• SEARCH & RESCUENext-Gen UAVs Enhance Search and Rescue Efficiency

    Search and rescue operations often face difficulties due to unpredictable weather, rugged terrain, and limited resources. UAVs offer a promising approach to search and rescue missions, but there is a need for improved Aerial Person Detection (APD) technologies to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of UAV-based rescue efforts.

  • SEARCH & RESCUEA Flexible Robot Can Help Emergency Responders Search Through Rubble

    By Haley Wahl

    SPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structuresSPROUT, developed by Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame researchers, is a vine robot capable of navigating under collapsed structures.

  • DISASTERSDevastation from 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake in Myanmar Underscores Regional Lag in Construction Standards, Regulations, Says Resilience Expert

    By Tanner Stening

    A lot of factors are converging here,” says Daniel Aldrich, director of the university’s Resilience Studies Program. “But the bottom line is we’re talking about construction standards in developing countries.”

  • DISASTER RESPONSEIf FEMA Didn’t Exist, Could States Handle the Disaster Response on Their Own?

    By Ming Xie

    Coordinating disaster response is complex, the paperwork for federal assistance can be frustrating, and the agency does draw criticism. However, it also fills an important role. As the frequency of natural disasters continues to rise due to climate change, ask yourself: How prepared is your state for a disaster, and could it get by without federal aid?

  • ROBOTICSRobot with LiDAR Laser Explores Danger Zones

    In a disaster such as a chemical plant incident or flooding, emergency services need ways to quickly get an overview of the situation. But in many cases, they are not permitted to enter the scene itself in order to avoid putting themselves at risk.

  • TRUTH DECAYOn Hurricanes and Hoaxes: A Case for Finding Common Ground

    By Rosie Semlyen

    Conspiracy theories offer an easy, emotionally satisfying answer to a complicated problem. Instead of facing the reality of climate change, or reckoning with their own complicity, people can choose a different story: that climate disasters are manipulated, that scientists are corrupt, and that the crisis is exaggerated for political gain.

  • CRISIS MANAGEMENTCrisis Management Agencies Facing Crises

    By Christina Lengyel

    Ninety-five percent of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s funding comes from federal sources.

  • DISASTERSPerfect Storm: Megafires Set the Stage for Debris Flows

    By Jules Bernstein

    Storms now pounding Southern California are raising the specter of more danger for residents — debris flows in areas already reeling from devastating fires. Flows pose bigger threat than typical mudslides.

  • WILDFIRES5 Israeli Innovations for Fighting Wildfires

    By Zachy Hennessey

    As regions from California to the Mediterranean face wildfire threats, these innovations can help win the battle against out-of-control flames.

  • TRUTH DECAYIn Times of Crisis, States Have Few Tools to Fight Misinformation

    By Matt Vasilogambros

    While officials in Southern California fought fire and falsehoods, Meta —the parent company of Facebook and Instagram —announced it would eliminate its fact-checking program in the name of free expression. As social media companies are pushing back against efforts to crack down on falsehoods, questions are asked about what, if anything, state governments can do to stop the spread of harmful lies and rumors that proliferate on social media.

  • WILDFIRESThe L.A. Fires Show a Need to Rethink Our Wildland Firefighting Systems

    By Jay Balagna

    As bad as the fires in the Los Angeles area have been—more than 12,000 structures burned, about 180,000 people evacuated, more than 35,000 acres scorched, and at least 25 deaths—they could have been even worse, but in some ways Angelenos got lucky. Asystem built on luck, however, is not a durable system. It is already strained, and it risks breaking down in a world of greater and more frequent wildfires.

  • WILDFIRESWhat Mercenaries Can Teach Us About Climate-Fueled Disaster Responses

    By Isabelle Bond

    The devastating fires in Southern California, many of which are still burning out of control, have exposed a controversial and increasingly attractive disaster response alternative that engages the private sector.

  • CHEMICAL SPILLSAccidents Not Waiting to Happen

    By Marina Schauffler

    Fires are classified by the material ignited, and only Class A fires —involving wood, cloth, rubber and some plastics —respond well to water. Class A foam is typically used on structural fires because it penetrates into materials to quell flames quickly. But a recent firefighting foam spill points to a much larger problem Maine has ignored.

  • DISASTER PREPARATIONS Building a Fellowship that Empowers Policymakers to Leverage Science

    By Ryan Gallasch

    As all of us just saw with hurricanes Helene and Milton, extreme weather and other impacts of climate change are already affecting the fabric of our society. As evident by these recent tragedies, U.S. leaders are navigating a complex and interconnected policy landscape as they wrestle with how to confront climate change.

  • FIRST RESPONDERSArtificial Intelligence Means Better, Faster and More for First Responders

    Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) hold tremendous potential to enable first responders to better process information and drive faster and more precise response. However, these capabilities present certain risks.