Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images It was interesting to see the emphasis on climate change in President Obama's inaugural address. A few years ago those of us who expressed concern over the predictions were viewed with considerable scepticism. Now we may be seeing the beginning of a national debate that will focus not on the […]
Last Sunday was the one year anniversary of the capsizing of the Costa Concordia off the western coast of Italy. As you may recall, the cruise ship was sailing too close to shore, struck a rock, and rolled on it's side, killing 32 people. The ceremony, a tribute to those who died, was by all […]
Photo: Pamela J Boehland, U.S. Coast Guard / SF A near miss on another oil spill in our beautiful Bay as an empty oil tanker scraped one of the fenders protecting a tower of the Bay Bridge on Monday. Fortunately, the hull was not ruptured and no contamination took place. What was interesting was the […]
The Aurora Theater that was the scene of last year's tragic shootings is scheduled to reopen on January 18th. As part of the reopening ceremonies, Cinemark is hosting a "special evening of remembrance" the night prior and has invited the families of the shooting victims to attend. The reopening is supported by the majority of the […]
My apologies for being missing in action for so long. It's been a hectic few weeks between teaching a graduate class in Portland and doing keynote speeches at the All-hazards Summits sponsored by Emergency Management magazine. But that's merely an excuse – I've actually been suffering from an uncharacteristic bout of writer's block. I don't […]
It's always easy to find examples of poor crisis communications. Some organizations seem to go out of their way to appear deceptive and unsympathetic. It's nice to see someone do it right for a change. This past Sunday, two Walmart employees and a contract security officer were involved in an altercation with an alleged shoplifter […]
Over the years I've seen the impact of disaster up close both personally and professionally. One the the things that has always impressed me is the sheer power of Mother Nature when she cuts loose. I've seen heavy vessels moved inland and small vessels stuck into the sides of buildings after hurricanes and typhoons. I've […]
One of the most common disasters myths is that people are incapable of taking care of themselves after a disaster. Despite historical examples and decades of research, we have based much of our planning on the concept of a strong central authority that directs disaster relief efforts. However, as the relief effort on the East […]