First, we have the genuine thing, the spontaneous bystander, who sees a need for action, then does something about it. Rescue911 commented on the story of the Good Samaritan and how a traveler, with no reason to do so other than to help his fellow man, went out of the way to assist another. This lends a […]
As discussed in the last post, there are those who are against credentialing, for their own reasons. Because I have had plenty of discussions about the subject, I think I have the discussions channeled into four groups (and if you have a different argument, let me know, because I don't want to miss anything […]
I'm about to launch into a multi-part blog to discuss the merits of credentialing. Right now I am aware of some opposing arguments to the requirement that disaster response personnel have credentials, particularly when it comes to those who routinely offer their services after a disaster but are not necessarily part of a response entity. […]
How many more times does disaster have to strike before responders finally learn the lesson of the need for unified command? How many times do agencies need to experience a tug-of-war over resources, slow response to needs due to poor inter-agency communication, and lousy coordination all because the "powers that be" refuse to put their […]
I’m always happy to see a fellow firefighter and paramedic do well for themselves, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that Florida Emergency Management Chief Craig Fugate was nominated to head up FEMA. I don’t know him personally, but I think that among the preparedness aspects that he has championed for his state that […]
One of my biggest concerns in 2008 has been the dwindling funds available for urban search and rescue programs around the nation. When things cut loose out there, these are the resources that everyone wants, but given the state of funding for these programs and the state of the economy, they may also be the […]