Every time a major disaster strikes our pets are at risk. We've seen it with wildfires, flooding, tornadoes and earthquakes. Many of us have seen the heartache of pets separated from their families during times of crisis. Often because of a lack of identification either through a collar tag, microchip or even a family photograph, … Continue reading June is Pet Preparedness Month
This Week In Business Continuity: Not the Same Old Hurricane Stuff
“But it’s been so quiet for so long.” “But they said this year isn’t going to be that active.” “But this area hasn’t been hit in 15 years . . . “ But, but, but. Hurricanes haven’t gone away and they’ll be back sooner than we’d prefer; the season starts in just seven weeks. My hope is that this is the only time we’ll post about the Atlantic Tropical Storm Season this year and, fingers crossed, there won’t be any severe storms to post about later this year.
Clear skies on Monday, landfall on Thursday night. Click to enlarge.
But every year at this time I remember that the Houston-Galveston area has been caught by surprise in two different ways in the last few decades. Once with hurricane Alicia in ’83 which formed up just south of Louisiana as a small thunderstorm but which made landfall near Galveston just three…
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US Hospitals Unprepared for Ebola

A survey of nurses in the US reveals a stunning lack of preparedness in our hospitals to handle a major infectious disease outbreak. The survey conducted by National Nurses United (NNU) indicates our front-line health care safety net is not ready. As reported in Infection Control Today, 85% of RN respondents stated that they … Continue reading US Hospitals Unprepared for Ebola
Weather Watching

My dad read clouds. He had no training in meteorology, but he could tell me when it would rain or be nice. His heritage as a farm boy helped turn his eyes to the sky. He was not the biggest of the four kids, but he was still expected to work out in the fields. … Continue reading Weather Watching
On the Bougainvillea and Mitigation

Mit-i-gate verb: make less severe, serious or painful. Removing a dead bougainvillea is a slow deliberate process. It must be done carefully to prevent bloodshed. Vicious thorns found on every twig and branch attack with little provocation. My removal method is to work from the outside in, cutting small pieces of twigs that will fit … Continue reading On the Bougainvillea and Mitigation
A Lesson for All of Us

Hurricane Katrina proved to be an epic lesson in preparedness. From the individual level all the way to the highest levels of the federal government, failures to plan and mitigate ended in disaster. We are still learning lessons from that terrible storm in August of 2005. A recent book, Five Days at Memorial by Sherri … Continue reading A Lesson for All of Us
1,000,000 Gallons of Water Flood Building!

The headline is stark. But this was not from a rising river. This was from a broken fire sprinkler system within the building. One of the problems with this event is that the break was not discovered until an employee came in early to do some work. By that time the water was eight feet … Continue reading 1,000,000 Gallons of Water Flood Building!
May 8, National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day
If you had 3 minutes to evacuate your house, would you be able to take care of your pets? National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day helps us focus on the things we need to do to take care of our pets in an emergency. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association at least 63% of all … Continue reading May 8, National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day
It’s that time again!
Daylight savings time is upon us. Yes, it's time to perform our semi-annual adjustment to watches and clocks. Are you ready to scramble your body clock again? It is no wonder that accident rates rise after our fall and spring time-change rituals. But it is also time to maintain one of the most important safety … Continue reading It’s that time again!
New Approaches to Vivarium Disaster Planning Help Preserve Valuable Research
Why does contingency and continuity planning seem to be a back burner issue? You may not live in an earthquake or storm threatened area, but disasters take many forms. Your plans should take into account all potential hazards natural and human caused. Natural disasters capture the headlines, but a break in colony health is a … Continue reading New Approaches to Vivarium Disaster Planning Help Preserve Valuable Research