The Changing Face of Emergency Management Education By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Whenever the subject of preparing emergency managers for the future a couple of familiar refrains are sounded. Here are some of them: Who is teaching? What is being learned? Recently more actual emergency managers are [...]

Earmarks: Love ‘Them, Hate ‘Them By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The President recently raised the prospect of "bringing back earmarks" as a legitimate negotiating tool. Reform-minded persons in both parties view earmarks as "deals" that often undermine the allocation of resources based on merit and importance to [...]

On Compromise Versus Being Compromised By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed A willingness to compromise is an essential component of our democracy, and such “deals” often facilitate mutual understanding and respect for the other side’s point of view. Present day ideological politics reflects the belief that “compromise” is [...]

Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later… By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed My late father used to have a saying in my youth, often invoked on my way out the door for a date: “If you want to dance, you have to pay the fiddler!” I knew [...]

Thoughts on Harvey, Irma, Maria and, YES, Cascadia! - By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Disasters bring consequences, both immediate and long term. Yet they also provide opportunities to address obvious hazards, so that they do not repeat themselves time and again. And such events can provide reminders [...]

Things To Come? By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The Governor of Louisiana recently declared coastal land loss as an emergency, calling for the federal government to assist in restoration efforts. The update I read suggested his intent in declaring an emergency was in part to “pressure” the [...]

The Passing of Terry Egan on July 3, 2017 By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The passing of Terry Egan on July 3, 2017 merits special attention. Too often great emergency managers at all levels are relatively unnoticed in life, their contributions to the safety of the public [...]

Government Ain’t Easy By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Most public sector employees are accustomed to hearing that government workers have it easy, compared to their counterparts in the private sector. For example, even casual conversations with parents of your children’s soccer teammates can provide a glimpse into [...]

About Brock Long: An Unsolicited Endorsement By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Brock Long, the new FEMA Administrator, has a tremendous reservoir of experience in areas like school safety, as a state director of emergency management and a successful stint in the private sector as an executive with [...]

Maybe We Should Take Our Issues To Jared? By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed It’s sometimes difficult to see too far into the future, particularly when we seem locked perpetually into an uncertain present. While we await the direction the Trump Administration will take in homeland security and [...]

Notes from NEMA Mid-Year By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The National Emergency Management Association held its midyear forum in Alexandria, Virginia March 20-24. As a past president, I serve on standing committees to which past presidents are assigned as liaisons (mine are Response and Recovery, Mitigation and [...]

Re-Packaging Preparedness Messaging By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Three days’ preparedness was, and still is, considered reasonable for most disasters we may endure, be it flood, fire, storm or even minor earthquakes. Even in a just - in - time society, it remains a manageable goal for [...]

2017-2021: The Road Ahead By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed A new Administration through budget and policy initiatives will soon impact emergency management and homeland security priorities. We must consider what we can support, and how best to oppose and amend what we regard as unwise or unjust. [...]

The Difference Between “Good” and “Great” By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed A reporter recently asked me this question: With all the information that is available to government officials about seismic vulnerabilities, why is very little ever done about it? The answer to the reporter’s very legitimate question [...]

So, About Earthquakes By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed You may have noticed the Lifelock identity theft TV commercials. In one, a uniformed man is stationed in a bank, when armed men order everyone to the floor. Alarmed customers implore him to “do something!” His response is “oh, [...]

Reconciliation versus Resistance: Which Will Win? - By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed After this year’s national election, a sizable portion of our population will feel devastated and perhaps even betrayed. When Kennedy defeated Nixon in 1960 (my earliest clear recollection) and in the years since, if your [...]

On Hearing Without Listening By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed “Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest…” Paul Simon Elected officials in our state have ignored repeated warnings, suppressed ambitious but necessary proposals, and essentially wagered the long range future of our [...]

Then and Now By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed The 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is this month. The terrorist attack on the Pentagon, and the Twin Towers was shocking, and the anthrax attacks thoroughly spooked the national media and Congress. Concern over natural hazard risks receded, [...]

“What If” - Some Thoughts for Late Summer By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Both major political parties have settled upon their respective presidential tickets. It seems reasonable to gauge the impact that a victory for either major party candidate might have on homeland security and emergency management [...]

Efficiency vs. Effectiveness By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Director Linda Crerar of the Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM) program has been after me to discuss what policy issues should be part of the Bachelor’s in Arts and Sciences (BAS) degree that will soon be offered. I’ve resisted [...]

On Seismic Neglect By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Sunday May 15 the Seattle Times (“Seismic Neglect” seattletimes.com) began a series that critiques the lack of leadership with respect to addressing the seismic risk of Washington State, and in particular that Seattle faces. The report provides examples of [...]

Preparing For Transition By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed Each year, National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) holds a midyear Issues forum, typically in Alexandria, Virginia. It’s a good opportunity to check on the major issues and challenges confronting emergency management, and since this is a presidential election year, [...]

Contemplating the Day After By Jim Mullen Emergency Management, Once Removed As a major earthquake exercise for the Northwest (CASCADIA RISING) approaches we might ask ourselves why we are doing this and for whom are we doing it? March 11, 2016 is the 5th year anniversary of the Sendai [...]

A Special Note on the 15th Anniversary of the Nisqually Earthquake By Jim Mullenz Emergency Management, Once Removed February 28, 2016 marks the 15th anniversary of the Nisqually Earthquake. I have some vivid memories of that day, but the primary value in looking backward is to assess how far [...]