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 integrated response among federal, state, and local responders.
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 emergencies closer to home but also to ask for neighborly assistance if and when needed.
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 private financial world would help develop an effective framework for investments and acceptance of risk.
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 workplace engagement strategies to address the mental and physical health concerns resulting from this type of work and reduce sources of psychological distress.
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.
Technology and sensor innovation must be interoperable across jurisdictions. Look how much global sensor networks for disaster warnings have evolved internationally since 2009.
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.
After-action reviews highlight the successes and expose the failures of disaster preparedness and response efforts. Four significant events demonstrate how communities managed when power outages, communication failures, and healthcare concerns emerged in their aftermath.
Many faith-based organizations have disaster response and recovery components as major elements of their own missions. By partnering with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, faith-based groups can coordinate locally to support response and restoration efforts, as well as provide mental health and spiritual care when resources are critically needed.
When a tornado touches down, a school is under fire, or another disaster strikes, patrol officers often are the first response personnel at the scene. In addition to their traditional crime-fighting roles, patrol officers must be able to manage an incident until more support arrives, which requires additional training for these officers and more collaboration within the community.
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 integrated response among federal, state, and local responders. 