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Women of different ethnicities participate in a group therapy session, sharing experiences and offering support.

Caring for the Affected at Family Assistance Centers

In moments of crisis, a well-executed family assistance center can offer clarity, connection, and compassion that victims’ families and survivors need to begin making sense of loss and change. Family assistance centers provide resources for support services, updates on victim identification, assistance with repatriation of remains, and reunification efforts. Discover how tone, timing, setting, and cultural sensitivity significantly impact the psychological well-being of those affected.
Oil leak from Ship , Oil spill pollution polluted water surface

Psychosocial Hazards: Preventing Human-Caused Disasters

Some of the greatest human-caused disasters in modern history can be attributed to unaddressed psychosocial hazards. Flawed safety cultures contribute to tragic outcomes in which concerns are not taken seriously and dissent is stifled. Learn how to take precautions against a preventable disaster.
Sad, little boy near destroyed house.

Meeting the Psychosocial Needs of Child Survivors

Without adequate support and resources, disasters can leave lasting psychological effects on children. In the United States, an estimated 14% of children experience a natural disaster during childhood. Providing psychosocial support is essential in helping them cope with these challenges, thereby building resilient communities.
Plant sprouting amid forest fire embers

How I Became an Accidental Disaster Mental Health Specialist

Dr. Adrienne Heinz and her young family have lived through multiple historic wildfires in Northern California. She decided to turn pain into purpose and mobilize community health leaders to build a mental health safety net for healing and recovery. The lessons from those experiences now serve as a guide and source of hope for other disaster-impacted communities.

Podcast – Seasonal Forecasts & Their Limitations With Dr. Philip Klotzbach

This is an interview with Philip Klotzbach, a podcast by Domestic Preparedness, May 22, 2025. Philip Klotzbach, Ph.D., is a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Dr. Klotzbach developed the two-week forecasts currently being issued during peak months of the hurricane season between August and October. Learn how seasonal hurricane forecasts are developed and how emergency planners can use them effectively.
Firefighter appearing distressed sitting on side of fire truck.

Physical and Mental Injuries in First Responders: Why Wait?

First responders undergo intense physical training to ensure they are physically prepared for emergencies. Yet despite the high-stress nature of their work, mental fitness is not given the same priority. To truly support first responders, mental wellness must be fully integrated into recruit training programs and proactively addressed throughout their careers.
Illustration of woman and police officer sharing puzzle pieces and coming to a single idea

Law Enforcement Collaboration Within Multidisciplinary Teams

Children pat on the head rescue dog.

Editor’s Note – Special Units and Underutilized Resources

Podcast – Built to Serve: Jeffrey J. Wittig on TIFMAS, Teamwork, and Emergency Response

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Paper hands collecting gears, creating whole mechanismA Systems Thinking Approach to Improving Emergency… by William Chapman “PACE” planning helps organizations fail gracefully, but systems thinking reduces the likelihood of failure altogether. Combining both approaches helps organizations…
a large room with computers and monitors and computers on the waDisaster Stress Management in an Emergency Operations Center by Mary Schoenfeldt Disasters affect responders and community members, but they also bring trauma to those working inside emergency operations centers. Distance from…
A veteran serviceman walking through a bustling city street, inWhy Emergency Management Is a Good Career for… by Mathew Perrill For many service members, the transition from the military to a civilian workforce can be challenging. They have been trained…
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Trending

a large room with computers and monitors and computers on the waDisaster Stress Management in an Emergency Operations Center by Mary Schoenfeldt Disasters affect responders and community members, but they also bring trauma to those working inside emergency operations centers. Distance from…
A veteran serviceman walking through a bustling city street, inWhy Emergency Management Is a Good Career for… by Mathew Perrill For many service members, the transition from the military to a civilian workforce can be challenging. They have been trained…
Comms Strike Team - Yancey CountyBridging Communication Gaps: Lessons from Hurricane Helene by Greg Hauser Hurricanes in 2024 caused widespread damage to infrastructure, leading to a critical but often overlooked issue: isolation. Physical and technological…
Paper hands collecting gears, creating whole mechanismA Systems Thinking Approach to Improving Emergency… by William Chapman “PACE” planning helps organizations fail gracefully, but systems thinking reduces the likelihood of failure altogether. Combining both approaches helps organizations…
View all articles

Trending

Bridging Communication Gaps: Lessons from Hurricane Helene by Greg Hauser Hurricanes in 2024 caused widespread damage to infrastructure, leading to a critical but often overlooked issue: isolation. Physical and technological…
A Systems Thinking Approach to Improving Emergency… by William Chapman “PACE” planning helps organizations fail gracefully, but systems thinking reduces the likelihood of failure altogether. Combining both approaches helps organizations…
Disaster Stress Management in an Emergency Operations Center by Mary Schoenfeldt Disasters affect responders and community members, but they also bring trauma to those working inside emergency operations centers. Distance from…
Why Emergency Management Is a Good Career for… by Mathew Perrill For many service members, the transition from the military to a civilian workforce can be challenging. They have been trained…
View all articles

Domestic Preparedness Journal

june 2025

Rescue dog being pet by a group of children, Special Units: The Right Skills. The Right Time. The Right Teams.

Featured in this issue

  • Special Units and Underutilized Resources
  • Law Enforcement and Multidisciplinary Teams
  • Public Order Policing Units in Disasters
  • State Defense Forces in Emergency Response
  • Emergency Carcass Operations
  • Wildfire PREsponse: Closing the Gap With Mitigation
  • Scouts and the Value of Prepared Youth
  • Service Dogs: What First Responders Need to Know
  • Emergency Management for Transitioning Veterans
  • Podcast – Reframing Hurricane Response: Craig Fugate on Survivors as a First Line of Defense
  • Podcast – Built to Serve: Chief Jeffrey J. Wittig on TIFMAS, Teamwork, and Emergency Response
View Full Issue

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Domestic Preparedness

2883 Highway 71 E
P.O. Box 285
Del Valle, TX 78617-9998

Editorial Statement

Founded in 1998, Domestic Preparedness continues to be a pioneering thought leader in the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery space. The multidisciplinary editorial focus helps professionals acquire critical information to develop collaborative, real-world solutions. With relevant, multidisciplinary, whole-community intelligence from the front lines, practitioners can learn from diverse perspectives. The authoritative, practitioner-centered, multimedia information platform disseminates intelligence the way busy management-level public- and private-sector professionals want to learn. This is the trusted source for content written by practitioners, for practitioners, with relevant, real-world best practices.

DomesticPreparedness.com, the Domestic Preparedness Journal and the Weekly Brief include facts, views, opinions, and recommendations of individuals and organizations deemed of interest. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas A&M University System do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of, or otherwise endorse, these views, facts, opinions or recommendations.
©2025 Texas Division of Emergency Management

Domestic Preparedness

2883 Highway 71E

P.O. Box 285

Del Valle, TX 78617-9998

Editorial Statement

Founded in 1998, Domestic Preparedness continues to be a pioneering thought leader in the emergency preparedness, response, and recovery space. The multidisciplinary editorial focus helps professionals acquire critical information to develop collaborative, real-world solutions. With relevant, multidisciplinary, whole-community intelligence from the front lines, practitioners can learn from diverse perspectives. The authoritative, practitioner-centered, multimedia information platform disseminates intelligence the way busy management-level public- and private-sector professionals want to learn. This is the trusted source for content written by practitioners, for practitioners, with relevant, real-world best practices.

DomesticPreparedness.com, the Domestic Preparedness Journal and the Weekly Brief include facts, views, opinions, and recommendations of individuals and organizations deemed of interest. The Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas A&M University System do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of, or otherwise endorse, these views, facts, opinions or recommendations.
©2025 Texas Division of Emergency Management
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