Transportation Archives

Agricultural Supply Chain Vulnerability: A Freight Rail Disruption Case Study

Michael Sharon and Randy Treadwell March 19, 2025

The agricultural supply chain’s global interdependency introduces considerable vulnerability. The failure or weakening of even one of the supply chain links has cascading effects. Awareness of potential catastrophe across sectors is crucial to emergency preparedness.

Beyond the Showcase: Strengthening Biosecurity at Livestock Exhibitions

Joshua Dise March 5, 2025

Hazards and risks associated with state and local fairs mirror those of other high-attendance events—medical emergencies, mass casualty incidents, and other public safety risks. However, within the food and agriculture sector lies an additional risk: the spread of animal diseases, which can have catastrophic consequences.

Imagining the U.S. Without Power: A Dual-World EMP Exercise

Charles (Chuck) L. Manto, K. Luke Reiner and Dave Hunt February 12, 2025

A dual-world tabletop exercise simulating an electromagnetic pulse event in Chicopee, Massachusetts, revealed startling discrepancies in outcomes between the city’s current preparedness and a moderate-preparedness simulation.

The Vulnerability of Public Figures: Lessons from UnitedHealthcare

Kole (KC) Campbell February 5, 2025

High-profile business leaders like UnitedHealthcare’s murdered CEO have been at an elevated risk of targeted violence in the past several years. Although such attacks on corporate executives and other public figures are rare, they are targeted. In response, many corporations have increased personal protection for executives, but the permanence of

Evolution of a Critical Emergency Response Tool

Jamie Hannan and Kristina Clark January 8, 2025

During a derecho in May 2024, Texas agencies contacted and conducted wellness checks on residents with disabilities or with functional and access needs. One tool facilitated the process, sharing critical information about registrants to the emergency responders and planners who needed to know.

Why Public Works Needs a Seat at the Planning Table

Greg Hoffnung January 8, 2025

Despite their critical role in disaster response, public works agencies are not always included in the emergency planning process. To bridge planning gaps, public works should be integrated into emergency response efforts. Key steps can help ensure that these and other agencies can more effectively respond to the next disaster.

Cyber and Physical Resilience in the Food and Agriculture Industry

Nathan DiPillo October 16, 2024

Despite low profit margins and major setbacks caused by natural hazards and disasters, the food and agriculture sector continues to find innovative solutions. Balancing and integrating new concepts and technological advancements with an old-school farming mentality will keep this sector resilient and thriving when battling cyber and environmental threats.

Backyard Cybersecurity: The Local Challenge

Brian Shajari October 16, 2024

The modern world increasingly relies on rapidly advancing digital technology, and cybercriminals progressively focus on ways to exploit technology’s vulnerabilities. Although higher levels of government and businesses may possess the tools necessary to protect against cyberattacks, local governments often do not.

National Laboratory Partnerships: Linking Operations and Research

Ryan Eddy and Ann Lesperance September 25, 2024

The September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 spurred a pivotal change in the way the U.S. approaches preparedness for threats to the homeland. In recognition of National Preparedness Month, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory showcases how national laboratories address homeland security threats by developing the technology and other resources first

Return on Investments in Public Engagement

June Isaacson Kailes August 14, 2024

Public engagement and participation involve community members in problem-solving, decision-making, and policy development. This article shares some new practices for creating actionable opportunities for key stakeholders to participate in decisions that affect their communities. Result-centered engagement can help protect people with disabilities and other community partners from many adverse impacts

Lessons in Social Media: Preparing Kids and Community Leaders for Disasters

Patricia Frost and Michael Prasad August 7, 2024

Addressing children’s needs during a crisis can be challenging. Leveraging social media to create crisis communication campaigns can be an effective way to boost community outreach efforts and raise awareness of the unique needs children have in disaster planning and response. Successful social media campaigns by governmental and non-governmental organizations

The Key Bridge Collapse – Through the Lens of Community Lifelines

Michael Prasad July 17, 2024

The eight major elements of Community Lifelines use traffic-light-type color-coding to categorize the adverse impact status of a disaster. The article’s author has applied this same system to the recovery efforts following the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn how he applied this information-gathering tool to an ongoing recovery

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