Author Archive

Article Out Loud – Washington, D.C. – Fail Gracefully, Recover Quickly

In the nation’s capital, emergency managers identify hazards, consider location-specific elements, and implement lessons learned from past incidents in order to create a robust preparedness plan for critical infrastructures, including power and water. Efforts in neighboring jurisdictions and private sector cooperation also contribute to the regional resilience of the power

Article Out Loud – 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

In Search of Infrastructure-Proof Emergency Alerts

The increased reliance on emergency text alerts to receive warnings of natural or manmade disasters is a capability that most people have come to expect. Listening to broadcast radio warnings of severe weather happening miles away has transformed into more precise, geo-located alerts that target specific locations. The benefits of

Facial Recognition Making an Appearance in Public Safety

The use of facial recognition (FR) technologies to support public safety has long been considered a potent tool for law enforcement. The capability to automatically identify persons of interest in real-time has the potential to alert police of threats before an incident occurs. Long considered a technology of science fiction,

Coastal Resilience Grants – States Left Holding the Sandbag

The federal Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) budget plan includes significant reductions to most domestic programs, and a common theme across agencies appears to be the elimination of grant programs, particularly those supporting environmental protection and monitoring. Beyond reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget, other agencies involved in similar activities

Community Oriented Policing Under Fire

In the days leading up to the 2017 U.S. presidential inauguration, word began to spread across the executive branch that significant cuts were coming to many domestic programs. However, reducing funding and resources for law enforcement could present challenges for established and future community-oriented policing efforts.

Lockdown at Washington College

When the decision was made to cancel es on Monday, 16 November 2015 the week before the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday break, Public Safety Director Gerald (Jerry) Roderick drew upon his many years of experience and planning on how to deal with a possible threat to Washington College campus in Chestertown, Maryland.

Running to the Police, Not Away From Them

Building sustainable communities is a long-term effort that includes reestablishing positive relationships between police departments and the communities they serve. Repairing these damaged relationships means changing the visual perception, improving communication, providing education, and building awareness for the community members.

Gyrocopters & Other Rapidly Developing Threats

On 15 April 2015, a 61-year-old mailman from Florida breached restricted airspace over the nation’s capital and landed a gyrocopter on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol building. Although this event did not involve explosives or other hazardous materials, the next incident may not be benign. Communication gaps must

Washington, D.C. – Fail Gracefully, Recover Quickly

In the nation’s capital, emergency managers identify hazards, consider location-specific elements, and implement lessons learned from past incidents in order to create a robust preparedness plan for critical infrastructures, including power and water. Efforts in neighboring jurisdictions and private sector cooperation also contribute to the regional resilience of the power

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Article Out Loud – Five Steps Toward Enhancing Climate Resilience

Many communities have been impacted by “acute climate shocks” such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, heatwaves, and severe winter storms – resulting in the loss of lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure. The five steps shared in this 2018 article can help enhance climate resilience.

Article Out Loud – The Race to Interoperability

The Boston Marathon Bombing demonstrated the dedication, commitment, and strength of those who responded that day. The lessons learned from that event continue to strengthen community resilience as participants gather to focus on building interoperability within and between jurisdictions.

Article Out Loud – Local Security: The Forgotten Factor in Relief Operations

  By Joseph W. Trindal, An Article Out Loud Flashback from Domestic Preparedness, originally published on February 24, 2010. The 2010 earthquake in Haiti exposed many weaknesses in the local infrastructure. Learn how security gaps and concerns presented even more problems for the relief effort. Narrated by Elisa DeLeon. Listen

Article Out Loud – A Failure To Over-Communicate

  By Terry Hastings, An Article Out Loud Flashback from Domestic Preparedness, originally published on May 10, 2017. Emergency managers (and others) often fail to fully engage and educate the whole community. This 2017 article discusses the need to over-communicate and explore new ways to educate people. Narrated by Elisa

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