Emergency Management Archives

Beyond Running, Hiding, and Fighting

Aric Mutchnick October 19, 2016

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s “Run. Hide. Fight.©” model serves as the foundation for active shooter preparedness. However, it does not address the needs of those with liability and duty-of-care concerns who must manage an event and minimize casualties before police arrive. A new approach to active shooter training

The “Not If, But When” Fallacy: Active Shooter Preparedness

Research Group at University of Maryland October 12, 2016

The phrase “It’s not if, but when” may distort how certain organizations perceive emergency preparedness, especially in cases such as active shooter threats. This common expression leads to inaccurate threat perceptions and can result in leaders becoming complacent. Emergency managers should be aware of this potential odd pairing of

Active Shooter School Preparedness: An Update

Kay C. Goss October 5, 2016

Schools, colleges, and universities are diverse communities that present especially challenging situations. Safety officials know that they have to be extremely well prepared for a vast array of potentially difficult situations that can spiral. Fortunately, many resources exist to help communities prepare for such dangerous scenarios.

Addressing Threats – From Concept to Field

Catherine L. Feinman September 28, 2016

To address various national threats and the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) role in military and civilian defense technology, DomPrep hosted a roundtable discussion on 21 July 2016 at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC). That discussion, which was moderated by ECBC’s BioScience Division Chief Peter Emanuel, brought together professionals

Hazard Detection: “Bring Your Own Protection”

Kathryn Laskey September 20, 2016

Current approaches for ensuring public safety rely on expensive and obtrusive equipment and procedures having limited availability and inadequate performance. Newly emerging wearable sensors have the potential to spark a fundamental change in this equation. Researchers at George Mason University are investigating a new concept called “Bring Your Own Protection” (BYOP).Chemical and

Major Themes From the 2016 Aspen Security Forum

Erik S. Gaull September 14, 2016

The 2016 Aspen Security Forum was held from July 27 to July 30 in Aspen, Colorado. Over the past seven years, the forum, hosted by the Aspen Institute, has earned a well-deserved reputation as the most important venue for thought leadership in the homeland and national security arenas, attracting distinguished

A Conversation That Should Have Happened

William H. Austin September 14, 2016

Appointment to an emergency management position is a proud moment as well as a moment that creates doubt, anxiety, and internal questioning of one’s own ability to handle a major catastrophe. Questions arise about the community’s hazards awareness, the status of the local emergency operations plan, and the proverbial, “What

Technology for Improved Public Health Preparedness & Response

Greg Burel September 7, 2016

Planning the response to a public health emergency can be a daunting endeavor. Many factors in multiple complex systems contribute to the potential for success in executing these plans at every level of the response. Preparedness planners have to consider these many factors to ensure that their plans can work

The Things That Keep Experts Up at Night

Catherine L. Feinman August 31, 2016

DomPrep wanted to know what still keeps experts up at night. To answer this question, DomPrep hosted and Ron Vidal, a partner at Blackrock 3 Partners, moderated a panel discussion on 17 June 2016 at the Annual International Hazardous Materials Response Teams Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. This article summarizes that

Challenges of Evolving Threats & Changing Expectations

Robert Maloney August 23, 2016

The “things that keep me up at night” are much more numerous and remarkably different than emergency management 15 years ago. There is no time to rest. The nature of emergencies has changed, complicated by the fact that new threats of intentional incidents using chemical, biological, and other weapons must

CBRNE Training – Part 1

Joseph J. Leonard Jr. August 23, 2016

In today’s climate of austere budgets, federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector training managers need to get the most out of the scarce dollars that are available. A risk-based approach and assessment will help discern who needs what training, the specific levels of that training, and refresher training requirements.

Using Typing to Define Hazmat Team Capabilities

Anthony S. Mangeri August 17, 2016

The only way to be prepared is to be well trained and well educated, which are essential components to effectively respond to and mitigate threats from chemical, biological, and radiological incidents. Evidence-based response requires the knowledge of the threat, training in skills needed to be effective, and the ability –

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