In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

The Menu: Alaskan Dungeness crab flan with fresh ginger-yuzu broth; organic Long Island duckling in almond and spring garlic broth, parsley root puree, white truffle honey glaze and fresh chamomile; and Colorado cherries roasted with fresh verbena and lavender, strawberry sorbet, rhubarb granité, and pomegranate…and CPR?
This blog’s ongoing effort to find creative ideas for engaging [...]

[Read more →]

I wanted to mention two events from this past weekend, which I think offer a lesson for citizen preparedness:  The first was a family preparedness event held by the American Red Cross at Fort Belvoir just outside Washington in which free readiness kits and other emergency supplies were distributed to 1100 military families. At the other [...]

[Read more →]

I have written several posts about ways citizens could be involved the Gulf Oil Spill cleanup. In an article on PRNewsOnline.com, David All, recommends drawing upon the popularity of games on social networking sites to recruit volunteers:
“…imagine a game — call it “Coastal Cleanup” — that connects people online for a good cause in their local [...]

[Read more →]

The word ‘fear’ has gotten a bit of bad rap this decade. And, I would argue that’s hurt the country’s public preparedness. Let me explain.
I think the fear of being accused of fearmongering has put a significant crimp in the ability of our leaders to communicate with and prepare Americans for terrorism. That’s a problem [...]

[Read more →]

I frequently highlight interesting and creative approaches to preparedness. The video below — “Super Sexy CPR” — may be a little too interesting and creative for some readers, but I will post it nonetheless as today begins National CPR & AED Awareness Week.
A company called Fortnight Lingerie created the video to promote CPR and its [...]

[Read more →]

With the 2010 Hurricane Season starting today and the oil spill in the Gulf, the Louisiana Department of Social Services is encouraging residents to pre-apply online for Disaster Food Stamps. The Louisiana effort underscores the importance of citizen advance planning for disasters when it comes to their daily needs (whether it be government assistance or [...]

[Read more →]

In December of  2009, the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC held a conference in Washington, D.C., “Resilient American Communities: Progress In Practice And In Policy”. The aim was “to apply state-of-the-art knowledge of resilience to the design of federal policies that will strengthen local communities and their environments to withstand disasters, epidemics, and terrorism.”
Co-sponsors included [...]

[Read more →]

Earlier in the week, I did a post on a terrific new paper, “A Vision for Technology-Mediated Support for Public Participation & Assistance in Mass Emergencies & Disasters” by researchers from the University of Colorado and University of California as part of the Project EPIC initiative. The focus of the paper is the role of technology in improving [...]

[Read more →]

In today’s New York Times Sunday Magazine, there’s an article, “Cass Sunstein Wants To Nudge Us,” profiling Cass Sunstein, the director of White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).
OIRA, according to the piece, has “the power to review every significant new rule that emerged from…[federal] agencies and to decide whether the benefits (in [...]

[Read more →]

U.S Attorney General Eric Holder announced last week that Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad would likely be charged “with an act of terrorism transcending national borders, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction [my italics], use of a destructive device during the commission of another crime, and explosives charges.”
I probably was not the only one [...]

[Read more →]