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The MPA in Emergency and Disaster Management
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ResourcesMCNY BlogsMCNY's Emergency and Disaster Management Blog The New “Facebook” of Emergency ManagementJune 16th, 2009 On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM), as part of its ongoing mission to continually educate the people of New York City on the techniques and benefits of emergency preparedness, unveiled its new, official “Facebook” page. The site, which contains additional information on New York City hazards, community event listings, and volunteer opportunities, was implemented in response to OEM’s annual preparedness poll, which indicates that over 50% of respondents use Facebook to keep informed about important emergency events in New York City. “If Facebook is where New Yorkers are looking for information, OEM needs to be there with answers,” OEM Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno told The New York Times in a June 16 article that appeared on The Times’ invaluable City Room site. The Facebook venture is only the latest innovation in OEM’s already comprehensive preparedness notification program. Building upon its solid successes in community outreach, notification, and emergency preparedness education, New York City’s OEM has once again shown the EM and HLS fields that it is not afraid to make use of new or emerging technology to address the age-old challenges of emergency preparedness and notification. And for those who don’t believe that early warning and robust preparedness measures can save lives, Disaster Central urges that they remember their history…the history that saw over 600 lives in the northeastern United States lost to a “surprise” hurricane strike on Long Island and southeastern New England in September of 1938. Disaster Central urges all New Yorkers to visit OEM’s Facebook page, and to regularly consult it as updates become available. OEM is clearly doing its part to keep New Yorkers safe - are you, your family, your friends, and your workplace doing the same? Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning, Emergency Preparedness. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. MPA in Emergency and Disaster Management students return from Israel Study Abroad TripJune 3rd, 2009 Between May 9-19, 2009, students in MCNY’s MPA program in Emergency and Disaster Management studied counterterrorism and emergency management at IMI Academy in Tel Aviv, Israel. Here is just a fraction of the positive feedback shared with the College by those who attended: “This trip [to Israel] for me was a one-time life experience, not only in my professional career but also with a personal perspective. I had learned so much in the [IMI] Academy about other views of the immediate hazards of terrorism…Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have this international experience, where knowledge and awareness went hand in hand.” B. C. “The Israeli Military Industries Academy seminar was one of the most useful blocks of instruction I have ever had the pleasure of receiving…The IMI experience provided a unique opportunity to observe and learn in one of the West’s premier and active laboratories for emergency and disaster management.” M. C. “The trip to Israel was a success, and a meaningful educational experience.” T. O. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning, Counter-Terrorism. 1 Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. “Don’t Touch That Hot Stove!”April 30th, 2009 Not too long ago, Ms. Mary Williams, a Disaster Central reader, posted a very interesting, intelligent, and valuable response to my posting about one of our program’s open houses on the 1912 Titanic disaster. In her comments, Ms. Williams pointed out that she believes middle school students (and, perhaps, even younger students) should be afforded the opportunity to take Emergency Management training courses as part of their regular educational curriculum. From an Emergency Management standpoint, Disaster Central couldn’t agree with Ms. Williams more. In order to reach their full educational and operational potential, Emergency Management and Homeland Security need to become ritualized, need to become a more “natural” and integrated part of our collective culture in the United States. Because all Americans - regardless of their socio-economic level - can and do suffer in disasters, it’s important to the EM field not to exclude the opportunity for all Americans (regardless of age, gender, religious affiliation, and the like) to become better prepared, and to stay that way. Training the citizens of our great nation to better look after themselves, their families, their friends, their pets, and their property before, during, and after an emergency is one of the most important elements in reaching higher levels of preparedness and response, and our efforts should always be directed toward expanding that collective opportunity to save lives through saving systems. Japan is a nation at risk from a number of natural hazards…volcanic eruptions, seismic activity (earthquakes), tsunami (”tidal waves”), typhoons, and actors in rubber Godzilla suits…have all, over the centuries, beset this major global power. But unlike many other nations, Japan (which recognizes that nature is life) hasn’t attempted to downplay the risks of nature, but has instead reduced its collective vulnerability as a civilization to the deadly and destructive elements within these events. There’s no stopping a typhoon - but more robust building codes and practices in Japan have significantly reduced the death tolls that such hazards used to regularly claim. One way in which Japan has accomplished this is through the widespread ritualization of its preparedness message. Every year since 1960, Japan has marked September 1 as “Disaster Preparedness Day”. Disaster Central readers who are familiar with their history of catastrophes will no doubt remember that it was on September 1, 1923, that Japan was struck by the Great Kanto Earthquake, a natural disaster that claimed upwards of 100,000 people, and destroyed large sections of the capital city, Tokyo. Every September 1, Japanese authorities host preparedness educational events for children and adults, as well as drills and field exercises. The efficacy and wisdom of the Japanese model has been adopted by many countries and EM organizations, including our own top-notch New York City Office of Emergency Management, which frequently hosts educational venues for children and their parents. From a very early age, we teach our children to be careful of strangers, to look both ways before crossing the street, and to avoid touching a hot stove. But when it comes to teaching our children (and ourselves) to be prepared for natural and human-made disasters, we sometimes shy away for fear of - ? For instance: on Thursday, April 30, 2009, The New York Daily News ran an article titled, “N.Y.ers see red as FEMA coloring book shows 9/11″. The article severely criticizes FEMA for sponsoring a downloadable coloring book for children that contains a “horrific 9/11 image” which children can color in. In its usual tongue-in-cheek fashion, The Daily News helpfully re-published the “horrific 9/11 image” (why is that, do you suppose?), while at the same time including soundbites from “offended” New Yorkers, one of whom stated that he, ”…should punch the person who did this in the face.”(!) If you, too, want to “see red” (but for different reasons), you can access the article I’d like to thank The Daily News for providing us with such a valuable discussion point. But clearly, the American people cannot rely solely on corporate news media to objectively look after their best interests when it comes to devising and implementing a mature, sensible, accessible emergency preparedness educational program. For too long now, Americans have relied too greatly on the established news media to tell us what to think about disasters, about the government and quasi-governmental organizations designed to manage disaster operations, and even when and what to fear. But, over time, that twisted paradigm has started to change. Just as Americans no longer believe a fraction what is told to them by the corporate media, they have likewise begun to start looking after themselves when it comes to preparedness, response, and recovery. That’s not only a change we can believe in, but a change that one day may save your life. And the best way to keep up this progress is through education on just what preparedness means, what response means, and how great recovery from a disaster event can feel. FEMA is to be commended for its excellent efforts to educate the American people on how to be better prepared for disaster situations. Disaster Central encourages its readers to take emergency preparedness seriously, and without fear of ridicule or derision simply because cynicism and greed are apparently more important to us as cultural priorities than are preparedness and prosperity. It’s cool to be prepared. It’s a happy hipster who’s got a hip Go-Bag ready to go in an un-hip emergency. And it’s a responsible, caring parent who knows when and how to help a child understand that sometimes the winds blows, and the earth moves… Okay, Disaster Central readers, you’ve read some of my thoughts on this issue – what do you think? I’m quite certain we have some parents out there – how have you addressed disasters and emergency preparedness with your children? Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Uncategorized, Emergency Management Planning, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Preparedness. 3 Comments » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. A Visit to OEM’s Emergency Operations CenterNovember 18th, 2008 On Friday evening, November 14, 48 students and faculty members from Metropolitan College of New York’s MPA program in Emergency and Disaster Management were provided with a guided tour of the New York City Office of Emergency Management’s state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn. Coordinated by EDM Team Foxtrot member William Bodt, and with the cooperation of MCNY’s IAEM-MCNY membership, the tour provided the program’s students and faculty members with the opportunity to look inside one of the country’s most sophisticated and environmentally-friendly Emergency Management facilities. The tour included a peak inside the Media Briefing Room, Situation Room, Watch Command, and an extensive visit to the two-story-high EOC. The tour, which included an informative powerpoint presentation by OEM’s knowledgeable Intergovernmental Relations director, was provided as part of New York City OEM’s ongoing efforts to educate the people of New York City on how to be better prepared for emergencies. In addition to reinforcing the need for unified command during emergency situations, the tour stressed the importance that technology, that situational awareness, represents to effective emergency preparedness, response, and recovery concepts. The Briefing Room serves as a reminder of the vitality of public outreach during emergencies, and of the mantra, “One voice, one message,” that informs an effective emergency PIO operation. And Watch Command, which represents OEM’s eyes and ears on the City, is a reminder that situational awareness, the ability to have a real-time understanding of a situation, is critical to the effective deployment of EM resources. Disaster Central thanks the New York City Office of Emergency Management and its team of professionals for its hospitality - and for its enthusiastic support of the lifesaving mission of better assisting the businesses, organizations, and people of New York City with preparing for, responding to, and recovering from, emergencies. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning, Emergency Preparedness. 2 Comments » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire - Another LookOctober 28th, 2008 On Tuesday, October 28, 2008, Kentucky governor Steve Beshear announced the formation of an independent panel of experts to “review assertions” that the third-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history – which had previously been attributed to the use of aluminum wiring – may have actually been a case of arson. (Article can be accessed here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/29kentucky.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) On the night of May 28, 1977, the Beverly Hills Supper Club, located in Southgate, Kentucky, caught fire. It was Memorial Day weekend, and the posh supper club (which had dubbed itself the “Showplace of the Nation”) was packed with some 3,000 guests, and nearly 200 employees. Like many swank entertainment venues that have through history been the scene of horrific – and yet preventable - tragedies, the Beverly Hills Supper Club was long on crystal chandeliers and plush carpets, but woefully short on fire prevention practices and safe building standards. Shortly after 9:00 pm, as fire and noxious smoke suddenly coursed through the supper club’s labyrinth of spiral staircases, corridors, and dining rooms, terrified patrons and staff commenced a desperate struggle to escape the hilltop inferno. Overcrowding, a lack of sprinklers, and obscured exit signs contributed to the deaths of 165 people. Another 200 or so were injured. (An excellent series of articles on the fire and its aftermath by the Cincinnati Enquirer can be accessed here: http://www.enquirer.com/beverlyhills/index2.html) Just over three decades later, the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire understandably remains a painful and controversial topic in Kentucky and neighboring Ohio. Governor Beshear’s decision to establish the panel followed meetings with several of the fire’s survivors, as well as an in-depth review by fire experts of the extensive documentary material connected with the case. According to an October 28, 2008, New York Times article by journalist Stacy L. Neitzel, several survivors prepared a report that expressed their concern that arson may have been the cause of the deadly blaze. Among those on the panel are two law professors from the University of Kentucky, and the former special prosecutor, Cecil F. Dunn, who had produced a report of his findings in February of 1979 for the Kentucky Attorney General’s office. While we wait to see the final results of the panel’s investigations into the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, Disaster Central believes that Governor Beshear has made a wise decision in establishing the panel. Disaster Central realizes that a historical, political, social, or legal re-evaluation of a disaster is most often a painful exercise for those touched by the disaster. And yet, it also understands that because emergency management and homeland security are experiential (in that we learn from what has occurred) in nature, it is important to know as much about the mechanics of disaster as possible. As part of MCNY’s MPA program in Emergency and Disaster Management, students are given the opportunity to study fire disasters like the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston in 1942, and the Beverly Hills tragedy in 1977, to better understand not only what happened, and why, but what to do as emergency managers should it happen again. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning, MCNY EDM Program. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. Falling Windows are “Broken Windows” - Part IISeptember 22nd, 2008 In an excellent article by journalist William K. Rashbaum that was published in the September 19, 2008, edition of The New York Times, the City of New York indicated that it is getting tough on unsafe construction practices in the five boroughs. The administration is to be commended for taking the hazard that is unsafe construction seriously, and for implementing revised and re-invigorated regulations and practices that not only protect construction workers, but public safety responders and the general public. It is precisely the kind of proactive, serious leadership that sets the tone for a generation of safer New Yorkers in all walks of life. While Disaster Central’s primary mission is to provide a voice and forum to the Emergency Management, Homeland Security, and public safety communities, it recognizes the important - indeed, lifegiving - role that the construction industry plays in making New York City a more prosperous and livable place. While the recent Mayor’s Management Report (MMR) indicates that construction accidents have doubled during the past fiscal year, the total still remains a very small percentage when compared to all the safe and responsible construction that daily occurs in the City. New York City is made up of many types of people and things, so it’s not so difficult to balance the needs of the public safety communities with the needs of the construction and real estate industries. Perhaps there are additional costs in increased regulation of construction sites - but when has it ever been in the worst interests of any organization or community to safely build safe buildings? Disaster Central thanks the City of New York for taking action on this issue. It also thanks the construction and real estate communities for renewing their commitment to provide all New Yorkers with buildings we can run to, not flee from. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. Falling Windows are “Broken Windows”September 17th, 2008 At shortly after 1:00 pm on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, yet another window dropped from the as-yet-unfinished Bank of America building, located at 1111 Sixth Avenue, in New York City. The window, which fell from the 51st floor, shattered upon hitting the sidewalk, but fortunately, no one was injured. Disaster Central’s readers may recall that last month, this blog (under Financial Incentives - Part II) sounded the call for fines and other monetary penalities for construction accidents of this type to be significantly increased as a deterrent to future incidents of this type. (Please note that while Disaster Central frequently discusses New York City issues, construction accidents aren’t unique to this City, and all communities across the nation can benefit from ensuring that construction sites are safely operated.) But, perhaps, what is unique to New York City is how such acts seem to go unpunished. Perhaps not surprisingly, the City of New York has failed miserably to act in a responsible and effective way to address this all-too-frequent hazard. Indeed, according to an article in The New York Times, while a stop-work order has been issued for the Bank of America project, at this time no decision has been made as to whether or not a citation will be issued - let alone a sobering fine. In the City of New York, it is illegal to throw anything out of a window, to drop objects from high places, and to otherwise perform actions that endanger the public. If the average citizen threw something out of a window, chances are very good that such an individual would be caught and severely punished. It seems odd to Disaster Central that the New York City Police Department (NYPD), which is usually very effective at combating crime, seems unable to combat this crime - and yes, accident or not, it is activity that poses a very real risk to the people of New York. Moreover, if the City of New York can’t prevent or reduce the number of construction-related accidents in the City, then how on earth does it expect to convince its citizens, visitors, and businesses that it is fully prepared for those hazards that aren’t preventable? This is not to say that we aren’t prepared, but we’re obviously not doing all that needs to be done in order to protect the citizens of New York from legitimately-preventable hazards. I think of it as an offshoot of the famed “broken windows theory,” in which it’s argued that if you stamp out “small” crimes, you have a better chance of changing the circumstances under which “big” crimes can occur. If you can prepare for and prevent small hazards, you have a much better chance of effectively preparing for, responding to, and recovering from, large hazards. While the monied mandarins in New York City may seem to care less about the safety, security, and preparedness of New Yorkers and our visitors, Disaster Central does not. This is yet another example of that cultural horror known as “survivability and class,” or the idea that the wealthy, the well-connected, and the powerful will always have the means to survive a disaster, and to escape responsibility for aiding and abetting these hazards. Just as many people in New Orleans were essentially left behind as 2005’s Hurricane Katrina bore down on that city, the people of New York City are being ignored (and hence placed at greater risk for harm) by a refusal of the City Council and the administration to effectively address construction-site hazards in the Big Apple. Until such time, all New Yorkers are urged to add a “hard hat” to the list of items in their Go Bags! Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. Financial Incentives - UpdateAugust 12th, 2008 On the morning of August 12, 2008, a large section of glass-cladding tumbled 51 stories from the new Bank of America Building near Times Square, sailed across 42nd Street, and shattered on the sidewalk shed in front of the former Verizon building. Thankfully, only one minor injury was reported. However, as the situation indicates, it could have been much worse. Since Emergency Management is often about prevention, the City of New York needs to take more strident steps toward mitigating the many hazards associated with construction sites in the City. Taking a page from New York City’s War on Big Tobacco, skyhigh fines levied against the property owners, construction companies, and others associated with these projects will go a long way toward reducing the threats to the public and our first responders from shoddy construction and safety practices. As the financial incentive argument contends, the City must make safety and responsibility a less expensive option than non-compliance. Therefore, fines on the order of several million dollars per violation are in order. Smoking is hazardous to your health - so are falling windows and debris, collapsing cranes, and improper construction practices. Hopefully, just as the City has led the way in stamping out smoking, it will now address another clear and present danger to the health and security of all New Yorkers. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Emergency Management Planning. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. Special Powers Legislation, Terrorism, and Emergency ManagementAugust 4th, 2008 Throughout history, governments have during times of crisis devised and/or enacted special powers legislation as part of their efforts to thwart acts of terrorism, the growth of insurgency movements, and to allow for a more effective response to emergency situations. In some instances, this special powers legislation has taken the form of martial law or curfews in the wake of a hydrological or seismological event, while in others it has resulted in significant changes to national law, protocol, and tradition. In the United States, many on both sides of the political aisle point to the USA PATRIOT ACT as an example of special powers legislation - there are, however, differing views as to its efficacy and Constitutional legitimacy, and each side has its respective strengths and weaknesses. There may also prove future instances where special powers legislation might be needed to enable a more robust response to, and recovery from, a catastrophic event. Emergency managers at all levels of government may want to consider those scenarios under which special powers legislation might be needed, and what form this legislation would take. In addition to curfews, special powers legislation might extend to containment and quarantine regulations and procedures, or to the handling of hundreds of thousands of decedent remains in an expeditious manner. As part of their respective preparedness matrices, Emergency Management planners and policymakers may wish to consider the value and appropriateness of special powers legislation in advance of a catastrophic event. What are your thoughts on the use of special or emergency powers legislation as a strategy and a tactic in the Emergency Management and Homeland Security communities? Should there be limits to special powers legislation, and should all legislation of this type contain “sunset” or “renewal” clauses? Is it possible that special powers legislation successfully prevents acts of terrorism? Disaster Central welcomes your thoughts and insights. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Anti-Terrorism, Homeland Security, Emergency Management Planning, Counter-Terrorism. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. McCain or Obama? Obama or McCain?August 3rd, 2008 The 2008 US presidential election cycle is well underway. Not surprisingly, the outcome of this election will have some (possibly major) effect on the Emergency Management and Homeland Security communities in the United States. Whether you’re a supporter of (in alphabetical order) Senator John McCain or Senator Barack Obama, from an EM/HLS viewpoint, who do you think will prove a more effective leader for the EM and HLS fields? Before responding, please consider those issues that impact the EM and HLS fields, including vision, funding, legislation, and loyalty. Please note that Disaster Central’s professional standards prohibit interference in the political process through the providing of direct endorsements. Disasters are non-partisan, and so is Disaster Central. That does not, however, preclude Disaster Central’s readers from sharing their respective opinions of EM and HLS, and their relation to the 2008 US presidential election, in this blog. We welcome your viewpoints. Email this · Subscribe to this Feed · Bookmark This! Posted by David Longshore in Homeland Security, Emergency Management Planning. Post a Comment » David Longshore is the Director of MCNY’s Emergency and Disaster Management MPA Program. | |
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