Friday, December 5, 2008
Need for NIMS
By Marko Bourne
The National Incident Management System is intended for all disasters, regardless of cause. Its use allows response assets to come together seamlessly....
Divided Efforts
By Greta Wodele
Federal funding for first responders grows more complicated each year as monies are split among competing interests and goals....
Airport Explosive Detection Made Easier, Portable
Chemists at Purdue University have come up with a fast, portable, reliable way to detect residues that could indicate the presence of explosives and other hazardous materials inside luggage....
Unity & Despair 
New Orleans was hardest hit, but the impact of Hurricane Katrina was felt throughout Louisiana. Shreveport’s Kelvin Cochran shares his experience....
Shall We Play a Game?
By Roger C. Huder
No amount of planning can help prepare for major incidents if those plans are never practiced by those who will be in the trenches....
Paulison Named FEMA Head
Hours after reports of Michael Brown's resignation as the head of FEMA, the White House named R. David Paulison as his successor....
Breathtaking Tech Detects Disease
By Douglas Page
Exhaled breath may soon be all responders need to detect infection rapidly after potential exposure to a biological warfare agent....
University Study Prioritizes Terror Targets
By Douglas Page
A federal project is helping the United States develop effective risk-reduction and resource-allocation strategies....
Fire Service, DHS in Spotlight
By Kevin Daniels, Managing Editor
Bush pledges government support to Katrina-stricken areas, calls for DHS to review emergency plans in every major U.S. city....
Bush Addresses Nation
Read the complete transcript of the president's Sept. 15 speech....
Ready & Able?
By Ashley Moore
Accreditation is the key to monitoring quality and measuring against standards. So why don't terrorism response programs have a comprehensive assessment available?...
NIMS: Every Day, Efficient and Effective?
Chief I. David Daniels
To be compliant with the National Incident Management System, the federal government says organizations need to use ICS every day. For the fire service, that means using ICS on all kinds of incidents -- not just for fire calls. ...
Leadership and Management: The Command Balance
I. David Daniels, MHRM, MIFireE
To effectively use resources at an emergency scene, an incident commander needs to understand the difference between leading and managing -- and strike a balance between the two....
Chemical Test Develops Magnetic Traits
By Douglas Page
A new portable device may soon give homeland protection teams a better sense of chemical dangers. The tool makes it possible for the first time to perform...
Storm Trackers
By Bryce McAllister
The Dexter (Mich.) Area Fire Department is made up of hard-working volunteer and full-time firefighters, 75% of whom work on an on-call basis. If a big...
Measure for Measure
Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D.
To improve coordination and communication among all levels of government and the public in the fight against terrorism, President George W. Bush signed...
London Fire Brigade Trained for Disaster in Texas
Threat Level Raised for Mass Transit
Deadly London bombings provoke a hike in the threat code for American mass transit. The International Association of Fire Chiefs urges chiefs to meet with local law enforcement and review recommended actions....
Chicago Adopts Segways for Events
The Chicago Fire Department now has a special events emergency response team incident's at all of the city's major special events. We are adapting our...
Backbone of NIMS
By Clint Brown
The sun rises on a crisp winter morning in a bustling U.S. metropolitan city. People and traffic are beginning to move and subways and other public transportation...
Condition: Critical
By Chris DeChant & Les Caid
How prepared is your agency for a mass-casualty disaster response? The Metropolitan Medical Response System can assist your agency during such an incident....
Suicidal Tendencies
By Henry Morgenstern
Many fire departments view the threat of suicide terrorism on American soil seriously, but feel that it will happen somewhere else and isn't a direct...
WMD Guide, Field-Stress Tips Available
In the initial stages of response to a weapons of mass destruction incident, the dispatch center plays a crucial role in the success or failure of an...
2 New NIMS Courses Up on Virtual Campus
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
A Dispatcher’s Guide for WMD Incidents
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