The Nuclear Option: Surviving an Atomic Bomb Attack in a Big City
We talked yesterday with David Sanger, who writes for our partner The New York Times, about the very disturbing notion that North Korea has already become a nuclear power, and the possibility that...
View Article911 Emergency Funds Diverted to Balance State Budgets
911 Emergency call systems across the country are in dire need upgrading to be compatible with satellite and cell phone technology. But for years, New York, along with nine other states, has been...
View ArticleNew Evidence of America's Financial Fragility
Unfortunately, Americans have always been terrible at saving: There have been lots of surveys and statistics that have proven this through the years. But a new survey provides shocking evidence that...
View ArticleWithstanding a Hurricane: Lessons in Resilience
In July 2005, Daniel Aldrich and his wife had just moved to New Orleans with their two young children. They bought a new house, a new car, and Daniel had secured his first teaching job as a professor....
View ArticleSpotlight on Broadway’s Emergency Preparedness
Seven months after an attempted car bombing in Time Square, local leaders are shining a spotlight on the Great White Way’s emergency preparedness. And as the theater season hits its holiday peak, those...
View ArticleOne Blizzard, Two Markedly Different Approaches in NJ and NYC
On Tuesday, Mayor Bloomberg was careful not to overpromise. With dozens of ambulances and hundreds of buses still stranded, he was trying to manage expectations. Outer borough council members said...
View ArticleDespite 911 System Upgrades, Problems Persist
On Tuesday, the City Council will hold a hearing on the Bloomberg administration's overhaul of the city's 911 emergency call system. City officials have known the system was inadequate and badly in...
View ArticleHigh Tide: Animals and Natural Disaster
Toto didn’t warn Dorothy that they were about to be swept off to Oz, but there is a general belief—to some extent supported by science—that animals can sense natural disasters ahead of time.Often noted...
View ArticleThe Disaster Experts
Historian Scott Gabriel Knowles tells how a diverse collection of professionals—insurance inspectors, engineers, scientists, journalists, public officials, civil defense planners, and emergency...
View ArticleMost New Yorkers Took Steps to Prepare for Irene
Nearly three-quarters of New York City residents said they prepared their households for Tropical Storm Irene, according to a new Siena poll out today. That means they stocked up on extra food and...
View ArticleAn Informal Poll: How Pet-Owners Prepared for Irene
After getting the perspective of rescue organizations and government officials for a WNYC story on emergency animal rescue, I wanted to find out how NYC pet owners and their animals had actually...
View ArticleWhen Disaster is About to Strike, NYC Says It Can Get the Message Out
Experts say getting real time information to city residents during an emergency is critical to helping them make the right choices so they can survive a natural or man made disaster that can crop up...
View ArticleThad Allen on Federal Disaster Response
Retired U.S. Coast Guard admiral Thad Allen discusses his recent appointment by Gov. Cuomo to co-chair the NYS Respond Commission on emergency preparedness in the state, and his experience. Allen...
View ArticleBack to School - With a "Shooter Drill" in West Orange
It's sobering that one of our first back-to-school stories this August is all about a "shooter drill" in New Jersey. But that's the reality of back-to-school, 2013-style. This was a major school...
View ArticlePeak Hurricane Season Is Here. Are You Ready?
With peak hurricane season underway in New York, city officials are urging residents to make sure they're prepared in case there's another major storm like Sandy.During a news conference on Friday in...
View ArticleCity Revamps Emergency Plan for People With Disabilities
New York City has agreed to drastically overhaul its emergency preparedness plan – adding 60 new accessible shelters and more dedicated personnel – as part of a settlement filed in federal court late...
View Article25 Years in 25 Days (2012): City to Disabled: We'll Do Better Next Time
This fall, the Brian Lehrer Show is marking 25 years of Brian at WNYC with a year-by-year look at stories that mattered from 1989 to 2014. Find the full schedule and lots more here.Sandy left many New...
View Article
