EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES ARCHIVES
Closing Preparedness Gaps ā Timing Is Everything
Catherine L. Feinman
March 30, 2022
In some ways, communities are well prepared for emergencies. However, it is critical to continuously assess systems, structures, models, and procedures to identify even small weaknesses and gaps that can become significant impediments to effectively responding to threats, hazards, and risks. The authors in this March edition of the Domestic
Radiation Emergency Medical Challenges and a Global Pandemic
Ron Cain
March 23, 2022
It seems that every day over the past two years there are plenty of news stories covering the strain hospitals are facing in staffing shortages and the impacts from a global pandemic. Emergency medical services (EMS) are also dealing with their own similar issues across the nation. Many of these
Bipartisan Commission Says Nation Unprepared for Biological Events
Asha M. George and John T. O'Brien
March 9, 2022
On 17 February 2022, Dr. Asha M. George, executive director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense, testified as an expert witness before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs at a hearing on addressing the gaps in the nationās biodefense and level of preparedness to respond to
A New Model for Proactive Prevention
Rick Shaw
March 2, 2022
Article Out Loud Shootings, acts of violence, crimes, abuse, suicides, overdoses, and other incidents and tragedies are increasing nationwide. Cities across the nation saw a surge of homicides in 2020 and many cities were at or near record levels for homicides in 2021. Cities also saw spikes in 2020 and
Application of the Cynefin Framework to COVID-19 Pandemic
Judy Kruger and Romeo Lavarias
February 23, 2022
Since the spring of 2020, variables such as mistrust of government leaders, anti-maskers, and economic concerns complicated COVID-19 community response. The Cynefin framework is a sensemaking theory in the social sciences to create a framework for emergency managers in large-scale events.
Essentials of a School-Based Crisis Response Plan
Mary Schoenfeldt
February 9, 2022
Ā School crisis response plans come in a variety of formats. Although the structure may vary, the content must include the essentials for the plan to be usable and effective. A basic school-based crisis response plan has seven key elements: organizing structure, communications system, accountability system, parent/student reunification, alternative location,
Top 10 Habits for Better Crisis Preparedness
Andrew (Andy) Altizer
February 2, 2022
Imagine an important grant application deadline approaching next month, delaying the submission for a couple weeks, but then a critical incident happens (perhaps, something like a pandemic) that diverts attention for weeks, months, or much longer. The routine tasks that require action are not performed in a timely manner, and
Predictable Surge: A Pilot in Providence
Sara Kelly
January 26, 2022
Collaboration between public entities and private companies is essential to prepare for disasters. However, current partnerships can be formal and cumbersome to the point of detriment, or impromptu and do little to achieve their goals. This unmet need to find appropriate partnership mechanisms could be addressed by the Harvard National
Finding New Ways to Prepare
Catherine L. Feinman
January 26, 2022
One common sentiment that can hold people back from thinking outside the box is, āThatās how itās always been done.ā Lessons learned and best practices are critical components of disaster preparedness efforts. However, no matter how many lessons are learned and best practices are discovered, the pursuit for new lessons
The Evolving Status of Emergency Management Organizations
Kyle R. Overly
January 19, 2022
The proliferation of climate change, political strife, and general societal divisiveness is changing the nature of the work of emergency managers. The (ongoing) COVID-19 global pandemic, devastating hurricane and wildfire seasons, tenuous political situations, and broad unrest impact local communities in significant ways. Emergency managers are those who officials trust
The First Open-Source Equitable Decision Intelligence Model
Eric Kant, Joel Thomas, Chauncia Willis, Sarah K. Miller, Nissim Titan, Tzofit Chen, Brian Kruzan, Camila Tapias and Alexa Squirini
January 5, 2022
When incidents are catastrophic and/or happen in compromised environments, complexity can increase rapidly and dramatically, compromising response objectives and resulting in catastrophic failure. The cost of these failures is measured in destruction and human lives, making even minimal reductions in capabilities untenable. A rapidly changing environment requires that the modern
Transportation Security in a Holistic Homeland Security Enterprise
Daniel Rector
December 22, 2021
Transportation security is the act of ensuring the protection and continued functioning of mobility systems for both people and commerce. It includes air, maritime, and all forms of surface transport. Transportation security is an enormous undertaking involving all government levels, the private sector, volunteer organizations, and the public. These organizations
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