FIRE ARCHIVES
The Path to Longer-Term Resilience
Mara Bún
August 22, 2012
Smoke thickened, black ash fell from the sky, and fire sirens wailed as residents fled for their lives – ortried to get back to their homes. They were all in a life-or-death race against Australia’s “Black Saturday”bushfires, which devastated huge areas of Victoria. Numerous lives were lost, thousands of citizens
Mass Transit Security Force Multipliers
Douglas McDaniel
August 15, 2012
Situational awareness and information sharing are key factors in the guidelines recommended for mitigating terrorist threats. By developing the standards and policies needed to train all employees to recognize and report suspicious activity – and regularly reassessing such training – mass transit agencies can build a strong front line of
Shipboard Emergencies – 1000 Miles From Nowhere
Corey Ranslem
July 25, 2012
In 1990, a cruise ship travelling from Norway to Denmark – the Scandinavian Star – turned into a “floating fireball” within 45 minutes after a small hallway fire erupted, resulting in 158 deaths. Better ship construction and new maritime training standards target such disasters and help prevent future tragedies with
Colorado Builds a New Generation of Emergency Managers
Christopher Mailliard
July 23, 2012
The next generation of first responders is starting earlier and growing faster, thanks in large part to new educational initiatives. High school now offers not only initial emergency management courses, but also classroom training with hands-on operational experience, college credits, and opportunities for a broad range of professional careers.
U.S. Citizens: The First Line of Defense
Vernon Herron and Michael Vesely
July 18, 2012
Today, as in the Colonial era, homeland defense and emergency management begin at home. Homeowners and their neighbors are often the first responders available when disaster strikes. Whether they are ready to meet that challenge is not always certain, but individual citizens are starting to learn the fundamentals of planning,
Canada Emergency Management – The Same, But Different
John Saunders
July 18, 2012
As one of the largest countries in the world in terms of its land area, Canada creates a geographic challenge for emergency managers. Its ten provinces and three territories encompass dense urban areas such as the City of Toronto (nearly three million residents) and remote rural areas including many “fly-in”
Emergency Responses – With No Geographic Limits
Christine Thompson
July 18, 2012
In sailing-ship days, it took three months or more to send a message from the United States to New Zealand. Today, those countries are only a mouse click away, as the citizens of Chicago and Christchurch gratefully found out when both major cities were hit hard, and almost simultaneously, by
NIMS – Not an American Exclusive
Stephen Grainer
July 18, 2012
“Management” is in many ways an abstract and somewhat generic term, but most citizens have a general understanding of what the word means. Whether the relatively new U.S. National Incident Management System (NIMS) is of American origin or not is perhaps debatable, but the concept itself is nonetheless useful in
All-Hazards Planning for Special Events
Glen Rudner
June 20, 2012
To avoid a recipe for disaster, the following prescription is recommended for all-hazards preparedness: two-thirds planning and one-third execution. Anything and everything can happen at a special event in communities throughout the nation, so the advance planning and training should reflect that fact.
National Drill – Training Added to ‘BE Safe America’
Len Pagano
June 13, 2012
A lot can be accomplished in 60 days with 2 million people. By emphasizing training, drills, and education, Safe America will be helping families and businesses be better equipped to handle the next major disaster.
Special Events: Pre-Event Planning Checklists
Kay C. Goss
June 13, 2012
Thorough planning that takes into account all of the potential problems, pitfalls, and outright disasters that might be encountered is key to the success of any major special event. Here is a comprehensive list, compiled by a highly respected career professional, of the questions to ask, the intangibles to remember,
The Medical Component of Mass Gatherings
Joseph Cahill
June 6, 2012
During a medical emergency, navigating through large crowds requires more than just lights and sirens. By strategically placing resources, understanding the type of crowd, and preparing for all-hazards events, medical teams will be better equipped to rapidly respond as needs arise.
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