Author Archive

Article Out Loud-NARCAN: THE SPRAY THAT SAVES

  A pharmacist and member of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team shares his personal account of the challenges his team overcame when responding to Hurricane Katrina in this 2005 article. Listen on

Article Out Loud – Staying Ahead of ‘The Big One’

Having an expandable plan, reinforced by and during daily operations, is the best way to prepare for the next major disaster. The planning model described in this 2013 article was as invaluable then as it is today.

Article Out Loud – Green Building Plus Greater Safety Equals Survival

Whether building a house or an entire community, the emphasis on lowering the carbon footprint and/or reducing energy costs could and should be complemented by “off the grid” considerations and a broad spectrum of disaster-resistant features more needed today than ever before.

Article Out Loud – Special Facilities – More Than Just Shelters

Emergency managers are tasked with creating disaster plans to protect the people within their jurisdictions. With numerous possible scenarios, any disaster may require the establishment of special facilities to provide sheltering, vaccinations, and other emergency services to the public.

Article Out Loud – Evacuation Planning: A Long, Long Way to Go

The laws are in place but are often unenforceable. Transportation assets are available but are almost always overcommitted. Clear mandates from local, state, and federal decision-makers are obviously needed to restore order from the current chaos.

Adrift – The No-Win Scenario in Responder Training

In a training scenario, a lose-lose situation may make a lasting impression on students, but does little to improve the decision-making skills of the responders. Regularly faced with making life-or-death decisions, emergency responders should receive training that includes no-win as well as winnable alternatives, thus reflecting real-life scenarios while not

Data-Driven Decisions – Lies & Statistics

As the old saying goes, there are “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The reality of how statistical data is gathered, compared, and used can make the decision-making process more difficult. In emergency medical services, setting the bar based on available statistics affects both lives and budgets, so decisions must be

Community Paramedicine – Bringing the Hospital Home

As hospitals fill with patients and the cost of medical care rises, the use of community paramedicine also may increase. To fill the gap between routine doctor visits and emergency transport to hospitals, communities have the opportunity to expand the use of highly trained paramedics to better serve their populations’s

‘Old-School’ Response to Medical Emergencies

This current emergency medical services (EMS) dispatch and response process has evolved significantly over the past few decades. A dispatcher records the details of a 911 call in a web-based application. That information flows through a computer terminal into an ambulance. The unit responds using directions from a global positioning

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Article Out Loud – Realizing the Power of Community in Disaster Recovery

  Full article by Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 21, 2024. In this feature article, a behavioral and social scientist understands that no two communities are the same. Each community has unique vulnerabilities, capacities, and needs, and each has its own leaders, areas of cooperation,

Article Out Loud – Return on Investments in Public Engagement

  Full article by June Isaacson Kailes, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 14, 2024. In this feature article, a disability policy consultant reminds community leaders that public engagement and participation involve community members in problem-solving, decision-making, and policy development. Result-centered engagement can help protect people with disabilities

Article Out Loud – A Homeland Vulnerability Continues

  Full article by Robert C. Hutchinson, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 7, 2024. In this feature article, a former police chief and deputy special agent in charge with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in Miami, Florida, revisits the U visa process. The

Article Out Loud – What Level of Ugly Are Communities Prepared For?

  Full article by Joseph J. Leonard Jr., an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 31, 2024. In this feature article, a retired U.S. Coast Guard commander reflects on the July 2024 attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump. That incident raises questions about event security, the roles that

Article Out Loud – Volunteers: Incident Management Assets or Liabilities?

  Full article by David Wells, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 31, 2024. In this feature article, the director of disaster relief for a faith-based nonprofit describes how his organization has refined its volunteer program over the past 57 years of disaster response in the U.S. and

Article Out Loud – Mitigating Disasters Through Collective Resilience

  Full article by Andy Altizer and Barrett Cappetto, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 24, 2024. In this feature article, an emergency preparedness coordinator and a pipeline controller emphasize the importance of leveraging existing social bonds to help communities better adapt to, respond to, and collectively cope

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