Law Enforcement Archives

Dead Reckoning: EMS, Death, and Resource Management

James Mason August 13, 2008

The assumption that an accident victim who is not breathing is dead can be a fatal mistake – for the victim. Which is just one of many reasons why so many laws governing the handling of apparent deaths have been enacted by every state in the union.

Battlefield Forensics: Rebirth of an Ancient Science

Neil C. Livingstone August 13, 2008

Historians see yesterday’s battlefields as primary sources for their next scholarly tomes. The modern military sees today’s battlefield as an unsifted mountain of intelligence information and, possibly, as evidence in future courtroom proceedings.

First Responder Credentialing: Still a Secondary Priority

Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso August 6, 2008

As the October 2008 deadline looms for implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which requires federal agencies to issue new “smart” identification cards to their employees, many agencies are now working tirelessly to comply with that mandate. So-called “Smart Cards” – which incorporate photos, biometric data (fingerprints), a

Standards Organizations: A Helpful Road Map for Emergency Responders

Diana Hopkins July 23, 2008

Where are standards these days? And who (or what agency) decides on them, determines their content, announces and implements them, and – if necessary and permitted by law – enforces them?

Bournemouth Report: The Conference Where Nothing Happened

Steve Fortado July 23, 2008

Working in close cooperation with the private sector – Thermo Fisher Scientific, to be more specific – the U.K.’s Dorset Police Department scored what Americans would call a “no hitter” at last year’s Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth.

The Gap Analysis Tool: Building Blocks for Preparedness

Kelly R. McKinney and Joseph Picciano July 16, 2008

Best-case estimates provide a shaky foundation for all-hazards disaster plans; worst-case estimates may cost more in the short term, therefore, but are a better working tool for post-incident response and recovery efforts.

The All-Seeing Eye of Video Surveillance

Gary Simpson July 16, 2008

Since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the federal government has invested deeply in improving the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure. The term critical infrastructure sounds like an abstraction encompassing and/or limited to major government buildings, bridges, tunnels, etc., but it is not. In fact, The State Official’s

Politics and Science: A Glowing Combination?

Jerry Mothershead June 25, 2008

How does a democracy work? Not always quite the way it should, particularly when substantive evidence has been presented for only one side of an issue and the media compensates by giving more, and more favorable, publicity to the other side.

Proven Reliability: Always the Most Essential Consideration

Diana Hopkins June 25, 2008

Those responsible for buying emergency-response products such as instruments and devices can be easily overwhelmed by the huge number of choices available. For that reason, it is important that purchasing departments (and individual buyers) develop and implement a prioritized purchasing system – one that places proven reliability as a principal criterion in

Containing the Threat: Eleven Million Challenges

James D. Hessman June 25, 2008

CBP falls short in its efforts to start implementing the “100-percent screening” mandate issued by Congress. The issues involved are numerous, costly, and extremely complicated. Nonetheless, failure is not an option.

Interim Housing Following Disasters: The FEMA Temporary Housing Program

Kay C. Goss June 18, 2008

After presidentially declared disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers Direct Assistance – in the form of campers, trailers, and mobile homes – to those who are without shelter. Direct Assistance is available to eligible applicants in addition to cash grants.Disaster survivors are often assigned a camper, trailer, or

NIMS Training Plans: An Effort Without End

Stephen Grainer June 16, 2008

From George Washington’s days to the present, U.S. leaders have adhered to the credo that “Eternal Vigilance” is “the price of freedom.” Today, those wise words of warning are applicable, with only a slight modification, to the efforts of federal, state, and local officials seeking to meet National Incident Management

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