CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHIVES
Domestic Terrorism – Defining a Real Threat
Richard Schoeberl and Anthony (Tony) Mottola
November 13, 2019
Over the past two decades, the United States has focused heavily on preventing attacks from Islamic terrorism movements – or those inspired by these movements. However, recent attacks in the United States over the past few years have prompted much debate on how to combat the threat of domestic terrorism.
Post-Disaster Death Figures Do Not Tell the Whole Story
James M. Rush Sr.
November 6, 2019
In any disaster, there is a cost beyond the immediate mortality figures following a disaster due to a lack of proper medical supplies and treatment in mass care shelters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes a weekly “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” which serves as a clearinghouse for
Overcoming Healthcare Challenges & Finding Solutions
Catherine L. Feinman
October 30, 2019
The healthcare industry presents many challenges for emergency preparedness professionals. The planning process for a major crisis involves numerous stakeholders, each with their own plans and procedures. Emergency medical services and hospitals, in particular, are tasked with managing dynamic, ever-changing environments that are difficult to predict. A medical surge could
The Value of Crisis Communications
Anthony S. Mangeri
October 23, 2019
The role of the emergency management systems is to bring calm to chaos. The role of the public information officer (PIO) is to disseminate information that is credible, accurate, and reliable. It is a critical component of the initial response to meet the informational needs of residents – trusted, credible
Overcoming Challenges of Hospital Preparedness Plans
Stephen Gibson
October 16, 2019
Transitioning from public sector emergency management for a large city to emergency management for a private sector hospital is not easy. The fundamentals of emergency preparedness are the same, but the hospital setting has unique challenges. Each day, there are different numbers of people within the hospital. Some days, the
The Early Years: Shaping a National Stockpile for Preparedness
Greg Burel
October 9, 2019
In today’s emergency response landscape, public health jurisdictions across the United States rely on the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) when incidents prove large enough or severe enough to deplete medicines and supplies needed to protect communities. In just 20 years, the SNS – now managed by the U.S. Department of
Trauma-Informed Crisis Management
Michael Ross
September 25, 2019
There is a growing industry of “realistic active shooter” drills. Many are focused on teaching participants how to “survive” an event. These drills involve imitation attacks, physical confrontations, fake weapons, and simulated deaths. Some of these drills have led to actual shootings, people being locked in closets or storage rooms,
Integrating Jurisdiction Plans
Allen B. King III
September 18, 2019
Guidance for developing an integrated, coordinated, and synchronized emergency operations plan (EOP) is provided in Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 (CPG 101). Although many emergency managers consider the EOP the foundation of emergency and disaster plans, CPG 101 acknowledges that it is not the only plan that supports emergency management within
Life Support – Ensuring Proper Regulation of the Electric Grid
Michael Mabee
September 11, 2019
With few exceptions, human beings in the United States are literally on life support – plugged in to the electric grid. If that connection is unplugged, everything necessary to sustain the human population stops, including: food, water, fuel, transportation, medical resources, communications, and financial resources. According to a 28 March
Government Shutdowns: Emergencies, Disasters, or Expected Events
Kay C. Goss
September 4, 2019
The 35-day government shutdown of 2018-2019 became the longest in U.S. government history. Food banks, firefighters, and community services agencies ramped up their food and other care services. Much like during natural disasters, a significant number of federal workers and contractors did not have sufficient savings to cover expenses during
Don’t Procrastinate – Collaborate
Catherine L. Feinman
August 28, 2019
After a disaster, stories often emerge about companies and organizations that provided resources and services to aid in the response efforts. Sometimes these are prearranged formal agreements, but often they emerge more spontaneously as the need arises within communities. It, of course, is not possible to plan for every potential
Predictable Surge: Improving Public-Private Collaboration
Eric J. McNulty and John Campbell
August 7, 2019
Public-private collaboration in disaster preparedness and response is currently sub-optimal in its organization and operational performance. This may be due to the perception of government entities that all collaboration must be formal in nature. As a consequence, small, medium, and even large private organizations may be reluctant to become involved
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