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Using Grant Data to Improve Communications Interoperability

One of the nation’s highest priorities in emergency preparedness has been, and will continue to be, the creation of vastly improved communications capabilities. Considerable progress has been made to date. But much more is needed, probably accompanied by additional funding at all levels of government: federal, state, and local.

Peer Review of Grant Applications: How to Succeed

Every writer, amateur or professional, wants to be pleased with his or her own “copy.” Every successful writer, though, knows it is much more important to please the readers. And/or the reviewers. And/or the political officials who make the final goo-go budget decisions.

Making Funds Count: Developing a Grant-Making Program

There are many paths a community can take in search of a preparedness grant, but only one way to ensure that the search will be successful: Follow the Rules! This means advance planning, consulting, paying meticulous attention to all of the rules and regulations involved, and making sensible decisions every

Federal Domestic Preparedness Funding: Overview and Outlook

Before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, federal funding for preparedness grants was much lower than it should have been. Then it was increased exponentially. The nation is now better prepared than ever before to deal with mass-casualty incidents – and there are huge fiscal problems ahead. So major cutbacks in grant

Needed From DHS: An Institutional Commitment to Change

The cities and states seeking grant funds from DHS will be facing an uphill climb for the foreseeable future. DHS itself could help considerably, though, by clarifying the rules, eliminating inconsistencies, dropping all pork-barrel considerations, and – most important of all – inviting U.S. states and cities to become full

A Three-Question Approach to Grants

“Is the Grant a Good Fix?” “What Will It Take to Implement the Grant?” “What Are the Estimated Continuing Costs of the Project?” Those not-so-easy questions should be asked long before a grant is requested. The answers may at times be discouraging, but not nearly as discouraging as losing a

Responder Funding: FEMA & Other Federal Preparedness Grants

Total preparedness is perhaps impossible in the Age of Terrorism – and, it seems, of a major increase in the number and scope of natural disasters. But at least partial preparedness is not only feasible but politically and operationally mandatory as well. As always, preparedness starts with planning – and

Public Health and Medical Interoperability Challenges

Rapid advances in telemedicine and in the computerization of medical records are now the norm, but are made extremely complicated by – well, by other rapid advances in telemedicine and in the computerization of medical records. Additional breakthroughs are still possible, and highly desired. The pace of progress should perhaps

Man-Caused Incidents – New Challenges & Systems

“Man-caused incidents” – the politically correct term used to describe terrorist attacks – have increased in frequency and severity in recent years and are likely to continue to do so far into the future. Which is one of many good reasons why U.S. emergency managers are focusing more attention on

Manmade Disasters: The Need for Interoperable Communications

The mounting of a successful response to a major disaster requires the combined skills of firefighters, emergency managers, policemen, and other experienced professionals. It helps considerably, though, if they can talk to one another – ask anyone who lived through the London subway bombings, the Rhode Island nightclub fire, or

The New PLAN: Government Alerts Enter the 21st Century

The old saying that, “No matter where you go, there you are,” has become the new Golden Rule for emergency-alert notifications, thanks to the combined efforts of the FCC, FEMA, and the commercial U.S. cellular industry. That is the PLAN, anyway. But it works better if IPAWS is OPEN to

45 Seconds of Danger, a Lifetime of Lessons

The EF5 tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, during the evening of 22 May 2011 was among the deadliest in U.S. history. More than 140 persons died, over 1,000 were injured, and thousands of others were left homeless. In addition, it has been estimated that the cost to “rebuild” Joplin could

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