Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
He can be reached by email, Twitter and Google+.
Darrell Ruby discusses collaboration in Region 9.
Get rural and urban areas on the same page before a disaster strikes.
Planning, training and exercising are supposed to be continuous in the emergency management field. The question is, when are you done?
It is only natural that we look for ways to escape our addiction to homeland security grants and gain control over our individual programs.
Chuck Wallace discusses tsunami mitigation measures in Grays Harbor County, Wash., including its plans for a vertical evacuation, tsunami-engineered, safe haven building.
Disaster-resilient organizations will have a level of redundancy that others don’t have.
Susan Cutter, a geography professor at the University of South Carolina, discusses the use of GIS in emergency management and the ‘why of the where’ when working with maps.
We are limiting our effectiveness by not having a more diverse cadre of emergency managers.
We talk about it, write about it and have it on our EOC organization charts, but what does it really mean to be a liaison?
Microsoft Disaster Response’s chief technology officer discusses the use of tech in emergency response.
While the rest of the world has been thinking about the warming climate for some time, we in the U.S. are catching up on the issue.
California’s training chief, Curry Mayer, addresses effective emergency management education.
What does it really mean to obtain disaster resilience, and what does resilience look and feel like?
Bob Kolasky of the DHS discusses the new National Infrastructure Protection Plan and other important aspects of critical infrastructure protection.
Briefings in an activated EOC come in all shapes and sizes, and there are more bad briefings than good ones.
The question "are we ready?" strikes at the heart of being an emergency manager.
It is more critical than ever to have formality, structure and measurement around a risk management framework, says Brian Schwartz of PwC.
The key for emergency management professionals is gaining and maintaining relationships.
FEMA administrator urges emergency management agencies to boost social media efforts.
A profession is defined as a calling that requires specialized knowledge and academic preparation. Does emergency management fall under that description?
Sgt. Jesus M. Villahermosa Jr. of the Pierce County, Wash., Sheriff’s Department addresses how schools can develop better plans and prepare staff members for an emergency.
National Fire Protection Association 1600 standard co-author Don Schmidt reflects on the evolution of standards in emergency management and business continuity.
The public doesn’t know that much about emergency response, and even less about disaster recovery and what's involved with getting federal assistance.
In some cases, it’s the call-taker who helps a frantic person on the other end of the line administer first aid by giving instructions over the phone.
While there is less federal funding available to hire consultants, they remain a viable option for governments looking to supplement their efforts with additional staff and expertise.
The full impact of the continued reduction in federal homeland security funding has yet to be felt.
What’s needed to overcome this woeful lack of disaster preparedness is a national-level campaign that's never-ending.
Emergency managers’ contacts must cover a wide spectrum of people and organizations.
How change impacts organizations and individuals, and why most efforts at change fail.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center advances the ability of businesses to address community and societal issues.
Emergency management professionals are increasingly under pressure to show return on investment. Here is some advice from an expert.
Katrina slammed the state seven years ago and Jon Mabry has been in the middle of its recovery.
"Thou must establish relationships with others" and nine other commandments for disaster preparedness and response officials.
King County, Wash., health-care coalition program manager, Cynthia Dold, shares her experiences.
21st-century emergency managers should provide direction, rather than trying to control every aspect of response and recovery.
We spend most of our time on preparedness and only 1 to 2 percent of our time on the disaster response phase — which can last years following a large emergency.
Kaufman discusses the Strategic Foresight Initiative and how it will help guide efforts to better prepare people and programs.
Knowledge Center’s John Degory discusses EOCs, information management and more.
It’s no longer possible for one person to have all the information available on emergency management and homeland security.
John Hayes addresses how NOAA is keeping up with a warming climate and societal changes.
There are fundamental social changes occurring rapidly everywhere — and disasters are changing too.
How GIS supports response and recovery, and how Esri plugs into disasters.
Garry Briese shares a lifetime of knowledge on building relationships and what leadership really means.
“Black swan events” are those that exist in the realm of possibility, but are totally unexpected — an aberration of our expectations.
Minnesota EMAC Coordinator Kim Ketterhagen discusses the evolution of the EMAC and its future.
Focusing on hazards other than earthquakes and tsunamis could cripple the U.S. when a big one hits, says John Schelling of the Washington State Emergency Management Division.
The United States’ complex government system makes responding to large-scale disasters arduous.
Author and former emergency manager, Betty Lochner, enlightens on improving communication skills.
But an inability to change behavior and not just ‘observe’ lessons will lead to catastrophe.
Woodbury is director of the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and leans on decades of experience when he shares lessons learned.
Envision what would happen if authorities discovered that these burrowing animals were trained terrorist operatives attacking critical infrastructure.
Gisele Parry shares her expertise on when to hire consultants and how to manage them once onboard.
Public officials, and mayors especially, can learn what not to do during a snowstorm by examining the past.
Emergency managers’ jobs require more than disaster mitigation and recovery, marketing is another important component.
Dan Alexander discusses his emergency management experience and has advice for others in the field.
Although the focus of many programs is on the No. 1 person in the organization, the No. 2 person can play a pivotal role in the day-to-day affairs of the agency.
As a disaster management technical adviser for Microsoft, Gisli Olafsson provides guidance internationally and describes how technology aided response to the Haiti earthquake.
Earthquake risks in the United States include some of the same that took a deadly toll in Haiti and Chile.
It's time to begin developing the next generation who will be taking our places.
Though successful exercises are good, it’s many times the failures that provide the real learning opportunities.
Law enforcement background may lend itself to today's link between emergency management and homeland security.
Worst-case planning, resource planning, joint agency planning, among the lessons learned from seminal event in the Pacific Northwest.
Jay Hagen, emergency preparedness officer of the Seattle Fire Department, discusses education, maritime security and the homeland security/emergency management relationship.
A lack of trust is a major block in moving regional emergency management initiatives.
Richard Andrews addresses technology’s role in emergency management, and the relationship between emergency management and homeland security.
Commissioner of the National Commission on Children and Disasters addresses the barriers to protecting children during emergencies.
Implications of the economic crisis.
