Most recently published

Ohio, California and Minnesota
Anthony Lanzillotti
April 20, 2005
A dirty bomb is hidden inside a vessel at a port facility somewhere on Lake Erie. SWAT teams, more than 180 first responders, and a large number of EMS student victims are among the many-splendored participants in an extended counter-terrorism exercise at Ohio Tests Lake Erie Dirty-Bomb Scenario Just two weeks

Virtual Exercises: They’re the Real Thing!
Joseph Cahill
April 20, 2005
Frequent and effective training is one of the keys to carrying out an adequate domestic-preparedness plan of any type. Such training costs money, though, and funds are scarce.

Ohio, Hawaii, California, and Minnesota
Domestic Preparedness
April 20, 2005
Ohio Just two weeks before the large “TOPOFF3” exercise tapped major resources in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the state of Ohio held a small tabletop exercise focusing on the threat of a sea borne radiological dispersal device. The scenario included a “dirty bomb” hidden within a vessel

Risks and Realities, Grants and Vulnerabilities
James D. Hessman
April 20, 2005
The mostly successful launch of the Department of Homeland Security has been followed, not surprisingly, by allegations of wasteful spending and a failure to establish priorities. The new team at DHS meets the challenge head-on, and is already working wit

Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Wyoming
Anthony Lanzillotti
April 6, 2005
In this issue: Pennsylvania seeks funds for rural areas. Massachusetts updates biological-warfare defense plans. Illinois awards grants to TechAlt, Midco. Wyoming upgrades its inland-waterways capabilities.

Needed: Revisions to Maritime Response Standard
Ashley Moore
April 6, 2005
NFPA 1405 tells land-based firefighters how to respond to fires aboard ships in port. But some essential details are missing, and should be included in future (revised) editions.

Upgrading an Armory: The 1033 Solution
Jay Kehoe
April 6, 2005
The handgun, the shotgun, and the rifle – each has its advantages and disadvantages. But today’s law-enforcement officer needs at least one effective weapon not only to carry out his duties but also to protect himself and the thousands of innocent people

Increases, Shortfalls, and Nightmare Scenarios
James D. Hessman
April 6, 2005
President Bush’s fiscal year 2006 budget plan calls for increased funding for port and maritime security. Some members of Congress say that that is only a start, and significant additional funds are needed – ASAP.

Larry Roth, Assistant Executive Director, American Society of Civil Engineers
John F. Morton and Martin D. Masiuk
April 6, 2005
The assistant executive director and COO of the American Society of Civil Engineers shares his views on, among other topics, the ASCE’s latest “Report Card” on America’s Infrastructure, and EPA grants and funding for vulnerability assessments.

Maryland, Georgia, Arizona, & Mississippi
Anthony Lanzillotti
March 23, 2005
This issue: Maryland focuses on assistance grants; Georgia assigns responsibilities to Homeland Security Task Force; Arizona continues TOPOFF4 planning; and Mississippi provides a full calendar of training options.

The North Shore – LIJ Approach to Patient Decontamination
Rob Schnepp
March 23, 2005
“Train everybody to do decon [decontamination],” says Frank Califano, safety services specialist assigned to Network Emergency Management for the North Shore – LIJ Health System in Long Island, N.Y. “Everybody includes security guards, pharmacists, dieticians, and folks from the environmental services. It takes a lot of people to set up

Hospital Staffing for Decontamination
Joseph Cahill
March 23, 2005
In the new post-9/11 world the emergency community can no longer afford the luxury of compartmentalization. Planning, cooperation, and training together all will be needed – along with additional funds.

Missouri, Rhode Island, and Nevada
Anthony Lanzillotti
May 3, 2005
Missouri, Rhode Island, and Nevada By Anthony Lanzillotti Missouri Funeral Directors seek help with PPE funding Funeral home directors in Missouri have asked the state to help them obtain federal funding for the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE). The request came after a recent meeting of the directors to discuss

Ohio, California and Minnesota
Anthony Lanzillotti
April 20, 2005
A dirty bomb is hidden inside a vessel at a port facility somewhere on Lake Erie. SWAT teams, more than 180 first responders, and a large number of EMS student victims are among the many-splendored participants in an extended counter-terrorism exercise at Ohio Tests Lake Erie Dirty-Bomb Scenario Just two weeks

Virtual Exercises: They’re the Real Thing!
Joseph Cahill
April 20, 2005
Frequent and effective training is one of the keys to carrying out an adequate domestic-preparedness plan of any type. Such training costs money, though, and funds are scarce.

Ohio, Hawaii, California, and Minnesota
Domestic Preparedness
April 20, 2005
Ohio Just two weeks before the large “TOPOFF3” exercise tapped major resources in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the state of Ohio held a small tabletop exercise focusing on the threat of a sea borne radiological dispersal device. The scenario included a “dirty bomb” hidden within a vessel

Risks and Realities, Grants and Vulnerabilities
James D. Hessman
April 20, 2005
The mostly successful launch of the Department of Homeland Security has been followed, not surprisingly, by allegations of wasteful spending and a failure to establish priorities. The new team at DHS meets the challenge head-on, and is already working wit

Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Wyoming
Anthony Lanzillotti
April 6, 2005
In this issue: Pennsylvania seeks funds for rural areas. Massachusetts updates biological-warfare defense plans. Illinois awards grants to TechAlt, Midco. Wyoming upgrades its inland-waterways capabilities.

Needed: Revisions to Maritime Response Standard
Ashley Moore
April 6, 2005
NFPA 1405 tells land-based firefighters how to respond to fires aboard ships in port. But some essential details are missing, and should be included in future (revised) editions.

Upgrading an Armory: The 1033 Solution
Jay Kehoe
April 6, 2005
The handgun, the shotgun, and the rifle – each has its advantages and disadvantages. But today’s law-enforcement officer needs at least one effective weapon not only to carry out his duties but also to protect himself and the thousands of innocent people

Increases, Shortfalls, and Nightmare Scenarios
James D. Hessman
April 6, 2005
President Bush’s fiscal year 2006 budget plan calls for increased funding for port and maritime security. Some members of Congress say that that is only a start, and significant additional funds are needed – ASAP.

Larry Roth, Assistant Executive Director, American Society of Civil Engineers
John F. Morton and Martin D. Masiuk
April 6, 2005
The assistant executive director and COO of the American Society of Civil Engineers shares his views on, among other topics, the ASCE’s latest “Report Card” on America’s Infrastructure, and EPA grants and funding for vulnerability assessments.

Maryland, Georgia, Arizona, & Mississippi
Anthony Lanzillotti
March 23, 2005
This issue: Maryland focuses on assistance grants; Georgia assigns responsibilities to Homeland Security Task Force; Arizona continues TOPOFF4 planning; and Mississippi provides a full calendar of training options.

The North Shore – LIJ Approach to Patient Decontamination
Rob Schnepp
March 23, 2005
“Train everybody to do decon [decontamination],” says Frank Califano, safety services specialist assigned to Network Emergency Management for the North Shore – LIJ Health System in Long Island, N.Y. “Everybody includes security guards, pharmacists, dieticians, and folks from the environmental services. It takes a lot of people to set up
Oregon, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Kentucky
Anthony Lanzillotti
March 9, 2005
Oregon City of Portland Selected for Terrorism Exercise in 2007Portland, Ore., one of the fifteen cities that applied to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2004, has been chosen as one of two sites for the “TOPOFF4” exercise scheduled for 2007. The Oregon Office of Homeland Security (OOHS) is
Materials Distribution in a Public Health Crisis
Joseph Cahill
March 9, 2005
From the Middle Ages to the present, the most useful, as well as cost-effective, tool in the emergency-management supply kit was, and is, common sense.
Rosie the Riveter and Homeland Security
Martin D. Masiuk
March 9, 2005
Rosie the Riveter was the poster girl for the U.S. arsenal of democracy that played a major role in the WWII Allied victory. She has been recalled to active duty in the U.S.-led global war on terrorism, and last week made a personal appearance at the Home
EMS in the Fire Service – A New Trend in Patient Care
Rob Schnepp
February 23, 2005
Tomorrow’s fire departments will still fight the flames first. But then they will have otherburning problems to cope with – chemical spills, for example; and a fast-growing spectrum of biological hazards now available over the counter or at the local ter
Arkansas, New Jersey and Alaska
Anthony Lanzillotti
February 23, 2005
Arkansas Arkansas Department Of Emergency Management (ADEM)The vision of the ADEM states, “The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management will be the recognized leader nationwide for state-level homeland security and disaster preparedness programs, policies, and procedures by 2010.” In keeping with this vision, the ADEM has implemented a list of Suggested Protective Measures for
State Defense Forces: An Untapped Resource
Brent Bankus
February 23, 2005
With a high percentage of the U.S. active-duty forces, and Reserve and National Guard units as well, now deployed overseas, the nation’s governors may be hard-pressed to cope with in-state disasters. The SDFs provide a quick-response, low-cost, experience
GIS Solutions for Medium and Small Law-Enforcement Agencies
Jay Kehoe
February 23, 2005
The new crop of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) programs are compact, affordable, and immensely useful. The local patrol car can use them to check property records, the underground infrastructure, and even the names and breeds of neighborhood dogs.
First-Responder Accreditation: The Pros and Cons
Ashley Moore
February 23, 2005
States, cities, and the federal government are moving at flank speed to upgrade their various, and varying, domestic-preparedness and counterterrorism capabilities. But are they moving in lockstep, and headed toward the same goal? No one knows.
February 23, 2005 Report
Domestic Preparedness
February 18, 2005
Featuring New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon and Georgia
Days of Reckoning: The Maximum Effort
Joseph Cahill
February 9, 2005
In times of major disasters, natural or manmade, few if any hospitals or other agencies have the personnel and other resources needed to handle all the casualties. But a good start can be made by planning ahead, training, working with other hospitals, and
Protecting U.S. Ports: A Challenge of Staggering Magnitude
James D. Hessman
February 9, 2005
The U.S. Coast Guard, the world’s foremost lifesaving agency, is facing probably the most difficult task that has ever confronted the multi-mission service: ensuring U.S. port security in the new age of terrorism. Failure is not an option, USCG resources
Military Plays Unique Role in Consequence Management
Peter D. Menk
January 26, 2005
Lessons learned from post-Cold War missions are being leveraged to enhance the military’s domestic-operations capabilities.
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