Domestic Preparedness

Full article by Douglas (Doug) Stockham, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 10, 2024.  In this feature article, the co-founder of the nonprofit Emergency Assistance Foundation describes the financial effects of the Maui wildfires. When a disaster strikes, some people do not have the protections or the financial means to fully recover.  Listen to expert insights on how companies a...

Full article by Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 10, 2024.  In this feature article, a behavioral social scientist lists five key domains that can help incident management teams assess and improve their effectiveness. Effective incident management is a set of activities, not simply boxes to check on doctrine that may or may not be followed.  Listen to expe...

Full article by Catherine L. Feinman, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 26, 2024.  In this feature article, the editor of Domestic Preparedness shares the real-life story of a medical crew who responded to a call that left a lasting impression. Despite the prevalence of first responders encountering human trafficking victims, they are not always aware of the signs or proper hand...

Full article by Michael Breslin, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 19, 2024.  In this feature article, a retired federal law enforcement senior executive sheds light on how trafficking impacts victims and the challenges it poses to first responders and other public safety professionals. Much more can be done to combat this crime.  Listen to expert insights on how to help human t...

Full article by Sandra Dennis-Essig, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 19, 2024.  In this feature article, an emergency manager collaborated with the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking as an advocate, speaker, and survivor to share trauma-informed care and advocacy that first responders, legislators, and others can take to support survivors within their communities. ...

Full article by Ashley Bradley and Kristin Omberg, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 12, 2024.  In this feature article, a biomedical scientist and a senior technical advisor share new ways scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are expanding detection strategies and technologies to keep responders safe. The deadly opioid epidemic in the United States does not stop...

Full article by Raphael M. Barishansky, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 12, 2024.   In this feature article, a public health leader shares his perspective on the recent reports of North Korea launching balloons filled with fecal matter and propaganda into South Korea. Could similar tactics be used in modern times as an effective biological weapon?  Listen to expert insights on...

Full article by Marie O’Connell, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 5, 2024.  In this feature article, the executive director of a non-profit organization serving children and educators describes a safety program in Florida that is free to schools. Most educational and training programs for protecting schools against targeted violence, drugs, and human trafficking do not include...

Full article by Richard Schoeberl, Jeff Bolettieri, and Bill Loucks, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, June 5, 2024.  In this feature article, three professionals with extensive law enforcement experience describe how transnational criminal organizations are using their experience in drug trafficking to utilize routes and operating procedures to take advantage of other criminal oppor...

Full article by Sandra Dennis-Essig, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 29, 2024. In this feature article, an emergency management professional describes how communities can take a comprehensive preparedness approach to mitigate the potentially devastating effects of natural hazards by integrating the intricate interrelations of physical, social, economic, and environmental factor...

Full article by Mary Schoenfeldt, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 22, 2024. In this feature article, the board president of Green Cross Academy of Traumatology describes the psychological side of disasters and other impactful events as a critical component of crisis management. Many people still do not fully understand the predictable phases and patterns that could help them ta...

Full article by Michael Prasad, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 22, 2024. In this feature article, a Certified Emergency Manager and senior research analyst provides an update on the unity of effort involved in the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse effort in Baltimore, Maryland. Together, many agencies and organizations have been addressing the priorities of life safety, incide...

Full article by Jeff Gaynor, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 15, 2024. In this feature article, a former White House communications security officer says that, for decades, preparedness leaders have known and publicly warned about the rapidly growing and metastasizing threats to and exploitable vulnerabilities of U.S. critical infrastructure. The critical infrastructure status...

Full article by Raphael M. Barishansky and Andrew D. Pickett, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 15, 2024. In this feature article, two public health leaders share common risk concerns when natural hazards occur. History shows that the increasing frequency of events and growing population sizes have been increasing the scale of events and the needs of affected populations. Listen...

Full article by Aaron Titus, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 8, 2024. In this feature article, the executive director for Crisis Cleanup shares how elegant community preparation offers a process that simplifies disaster planning efforts for community members. Communities need to prepare together and focus on disruptions rather than disasters. Listen to expert insights on collab...

Full article by Alicia Johnson, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 8, 2024. In this feature article, an emergency manager with extensive experience in risk communications and public affairs informs readers about the multifaceted nature of earthquake risks and delineates the indispensable role organizations play in mitigating the impacts of such calamities through informative, equi...

Full article by Anthony Mottola and Richard Schoeberl, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, May 1, 2024. In this feature article, two law enforcement and counterterrorism experts discuss the growing threats from organized foreign terrorist groups to homegrown terrorists inspired by them. Members of the intelligence community have warned that the threat of attack inside the U.S. has incr...

Full article by Jolie Wills, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 24, 2024. In this featured article, a cognitive scientist and psychosocial disaster recovery specialist emphasizes the importance of supporting those working in emergency response roles before, during, and after emergencies and disasters. Leaders and their teams can face periods of prolonged stress, which can take a...

Full article by Angie Im, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 17, 2024. In this featured article, a healthcare research and policy expert describes the importance of community health centers and their impact on community resilience. These medical lifelines for millions of Americans are facing financial and workforce challenges, but there are resources that can help. Listen to exp...

Full article by Andrew (Andy) Altizer, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 17, 2024. In this featured article, an emergency manager with military experience points out that emergency managers, public health officials, and first responders often stress the importance of physical fitness, but sometimes neglect mental fitness. Without focused mental agility in even one of the emerge...

Full article by Robert C. Hutchinson, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 17, 2024. In this featured article, an experienced federal agent shares a true story of missing bubonic plague vials, an airport bomb threat, and other suspicious activities that demonstrate continued national and homeland security vulnerabilities and threats. Perspectives may differ, but the concerns are r...

Full article by George Schwartz, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 10, 2024. In this featured article, an associate professor at Immaculata University addresses the challenge of defining resilience and the need to go beyond hazard mitigation. With 2024 being the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “Year of Resilience,” it is a good time for professionals to start rethinking t...

Full article by Michael Etzel and Michael Prasad, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 10, 2024. In this featured article, two emergency managers describe how advanced technologies are offering new ways to train personnel, exercise public health responses like COVID-19, and prepare response agencies for many other threats and hazards. Gamification integrates realistic scenarios in...

Full article by Charles Guddemi and Catherine Feinman, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 3, 2024. In this featured article, the District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency’s statewide interoperability coordinator and the editor of Domestic Preparedness highlight the key takeaways from a 2024 interoperability workshop. During a mass casualty incident...

Full article by Joseph J. Leonard, Jr., an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, April 1, 2024. In this featured article, a retired U.S. Coast Guard commander points out that the Key Bridge collapse was not the first of its kind, and it will not be the last. Now in Week 2 of the response and recovery, it is critical to understand the short-term and long-term goals after such an incident. Ho...