Economic recovery or safety – are they mutually exclusive?
Restricting access to unsafe areas is necessary but can be a barrier to economic recovery.
Threat Averted: Woody’s six gun seized at Heathrow
Toy six gun poses major threat? Process trumps common sense.
Over-commitment to process leads to death in DC
Process can be a good thing but when it trumps common sense it can lead to deadly consequences.
Resistance to Change: A Tail from the dog park
He goes by the improbable name of Bowser, a big, gentle labrador who loves to play. Bowser until recently was one of our regulars at the dog park. Sadly, he won't be joining us for our early morning romps in the future. No, Bowser hasn't gone to the Big Dog Park in the Sky. We've […]
Asiana crash footage raises questions
Newly released footage from a dash-mounted camera shows that firefighters at the scene of last year's Asiana airlines crash at San Francisco International Airport were aware of the position of the victim who was later killed by being run over by two fire trucks. The film and the attendant media coverage offer some interesting lessons […]
A Christmas Story
Of the many stories told about Christmas, one that has always had a special meaning for me is the unofficial truce of 1914 during World War I. December 1914 was just a few short months after the start of the war and the Germans and the Allies had fought themselves to a stalemate. This was […]
Leading in Crisis: The 4 traps of decision making
Download Leading in crisis – 4 traps of decision making Dec 2013
Sustainable water: San Francisco on the right track
What do a City Attorney, an evironmental specialist, and an emergency manager have to do with the San Francisco Water Department? It was, admittedly, a very unusual partnership but we all shared a common interest: deep wells. One of the main concerns I had as Director of Emergency Services for San Francisco was water. San […]