Budgets are tight and travel restrictions remain. But, it’s clear to me that nothing can diminish the thirst for knowledge. In my field (which was IT, then was web, then was digital communications, and is now public information), change is rapid-fire. Expectations run high, and not just those of management. Now, it’s citizen expectations forRead… Read more »
[cross posted from blog.recovers.org] Waldo Canyon Fire photo by @kittlent “If you are available to do so, can you come into the joint info center for a bit to help me with few SM (social media) issues.” Those words called me in for a five-day stint as the official Twitter voice for the Waldo CanyonRead… Read more »
This topic has come up time and time again here on GovLoop and I felt it was time to revisit the greater discussion involving use of social/new/2.0/3.0/etc technology for the purposes of emergency response, recovery, mitigation, citizen engagement, and so forth through the optic of the PIO. To this end, an entire world-wide group ofRead… Read more »
I recently wrote on the coming of age of the “Digital Public Information Officer (PIO)” and how social media, digital volunteers, and organization is key. (Find the original posting here: Considerations for the Digital Public Information Officer) This sparked a lot of great conversation across the Social Media in Emergency Management (SMEM) community and aRead… Read more »
In the business world, poor efficiency equals lost profits and less chance at survival. As dire as that sounds, inefficiency among first responders can have even more serious consequences, especially with state and local police departments. Yet many local government agencies all over the country still grapple with the issue of asset management and inventoryRead… Read more »
Take a spin through the headlines and it’s easy to see fire departments struggling with fixed asset management. In a rural Mississippi town recently, thieves made off with much of the equipment that allowed a volunteer fire department to do its critical job. They stole the “jaws of life,” saws, fans, tools and other equipment.Read… Read more »
Hurricane Sandy. The Alabama tornados. Japan’s tsunami. On and on, natural disasters seem to come at a greater clip than ever, and some besieged emergency managers are shifting from reactive to proactive by re-envisioning disaster recovery as supply chain management. Charlotte Franklin, deputy coordinator of emergency management for Arlington County, Va., wrote recently on theRead… Read more »
Http://LeonardSipes.Com and Http://MyLifeAudio.Com It’s taken me days to compose my thoughts as to the mass shooting-massacre at Newtown, CT. As someone in the justice system it hits hard; nothing prepares you for this. Working with crime victims gives me a unique perspective and I know how a burglary or robbery or violent crime impacts aRead… Read more »
Unless you are doing the job or are one of the victims and families it is not possible to truly understand what the men and women responding to the tragedy in Newtown are going through. Without the unique strengths of these heroes, how can anyone cope with a situation of such immensity and the emotionalRead… Read more »
When disasters strike towns and cities, 911 centers quickly become inundated with calls beyond those that are truly life-threatening situations. The result is that emergency response is delayed which can sometimes lead to deadly consequences. A case in point is a story in the New York Post about how New York City’s 911 center wasRead… Read more »