Author Archive: samadams
BOATLIFT, An untold story of 9/11 resilience
For those who may not have seen it, BOATLIFT is an outstanding story of resilience in the face of disaster. Narrated by Tom Hanks, this award-winning video tells the story of the countless boats who evacuated Lower Manhattan on 9/11…
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Training opportunities with the RI Public Works Association
The Rhode Island Public Works Association, a partner organization of the Rhode Island Association of Emergency Managers, has a number of upcoming training opportunities and meetings: Winter Maintenance Training (Oct 31) RIPWA Annual Meeting (Nov 7) Forestland Damage Assessment &…
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RIEMA Director appointed as new FEMA Deputy Administrator
The Rhode Island Association of Emergency Managers congratulates RIEMA Director Peter Gaynor on his appointment as the new Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Mr. Gaynor will be heading to Washington soon to take up his new role…
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NEMA Legislative Alert: Disaster Reform Bill Poised for Action
Good Afternoon Directors – (Courtesy NEMA via RIEMA Director Peter Gaynor) The Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) was first discussed in detail during the Mid-Year. Since that time, you’ve seen updates from the NEMA-DC office and heard Brock mention it…
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BLOG: “Keep Moving!” A Tribute to Rick Rescorla on the Fifteenth Anniversary of 9/11
Like many of us, I remember exactly where I was when the twin towers fell on 9/11 – standing in Fire Alarm with now-retired Bristol Fire Chief Dave Sylvaria, watching the tragedy unfold on live television. I don’t recall exactly…
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BLOG: Ocean State Rising — What Climate Change Means for Lil’ Rhody
My first serious introduction to the topic of climate change came in 2006 with former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary film, An Inconvenient Truth. At the time, I recall that Gore’s warnings were disturbing yet seemed theoretical and distant in an era…
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BLOG: What’s The Worst That Could Happen?
When veteran American Airlines pilot Bryce McCormick first examined McDonnell-Douglas’s new DC-10 airliner in March of 1972, he expressed immediate concern over its hydraulic-only flight controls. (Previous generations of commercial aircraft had always featured manual backup systems.) So confident were McDonnell-Douglas…
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New Mentoring Opportunity
In January 2017, RIAEM’s Professional Development Committee will launch a new mentorship program that pairs new emergency managers with seasoned professionals. This one-year program will provide mentees with hands-on experience in different areas of emergency management. By the end of…
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Professional Certification Process Updated
The Rhode Island Association of Emergency Managers has recently updated its Professional Certification Program (PCP) to more closely align with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) certification process. Completion of state certification is an important step in the credentialing…
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