Domestic Preparedness

Interview with Ran Barishansky, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness. Ray Barishansky, DrPH, is on the advisory board for the Domestic Preparedness Journal and has a passion for public health and emergency management. He sat down with the Journal’s Nicolette Casey to share his story. Learn about Dr. Barishansky’s journey from an EMT to a doctor of public health.

Full article by Nathan DiPillo, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness. In this featured article, a Critical Infrastructure Analyst for the State of California shares the risks to the food and agriculture sector and how it can survive cyber and environmental threats. Despite low profit margins and major setbacks caused by natural hazards and disasters, the food and agriculture sector conti...

Full article by Brian Shajari, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness. In this featured article, a cybersecurity expert shares the importance of cybersecurity to local government functions. Although higher levels of government and businesses may possess the tools necessary to protect against cyberattacks, local governments often do not. Learn where local governments should begin to enhance...

Full article by Dan Scherr and Tanya Scherr, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness. In this featured article, two university professors describe the responsibility that organizations and their employees have in preventing cyberattacks. To ensure cyber resilience, disaster planning must include stakeholders across the organization. Learn more about hackers’ strategies to compromise organiz...

Full article by Tony Mottola and Dan Scherr, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, October 2, 2024. In this feature article, two U.S. military veterans with extensive homeland security experience highlight the threats posed by transnational organized crime syndicates or transnational street gangs. They share the case of one transnational criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, whose opera...

Full article by Michael Breslin, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, October 2, 2024. In this feature article, a cyber investigations specialist with extensive law enforcement experience describes how cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. At the local level, it forms the bedrock of the collective digital safety and security of the entire community. Discover what urgent actions are...

Full article by Richard Schoeberl, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 25, 2024. In this feature article, a terrorism expert with over 30 years of law enforcement experience revisits the events leading up to the September 11 attacks. Although the U.S. has not experienced another terrorist attack like those in 2001, the threat remains. In fact, the Federal Bureau of Investigat...

Full article by Ryan Eddy and Ann Lesperance, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 25, 2024. In this feature article during National Preparedness Month, two directors at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recognize how the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001 spurred a pivotal change in the way the U.S. approaches preparedness for threats to the homeland. Learn about...

Full article by Dan Scherr and Tanya Scherr, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 18, 2024. In this feature article, two public policy administration experts address a growing concern about responder fatigue. Emergencies require immediate action by people trained to extinguish fires, treat injuries, protect the public, and perform other life and safety tasks. Responders who re...

Full article by Barrett Cappetto, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 18, 2024. In this feature article, a pipeline controller responsible for coordinating control center security and operational readiness shares some crisis communications research. Generation Z and millennials encompass almost half of the world’s population, and their communication style, preferences, and id...

Full article by Catherine L. Feinman, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 11, 2024. In this feature article, the editor-in-chief of Domestic Preparedness shares her key takeaways from a recent interoperability summit focused on Preparing for the 60th Presidential Inauguration. Public safety agencies shared their lessons learned from the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Prepar...

Full article by Michael Breslin, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 11, 2024. In this feature article, a retired federal law enforcement senior executive describes how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the landscape by increasing efficiencies and risks. As unexpected events can strike at any moment, the systems designed to protect people – 911 call centers – face unpr...

Full article by Ian Pleet, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, September 4, 2024. In this feature article, an emergency management professional highlights the country’s preparedness goals and identifies available federal resources. By educating and empowering individuals and families to prepare for emergencies, communities can better position themselves to face any disaster. In 2024, t...

Full article by Benjamin Thomas Greer, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 28, 2024. In this feature article, a subject matter expert in the field of human trafficking and child sexual exploitation warns of the looming emerging threat that human trafficking poses after natural disasters. Disasters inherently come with known and unknown threats, and traffickers capitalize on the...

Full article by Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 21, 2024. In this feature article, a behavioral and social scientist understands that no two communities are the same. Each community has unique vulnerabilities, capacities, and needs, and each has its own leaders, areas of cooperation, and areas of disagreement. Listen to expert insights on leveraging a c...

Full article by Charles (Chuck) L. Manto, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 21, 2024. In this feature article, a consultant and developer focused on protecting telecommunications networks and data centers presents a new tabletop exercise concept. Similar to medical research groups that involve treatment and control groups, two exercise groups would work simultaneously on the s...

Full article by Angie Im, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 14, 2024. In this feature article, a healthcare research and policy expert points out that new human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza have been confirmed in the United States. Although most cases like this do not escalate to pandemic status, communities must be better prepared than they were for COVID-19. Li...

Full article by June Isaacson Kailes, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 14, 2024. In this feature article, a disability policy consultant reminds community leaders that public engagement and participation involve community members in problem-solving, decision-making, and policy development. Result-centered engagement can help protect people with disabilities and other communit...

Full article by Robert C. Hutchinson, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 7, 2024. In this feature article, a former police chief and deputy special agent in charge with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in Miami, Florida, revisits the U visa process. The U visa was created to help immigrants who are victims of certain violent crimes, but...

Full article by Patricia Frost and Michael Prasad, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, August 7, 2024. In this feature article, the vice chair of the National Pediatric Disaster Coalition and a certified emergency manager work together to prepare children and community leaders for disasters. Leveraging social media to create crisis communication campaigns can be an effective way to boo...

Full article by Joseph J. Leonard Jr., an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 31, 2024. In this feature article, a retired U.S. Coast Guard commander reflects on the July 2024 attempted assassination of Former President Donald Trump. That incident raises questions about event security, the roles that agencies play, and the planning and execution of those roles. Listen to expert insig...

Full article by David Wells, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 31, 2024. In this feature article, the director of disaster relief for a faith-based nonprofit describes how his organization has refined its volunteer program over the past 57 years of disaster response in the U.S. and abroad. His experience shows that responses are often only effective if volunteers and their teams...

Full article by Kevin Jones, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 24, 2024.  In this feature article, a school protection specialist and security manager pulls from his personal experience with law enforcement to highlight drone uses that save lives and time during incidents. As drone technology continues to evolve, it is important for law enforcement and other first responder agen...

Full article by Andy Altizer and Barrett Cappetto, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 24, 2024. In this feature article, an emergency preparedness coordinator and a pipeline controller emphasize the importance of leveraging existing social bonds to help communities better adapt to, respond to, and collectively cope with crises. Although the collective resilience concept is not a...

Full article by Michael Prasad, an Article Out Loud from Domestic Preparedness, July 17, 2024. In this feature article, a Certified Emergency Manager lists eight major elements of Community Lifelines using traffic-light-type color-coding to categorize a disaster’s adverse impact status. He applied this same system to the Key Bridge collapse recovery efforts in Baltimore, Maryland. Listen to expert...