In Case of Emergency, Read This Blog

In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

A Citizen’s Eye View of Public Preparedness

Using Baltimore Bombing Scenario, “News & Terrorism” Workshop Aims To Help Stakeholders Communicate With Public, Each Other In Crises

September 23rd, 2009 · 1 Comment

In Baltimore today, about 120 area journalists, government officials, business executives and scientists faced the following [mock tabletop] situation:
A major explosion at City Hall; another explosion at Baltimore’s World Trade Center; gunmen firing upon those on at the two sites; their actions are obviously being coordinated using complex communications partly utilizing info/images broadcast by the media; [...]

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Tags: Media · Preparedness Events

The ‘No-Win’ Public/Media Communications Challenge For Officials On Possible Fall H1N1 Flu Outbreak

July 26th, 2009 · No Comments

I read a very smart and helpful post, “Hubris And The Flu” this morning from the blog Avian Flu Diary about the challenge for government in communicating with the public and the media on H1N1.
The piece does a very nice job of illustrating the almost ‘no-win’ communications dilemma governmental entities have on H1N1 (and potential [...]

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Tags: Media · Pandemic Flu

Are You “Ready” For Some Emergency Preparedness Radio?

June 17th, 2009 · No Comments

From the same folks who brought you the Cross Blog comes “Ready Radio”, an internet-based biweekly show dedicated to emergency preparedness and related subjects. I just listened to the first episode, and I can tell you that hosts Lise Harwin and Robin Parker of the Red Cross/Oregon Trail Chapter bring the same creativity, enthusiasm and [...]

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Tags: Media · Preparedness Resources

PBS’ “Carrier” & Its Lessons For Engaging And Preparing The Public About Our Own Homeland Security

May 24th, 2009 · No Comments

On Memorial Day and with thousands of U.S. Navy personnel here in New York City for Fleet Week, I wanted to highlight again one of the best television shows I’ve seen in a long time,  “Carrier,” PBS’ 10-part documentary, which follows a six-month deployment of the USS Nimitz to the Persian Gulf. (At present, the Nimitz is [...]

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Tags: Media · Preparedness Lessons

Radio Show On Public Preparedness

April 25th, 2009 · No Comments

I was a guest this week on an internet radio program, Western Word Radio, hosted by Avi Davis. The discussion on the show, “Are You Prepared For A Disaster,” focused on citizen readiness and engagement as well as general foreign policy issues. The other panelists were  former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, commentator Michael Ledeen, and intelligence expert [...]

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Tags: Media Interviews

“Homeland Security USA” TV Show Underscores Need To Provide Fuller Explanation To Public About What Homeland Security USA Exactly Is

February 6th, 2009 · No Comments

“Homeland Security USA”,  a new reality show on ABC-TV, aired its fourth episode this week. Television reviewers have had two primary criticisms of the program: first, that the show offers too positive a gloss on the work of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) because it was produced with the cooperation of the Department; second, that “Homeland [...]

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Tags: Entertainment · Media

Weekly “Biosecurity Briefing” E-Newsletter Is Becoming A Daily

February 5th, 2009 · 1 Comment

I am happy to report that a helpful weekly email resource is going daily beginning this Monday. The Biosecurity Briefing, published by the Baltimore-based Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is being expanded. I have found the weekly edition useful in following developments on biosecurity and other threats so I look forward [...]

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Tags: Biological Terrorism · Media · Preparedness Resources

Anthrax Antibiotics Delivery To Public By Mail Carriers Supported In New York Times Op-Ed

October 13th, 2008 · No Comments

Stanford University Business School Professor Lawrence M. Wein has an interesting Op-Ed article, “Neither Snow, Nor Rain, Nor Anthrax…,” in today’s New York Times in which he supports the use of Postal Service mail carriers to deliver prophylactic antibiotics to the public in the event of an anthrax attack. In the piece (registration may be required), Wein lays out the [...]

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Tags: Biological Terrorism · Preparedness Ideas · Public Health Preparedness

As National Preparedness Month Ends, Increased Number of Corporate, Non-Profit Partners Is A Positive Sign For Future

October 7th, 2008 · No Comments

With the fifth-annual National Preparedness Month now over, I wanted to point out an encouraging statistic regarding corporate and non-profit interest in citizen preparedness both on a national and community level. 
The Department of Homeland Security’s public preparedness efforts have received a good deal of criticism over the past few years. And, in fact, no one has [...]

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Tags: Department of Homeland Security

“On Native Soil” Movie About “9/11 Commission” Underscores Power & Potential Of Citizen Action

October 2nd, 2008 · 1 Comment

When I was visiting Mary and Frank Fetchet at the Voices of September 11th offices in New Canaan, Connecticut last month, I met Linda Ellman, the director/producer of the documentary “On Native Soil” which chronicles the effort to effort to create the “9/11 Commission” and follows its proceedings. I had not seen the movie when it first [...]

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Tags: Entertainment · Media