DomPrep Action Plan Preview

On 13 November 2012, DomesticPreparedness.com hosted an Executive Briefing at The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Keynote Thad Allen started the discussion, followed by select DomPrep40 Advisors who discussed key components of community resilience. Over the course of the past year, DomPrep conducted a series of six regional events and corresponding surveys to learn from practitioners about resilience efforts that are currently in place and what still needs to be addressed.

Five clear points are described in the summary and supported within the report that provide a tactical plan for sustaining a resilient nation. Going forward, several key considerations must be addressed: funding to bolster collaboration and sustain horizontal collaborative networks; statutory authority to support sub-state regionalization efforts; and enabling frameworks to assist public-private initiatives. Professional development for homeland security and emergency management personnel must not only continue but also be sustained at all levels of government.

Discussions and presentations were made on the key findings followed by comments from the audience. Following is a preview of the presentations that took place during the briefing. Listen to the full audio recording here:

Download the full report, entitled DomPrep Action Plan – Building Resilient Regions for a Secure and Resilient Nation.

Presenter Biographies

Thad Allen Senior Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH)

Thad Allen is the Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH). In 2010, President Barack Obama selected him to serve as the National Incident Commander for the unified response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to his assignment as the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, he served as Coast Guard Chief of Staff. In 2005, he was designated Principal Federal Official for the U.S. government’s response and recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita throughout the Gulf Coast region. Other Coast Guard assignments included Commander, Atlantic Area where in 2001 he led the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area forces following the September 11 attacks. He is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration and a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also currently serves as a director on the Coast Guard Foundation and Partnership for Public Service.

William Austin Homeland Security Coordinator, Connecticut Capitol Region Council of Governments, and DomPrep40 Advisor

William Austin is the Homeland Security Coordinator for the Connecticut Capitol Region Council of Governments. He holds national certifications as a Chief Fire Officer, Homeland Security Expert, and full Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers. He also serves on the Connecticut Emergency Management and Homeland Security Advisory Council and is the Chairman of the Connecticut Citizen Corps Advisory Committee. He is the former Fire Chief of West Hartford, Conn., and Tampa, Fla. He received a Masters Degree in Security Studies (Defense and Homeland Security) from the United States Naval Postgraduate School, in Monterey, Calif.

Dennis Schrader President, DRS International, LLC, and DomPrep40 Advisor

Captain Dennis Schrader, USN (United States Navy) (Ret.), is President of DRS International, LLC, and former Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Preparedness Directorate (NPD). Prior to assuming the NPD post, he served as the State of Maryland’s first Director of Homeland Security, and before that served for 16 years in various leadership posts at the University of Maryland Medical System Corporation.

Marko Bourne Principal, Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), and DomPrep40 Advisor

Marko Bourne is a Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH), where he leads the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) market team. He has more than 27 years of experience in emergency services, emergency management, policy, governmental and legislative affairs, and public affairs. Previously, he was the Director of Policy and Program Analysis for FEMA (2006-2009) and Director of Business Development for Homeland Security at Earth Tech Inc./Tyco International (2004-2006). He was also Acting Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System Integration Center and Deputy Director of FEMA’s Preparedness Division (2003-2004).

Paula Scalingi, Ph.D. Executive Director, Bay Area Center for Regional Disaster Resilience, and DomPrep40 Advisor

Paula Scalingi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Bay Area Center for Regional Disaster Resilience and President of The Scalingi Group. She also is on the Board of The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP) and is principal integrator of TISP’s 2011 Regional Disaster Resilience Guide. Previous positions include: Director, U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection; Director, Decision and Information Sciences Division and Infrastructure Assurance Center, Argonne National Laboratory; and Senior Strategic Affairs Advisor and Director of Public Information, U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency.

Craig Vanderwagen, MD Senior Partner, Martin, Blanck, and Associates (MBA), and DomPrep40 Advisor

Craig Vanderwagen, MD, is a Senior Partner with Martin, Blanck, and Associates (MBA). His most recent assignment prior to joining MBA was the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2006-2009. He has special interests and experience in bio defense, domestic disaster preparedness and response, international humanitarian and disaster response, federal health delivery systems, innovative organization development and evaluation, and cross-cultural healthcare.

Bill Austin
William H. Austin

William H. Austin, DABCHS, CFO, CHS-V, MIFire, currently teaches in the Emergency Management Master’s Degree Program at the University of New Haven in Connecticut (2016-present). He formed a consulting firm, The Austin Group LLC, in 2011. He served as fire chief of West Hartford, CT (1996-2011) and as the fire chief of Tampa, FL (1985-1995). He has a master’s degree in Security Studies (Defense and Homeland Security) from the United States Naval Postgraduate School (2006) and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Troy State University (1993). He is a member of the Preparedness Leadership Council and has served on various governing councils in Florida and Connecticut. Contact at whaustin.tag@gmail.com

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