greatest cross-cultural bridge in the history of mankind. Its global reach enhances business, research, and personal relationships at the speed of light. In addition, it is a tremendously underestimated and versatile tool now being massively used by terrorists. Its most attractive features include the user’s
A New NIMS Challenge: Train to Compliance, or Train for Competence?
Stephen Grainer
November 28, 2007
Should a state train its first responders to meet federally-mandated “compliance” criteria (and thereby become eligible for future funding), or to develop true/new operational capabilities?
The Evolution of Devolution
Joseph Cahill
November 14, 2007
Who, when, how, and under what circumstances – those are only a few of the questions that are asked, and must be answered, in political, legal, and sometimes even combat situations calling for a transfer of decision-making command authority.
Damage and Debris – The Difficult Decisions Involved
Kirby McCrary
November 14, 2007
When an earthquake, tornado, or hurricane causes horrendous property damage, the “cleanup crew” (a veritable army of debris-removal workers) faces a number of major challenges, not the least of which is documenting the amount of work done.
Maintaining EMS Equipment in Times of Crisis
Joseph Cahill
November 7, 2007
EMS technicians and other first responders can and do work miracles each & every day. But not if they do not have the right rolling stock or medical systems or other equipment, or enough of it, or if the equipment they do have is not properly maintained.
Friends and Neighbors, Duties and Responsibilities
MaryAnn Warren
October 24, 2007
A timely first-person report from Susquehanna County (Pa.) on the unforeseen (and to some extent unforeseeable) difficulties in coping, personally as well as professionally, with torrential rain, widespread floods, and other disasters.
Glenn Cannon, Assistant Administrator for Disaster Operations, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Glenn Cannon
October 24, 2007
His views on the post-Katrina reorganization mandated by Congress, his directorate’s working relationships with other FEMA branches, and the challenge of coping with both “notice” and “no-notice” disasters and emergencies.
The 2006 All-Hazards Report: Yesterday’s Warnings to Meet Today’s Disasters
John F. Morton
October 24, 2007
The states of the Mid-Atlantic region provide a helpful all-hazards primer that their sister states throughout the rest of the country should read and heed. Eight new “pillars of wisdom” are discussed in meaningful detail, and numerous lessons learned.
The Sorting – Life-or-Death Decisions on the Scene
Joseph Cahill
October 17, 2007
When requests for aid overwhelm the resources available, whether the medical situation occurs in a small town or a big city, life-or-death decisions must be made – immediately, in many cases – about which patient receives immediate help and who waits. During day-to-day operations triage is largely a function assigned
Healthcare Reform and the Building of Additional Medical Response Capacity
Michael Allswede
October 17, 2007
Healthcare reform could be a major sleeper issue in next year’s elections, and deservedly so. But reforms that make matters worse would be counterproductive. Here are some suggestions that the winning candidates might consider.
The Hospital Incident Command System – No Longer HEICS
Craig DeAtley
October 10, 2007
The professional guidelines developed to help the nation’s hospitals cope with a broad spectrum of emergencies have been so successful and so well-received that they have been expanded, revised, and refined to encompass non-emergency situations as well.
EMS Professionals and the CERTification of Volunteers
Joseph Cahill
October 10, 2007
The willingness of so many citizen volunteers to serve on Community Emergency Response Teams adds an extra dimension of capability to already overworked (and sometimes overwhelmed) EMS staffs. There are a few precautions also worth noting, though.
Protecting Our Protectors: Defending America’s First Responders
Barbara Mikulski
October 3, 2007
It is unconscionable that the “American heroes” who protect “our homes, our businesses, and our communities” have not been given the tools they need to carry out their dangerous jobs. Now they will be, thanks to the initiatives pushed by this legislator.
Joseph Becker, Senior Vice President of Disaster Services, American Red Cross
Joseph C. Becker
September 19, 2007
The ARC’s new operational framework for the Age of Terrorism. National Preparedness Month. Working relationships with local and state agencies. Pet sheltering, the national shelter data system, and the ARC blood program.
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