COMMENTARY ARCHIVES
Border Control Challenges – A Roundtable Discussion
Robert C. Hutchinson and Catherine L. Feinman
May 25, 2016
The topic of borders – ports of entry, security, and public health concerns – has become politicized, and the focus on true border security has been somewhat lost. Educating politicians and instilling practicality in the public are necessary before any effective border security policy changes can be made. A recent
National Threats: Advice for the Next President
Mark-Jon Nichols
May 18, 2016
Four key threats the nation faces will follow the next president of the United States into office. These threats are not new, but will increase if not effectively addressed. Whoever is elected for this leadership position must be equipped with the right information in order to prioritize and make tough
Plan D: A Bosnian Healthcare Worker’s Survival Guide
James Terbush
May 11, 2016
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” —Mike Tyson, Boxing Heavyweight ChampionThis article derives from an extended interview with Dr. Rajko Anic. As a physician during the 1992-1995 Yugoslav war and an accomplished mixed martial arts fighter, Anic explained that – when in a fight and the opponent seems
Border Control: Always On Guard
Armin Cate
May 11, 2016
Significant budgetary and political constraints should not keep people from fully exercising their authority and cause them to suffer the consequences should an attack take place. Working under budgetary-constrained environments is always difficult, but it takes on more urgency when there are clearly identified enemies that intend to harm the
DomPrep Journal: Preparing Communities
Domestic Preparedness
May 4, 2016
The DomPrep Journal features original content written by practitioners in various emergency preparedness and resilience fields. Addressing the needs of professionals dedicated to preparing and protecting their communities, the first four issues of the 2016 volume have been downloaded a total of more than 200,000 times! To view these or
Improving the Grade for Critical Infrastructure
Catherine L. Feinman and Joe D. Manous Jr.
April 27, 2016
All infrastructure is not the same. Across disciplinary sectors, agencies and organizations must identify the key elements necessary to ensure “a system” (e.g., community) has a minimum level of resilience, as a system is only as strong as the weakest link. DomPrep hosted a roundtable discussion to address “Critical Infrastructure
Five Myths – The Cost of Resilience
Dana A. Goward
April 20, 2016
Roads crumble, bridges fall. It is not that the United States cannot maintain, improve, and build more infrastructure. It is that so many people believe it is too difficult because of these myths. The myths have to be debunked to allow new ways of thinking.
Rising Sea Level – A Stealth Threat
John Englander
April 13, 2016
Sea-level rise is in the news with increasing frequency. Yet, the longer-term threat is largely underestimated. The risks in terms of economic impact, emergency preparedness, and national security have profound strategic importance. The latest news from Greenland and Antarctica strongly suggests that there is no time to waste when it
Breaking News & Getting It Right
Thomas J. Lockwood and Catherine L. Feinman
March 30, 2016
Establishing mutual trust between opposing groups in a time-sensitive environment can be a huge challenge. Trust and communication gaps exist between news media and public information officers. It is important to understand the different operational procedures, the roles and responsibilities, and the effects that each stakeholder has during a large-scale
Television Talking Heads & Disasters
Cedric Leighton
March 9, 2016
Television coverage of a disaster portrays many people trying to explain what happened. For those who are charged with leading emergency response and disaster relief agencies, the diversity of media outlets and the different kinds of experts the press calls upon to help analyze cataclysmic events can be overwhelming.
Railroad Ties Communities Together
James Metzger
February 24, 2016
With Amtrak’s rail lines spanning communities across the United States (and parts of Canada), it is in a prime position to engage the whole community and to build national resilience. Planning, training, and educational efforts provide a way to bring employees, passengers, and other community stakeholders into the preparedness
Planning & Operations: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Sharon Russell
February 17, 2016
For an emergency, planning personnel provide direction and operations personnel provide action. At first glance, their roles may seem very different but, in reality, they are dependent on one another – like two sides of the same coin. Effective planning requires operational input, and effective operational response requires careful and
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