Domestic Preparedness

By JAMIE HANNAN, An Article Out Loud from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , January 11, 2023.  Planners in the Harris County area are successful specifically because of the relationships they have built over many years. For example, the county’s Industrial Liaisons Program provides many positive takeaways and best practices practitioners can implement throughout the U.S. and abroad. Narrated by...

By RANDALL C. DUNCAN, An Article Out Loud from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , July 26, 2011.   A distinguished national officer of the International Association of Emergency Managers provides a short but concise list of helpful recommendations that grant-seekers at all levels of government, and in the private sector, might be well advised to follow in preparing, reviewing, submitting, and fo...

By MICHÉLE SAMARYA-TIMM, An Article Out Loud from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , January 21, 2014.  With more than 40 Olympic venues serving an estimated 14 million meals, the 2012 London Olympic Games were susceptible to many potential foodborne illnesses - both intentional and unintentional. However, through education, communications, surveillance, and a focus on surge capacity, London pro...

By CHARLES (CHUCK) PERINO, An Article Out Loud from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , January 04, 2023. When disaster strikes, sometimes those trained to respond find themselves and their families fleeing from the fire. Once their families are safe, they jump back in to assist wherever needed. This scenario happened to one emergency manager when the Beachie Creek wildfire engulfed surrounding O...

By JENNIFER LANGUELL, An Article Out Loud from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , January 04, 2023.   When Category 4 Hurricane Ian crossed Florida in September 2022, more than 4 million Florida homes and businesses lost power. However, one town kept the lights on and was spared the devastation the cities surrounding it faced. With resilience and sustainability in mind, this author shares the pl...

By COURTNEY GAVITT, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , November 20, 2013. Life science research benefits society in many ways, but also creates certain risks - particularly when that research falls into the wrong hands, either deliberately or unintentionally. Clearly defined rules and regulations governing the results of such dual-use research could help keep s...

By CHRISTOPHER REYNOLDS & ALLISON G. S. KNOX, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal , April 03, 2019. Fire, wind, and water – a lot of water. The year 2018 delivered all in a series of natural disasters that seemed almost continual. Throughout the year, there was a significant risk to lives and property caused by wildfires in the West, hurricanes in the Southeas...

By DAVID FOGERSON, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal. A transformational leadership style can help bridge relationship and communication gaps between leaders and other community stakeholders. Learn how one young deputy fire chief learned from his past leadership missteps and honed his meta-leadership skills, which were essential in reconnecting communities when he became a...

By NATHAN DIPILLO & PAUL GALYEN, An Article Out Loud from the  Domestic Preparedness Journal .  Operational technology systems that run many critical infrastructure functions are becoming more dependent on information technology. As these worlds converge, emergency preparedness professionals must address the related security challenges. This article shares some lessons learned and uses a found...

By WILL BREWER, PEGGY BERGERON, AND WAYNE BERGERON, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal. How have recent school shootings impacted future K-12 educators and what new skills will help better prepare them for potential threats? One study at the University of North Alabama combined training and research to answer this question. Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson.

by RODNEY ANDREASEN, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal.  Active shooter trainings can help prevent some injuries and deaths. However, additional measures should also be taken to prevent the attack from occurring. This article describes how to apply environmental design to thwart attackers. Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson.

by CRAIG DEATLEY, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, July 08, 2015. Functional exercises are invaluable for helping participants understand their roles in disasters. This is particularly true for participants who normally are not included in interagency exercises, such as behavioral health personnel. Triaging following a disaster should not stop at the physical l...

by CHARLES (CHAS) EBY, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, October 23, 2013. Public health is a concern for all citizens, but the preparedness efforts for public health emergencies provide information primarily to that sector. Members of the private sector and/or other "non-public health organizations" should take the additional steps needed to help ensu...

By ANNE MARIE SMITH, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, December 07, 2022. An enterprise data management program emphasizes the importance of managing information as an asset and protecting it from misuse or loss. Knowing the landscape of data and how to manage it is critical to an organization’s recovery and sustainability after a disaster. This article explains the need...

By KRISTINA L. HAMILTON, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, December 07, 2022. Volunteers are a lifeline for many nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies during emergencies and disasters. However, recruiting and retaining good volunteers can be difficult. This article shares some simple strategies and tools for any emergency preparedness professional seeking to bu...

By DANA PITTS, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, June 26, 2013. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six Americans suffer from food poisoning each year; most of those cases are attributed to familiar pathogens like Salmonella. However, the deadliest U.S. foodborne disease outbreak in nearly a century was caused by a lesser known, b...

By STEVEN MAYNARD, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, August 20, 2014. The adaptability of the Incident Command System makes it a valuable tool for a variety of agencies and organizations. During fire incidents, for example, fatality rates at healthcare facilities such as nursing and assisted living homes could be reduced if proper procedures are in place for man...

By ROBERT J. (BOB) ROLLER, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, November 23, 2022. An essential national incident management guidance document is finally available to responders nationwide. This document will significantly improve a unified response to and recovery from large-scale incidents. However, additional work is needed to create an enhanced unity of effort and fully...

by MARK J. MISCZAK, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, November 23, 2022. Despite punishing hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Florida, the 2022 season has been relatively quiet for much of the Gulf coast and Atlantic seaboard. This article describes the resources that help communities mitigate risk now before the next hurricane season. Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson. 

By DAVID L. WEGNER & SHERI TICKNER, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, April 13, 2016. Globally, government agencies are at a nexus in how to plan for and address society's dependence on infrastructure to sustain economies, support and protect people, and implement strategies to provide for an appropriate level of reinvestment. Partnerships with the priva...

By DAVID GEARY & TRACY FESSLER, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, March 23, 2011. For understandable reasons, major disasters - e.g., earthquakes and tsunamis - get most of the headlines and more of the public funds available even in economically difficult times. Local jurisdictions would be well advised, therefore, not only to focus greater attention on eme...

by MICHAEL MELTON, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, November 16, 2022. Since the emergence of COVID-19, many trainings have had to adapt to an online presence. In one case, an active shooter training not only successfully transitioned to support the online delivery of these skills, but the developer embraced it and has now made it publicly available for everyone. Narrate...

By JUDY KRUGER & CHRIS PAQUET, An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, November 16, 2022. A multi-year pandemic has resulted in organizations looking to reframe traditional workforce management practices to retain seasoned staff and prevent burnout. To address these issues, state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency management offices can consider implementing workplac...

By JORDAN NELMS & AMANDA FAUL, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, May 22, 2013. Change is often accompanied by challenges. This article shares the challenges that state and local jurisdictions faced in 2013 as they began implementing the guidance provided by Presidential Directive 8.  Narrated by Randy Vivian. 

By DIANA HOPKINS, An Article Out Loud Flashback from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, July 06, 2009 . Technology and sensor innovation must be interoperable across jurisdictions. Look how much global sensor networks for disaster warnings have evolved internationally since 2009. Narrated by Randy Vivian.