Overcoming Communications Challenges: A Hurricane Helene Success

As part of the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Helene Incident Support Task Force, Emergency Management Coordinator Jarod Rosson experienced firsthand what it is like to respond to a disaster when all ground-based forms of communication are offline.

Editor’s Note: Responding to Disasters in 2025 and Beyond

woman wearing virtual reality goggles with a disaster sceneThe December 2024 edition of the Domestic Preparedness Journal provides insight into the intersection of AI and emergency preparedness. With their exponentially increasing speed of development, existing, emerging, and not-yet-created technologies must all be part of the planning process in 2025 and beyond.

January 2025

Featured in this issue: Editor’s Note: Responding to Disasters in 2025 and Beyond, by Catherine L. Feinman; All at Once: Multi-Incident Simultaneous Response and Recovery, by Tucker Berry; Nonmedical Concerns for Hospitals in a Mass-Casualty Incident, by Joanmarie Verrico Wallster and Michael Prasad; The Current State of the Opioid Crisis & Other Emerging Threats, by John Johnson; Advisory Board Spotlight: Interview with Major Rhonda Lawson, by Major Rhonda Lawson; Preparing for the Next Biothreat: Lessons Not to Forget, by Christy Anderson; Mission Ready Packages: New Possibilities, by Kay C. Goss; Evolution of a Critical Emergency Response Tool, by Jamie Hannan and Kristina Clark; Why Public Works Needs a Seat at the Planning Table, by Greg Hoffnung

Article Out Loud – All at Once: Multi-Incident Simultaneous Response and Recovery

This is an article by Tucker Berry, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, January 29, 2025. As demonstrated by hurricanes Helene and Milton, many jurisdictions are unaccustomed to compounding incidents. Learn how to bolster readiness to simultaneously respond and recover by proactively examining and preparing for unique challenges of a compounding incident.

All at Once: Multi-Incident Simultaneous Response and Recovery

As demonstrated by hurricanes Helene and Milton, jurisdictions unaccustomed to compounding incidents can bolster their readiness to simultaneously respond and recover by proactively examining and preparing for unique challenges posed by such a scenario.

Article Out Loud – Overcoming Communications Challenges: A Hurricane Helene Success

This is an article by Jarod Rosson, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, January 29, 2025. As part of the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Hurricane Helene Incident Support Task Force, Emergency Management Coordinator Jarod Rosson experienced firsthand what it is like to respond to a disaster when all ground-based forms of communication are offline. Learn how Jarod’s experience can inform your next disaster communications plan. Now to the featured article.

Nonmedical Concerns for Hospitals in a Mass-Casualty Incident

Nonmedical concerns such as security and safety, unaccompanied minors, and governmental relations can adversely impact a hospital when responding to a mass-casualty incident. Failure to plan for these issues, including consequence management, could risk life and safety.

The Current State of the Opioid Crisis & Other Emerging Threats

Opioid deaths have surged dramatically since the pandemic. Manufacturers exploit legal loopholes and use precursor chemicals that often evade detection and regulation. These new and growing threats present challenges to public safety that demand innovative solutions and a proactive approach.

Advisory Board Spotlight: Interview with Major Rhonda Lawson

Rhonda Lawson is a major in the chief’s office of the Texas Highway Patrol (THP) Division. She began her 27-year career with the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1997 as a trooper. In 2012, Lawson transferred to the Texas Division of Emergency Management as captain and deputy Operations Section coordinator, serving as the division’s THP liaison. In 2016, Lawson was promoted to major and Operations Section coordinator for the Emergency Management Council in the Texas State Operations Center during state-level activations. In 2019, when TDEM became an independent agency under the Texas A&M University System, she transferred to the THP Division, where she is the THP-TDEM liaison and oversees the Highway Safety Operations Center. In this interview, we learn about her journey into emergency management.

Article Out Loud – Nonmedical Concerns for Hospitals in a Mass-Casualty Incident

Nonmedical concerns such as security and safety, unaccompanied minors, and governmental relations can adversely impact a hospital when responding to a mass-casualty incident. Failure to plan for these issues, including consequence management, could risk life and safety. Learn how mass-casualty incidents should be managed as complex incidents.
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