Today's Top Picks
The True Test of a Successful Crisis Response: Public Trust
No organization, or government, can solve every problem. There will always be a crisis that will require an emergency response. And fundamental to the success of that response will be the public’s reaction. Emergency managers can react and can mobilize, but they will not be successful unless they do so in such a way as to ensure the public trust. This was apparent in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina, which was a crisis of government.
Ham Radio in Emergency Operations
Many people grew up hearing about disasters in far-off lands and how amateur (ham) radio operators were initially the only means of contact with the outside world. Disasters, both near and far, still occur today, and ham radio operators continue to volunteer their skills and personal radio equipment to serve the public. From a planning and operations perspective, emergency management professionals must effectively include these volunteer resources into comprehensive emergency management plans (CEMPs).
Using Core Capabilities to Build County Resilience
The lack of core capability guidance diminishes counties’ levels of preparedness and resilience and is a barrier to increasing these efforts for the nation as a whole. By using community associations as force multipliers, counties can leverage this valuable resource to increase resilience-building efforts beginning at the local level. This bottom-up approach builds not only physical but social resilience at all levels.
Why NIMS Continuing Education Is Needed
The National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Framework are very important and overall well-constructed documents despite some past failures related to their implementation. However, one common denominator in disaster failures or successes is the people involved and the education and training of those personnel. Although federal mandates provide requirements for an initial certification, to date, no required refresher training exists. This article analyzes reasons that the NIMS Incident Command System (ICS) annual recertification should be required to maintain NIMS compliance.
Anatomy of a National Special Security Event
There have been 56 National Special Security Events (NSSEs) since Presidential Directive 62
designated the category in 1998, 32 of which have been hosted in Washington, D.C. The most recent NSSEs
have been the 2017 Inauguration, the 2017 President’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress, and the
2015 World Meeting of Families, which involved a visit to the District by Pope Francis. Local
jurisdictions hosting such events must evaluate and plan for both the opportunities and challenges they
may face.
Trending
Emergency Management has Evolved: Why the… While initially useful, the term “all hazards” no longer accurately describes the functions or mission of the emergency management discipline.…
Imagining the U.S. Without Power: A Dual-World EMP Exercise A dual-world tabletop exercise simulating an electromagnetic pulse event in Chicopee, Massachusetts, revealed startling discrepancies in outcomes between the city’s…
Elevating Healthcare Emergency Preparedness… Overlooked until disaster strikes, many emergency management departments struggle with personnel and budgetary constraints, yet the demand placed on these…
The Forefront of Innovation in Training &… Disaster wargaming may significantly change the future of tabletop exercises in emergency management and homeland security. Long used effectively to…Trending
Elevating Healthcare Emergency Preparedness… Overlooked until disaster strikes, many emergency management departments struggle with personnel and budgetary constraints, yet the demand placed on these…The Forefront of Innovation in Training &… Disaster wargaming may significantly change the future of tabletop exercises in emergency management and homeland security. Long used effectively to…Emergency Management has Evolved: Why the… While initially useful, the term “all hazards” no longer accurately describes the functions or mission of the emergency management discipline.…Imagining the U.S. Without Power: A Dual-World EMP Exercise A dual-world tabletop exercise simulating an electromagnetic pulse event in Chicopee, Massachusetts, revealed startling discrepancies in outcomes between the city’s…Domestic Preparedness Journal
Featured in this issue: Editor’s Note: Emergency Communications—Tough Lessons From the Maui Wildfires, by Catherine L. Feinman; Emergency Alerts: The Missing Link, by Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso; Hidden Barriers to Public Safety Interoperability, by Gabe Elias; AI Software in 911 Dispatch Centers: An Innovative Solution, by Tanya M. Scherr; A Systems Thinking Approach to Improving Emergency Communications, by William Chapman; Connectivity: The Foundation of Disaster Response and Preparedness, by Cory Davis; Know the Audience: Five Keys to Effective Communication, by Marc Hill; Bridging Communication Gaps: Lessons From Hurricane Helene, by Greg Hauser; A Regional Approach to Public Safety Communications Planning, by Charles (Charley) Bryson
Articles Out Loud
Article Out Loud – Disaster Stress Management in an Emergency Operations Center
May 7, 2025
Disasters affect responders and community members, but they also bring trauma to those working inside emergency operations centers. Distance from
Article Out Loud – A Holistic Strategy for Responders’ Well-Being
May 7, 2025
This is an article by Camilo Olivieri, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 7, 2025. First responders and
Cuts to U.S. Bioterror Funds Risk Peril in Event of Attack