With a few practical steps, state and local governments, as well as other planning and response
agencies, can accomplish a lot with little or no changes in their budgets. These agencies can build
capability, confidence, and readiness by developing concepts of operations, reviewing equipment needs,
training personnel, maintaining instruments, and regularly practicing skills.
Modern society has become dependent on electrical resources that sustain communications, transportation, agriculture, finance, water, sanitation, and other aspects of daily life. As such, a catastrophic failure of the electric […]
When President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet ships were transporting nuclear weapons and
ballistic missiles to Cuba, U.S. citizens prepared to “duck and cover” as they had been taught in grade
school. Individuals and families were more self-reliant in the 1960s than today. With greater reliance
on electricity, all Americans are now even more vulnerable, especially to the electromagnetic pulse
(EMP) from a high-altitude nuclear burst.
Many misconceptions about electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects have circulated for years among technical and policy experts, in press reports, on preparedness websites, and even in technical journals. Because many aspects […]
Part 5 of 5: By implementing a national command structure, creating ongoing relationships, sharing
resources, and participating in joint exercises and trainings, Baltimore City is able to better
coordinate preparedness efforts with multiple disciplines and jurisdictions to protect communities and
critical infrastructure. A small staff can accomplish a lot when everyone works together.
Natural disasters can have devastating consequences, as seen following Superstorm Sandy. DomPrep
interviewed three distinguished guests to learn more about this topic from the local, regional, and
federal perspectives and to provide insights on current mitigation efforts to prepare for, respond to,
and recover from future threats.
Since 1998, the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama, has been offering
interdisciplinary training to emergency responders. In April 2014, the Baltimore regional incident
management team (IMT) traveled to Anniston for a pilot program developed for IMTs. Listen to Captain
Michael Pfaltzgraff of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department describe his experience at CDP.
Part 4 of 5: Baltimore City takes the whole-community approach to a regional level. By integrating
the business community into the city’s operations and planning process and working with regional
partners to plan for and respond to incidents and special events, the city is able to use these many
relationships as force multipliers.
Part 3 of 5: In any large city, there are many agencies and organizations that must learn to work
together for the benefit of the city as a whole. In Baltimore, these groups come together through local
emergency planning committee meetings, trainings, exercises, special events, and other interagency
preparedness efforts. As plans change, the key to success is adaptability.
Part 2 of 5: Planning and response efforts for any city emergency management agency can be
challenging, especially when working with diverse populations, neighborhoods living in poverty, and
drug-infested communities. The Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (MOEM) along with many
partner agencies and organizations are going into vulnerable neighborhoods and tackling problems head
on.
With a few practical steps, state and local governments, as well as other planning and response
agencies, can accomplish a lot with little or no changes in their budgets. These agencies can build
capability, confidence, and readiness by developing concepts of operations, reviewing equipment needs,
training personnel, maintaining instruments, and regularly practicing skills. 