To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. A BETTER WAY OF BUYING your backup? How else will you get ice replenished? The due diligence needs to be done up front. You need to peek behind the curtain.” Critical private sector collaboration UMUC HOMELAND SECURITY PROJECTED JOB GROWTH: 23% OVER THE NEXT DEC ADE. Global uncertainty and billions of federal stimulus dollars are creating thousands of jobs in homeland security. Be ready by enrolling in an undergraduate or graduate program in homeland security from University of Maryland University College (UMUC). UMUC’s unique curriculum goes beyond the hypothetical to provide practical, cutting-edge instruction. Enroll now. Call 800-888-UMUC or visit umuc.edu/getahead Copyright © 2009 University of Maryland University College One other big change in preparedness, Cherry said, has been that a priority is now being placed on getting the key suppliers of the public, the local retailers, back up and in operation far more quickly. “It’s one thing to use a Publix [a Florida-based supermarket chain] parking lot as a makeshift point of distribution for government supplies,” he explained, “but far more important to have that Publix actually open. So what we’ve done is now make sure that getting the roadways that make the big stores accessible is the top priority in emergency response. In addition, we made sure all the retailers have emergency generators. Both [Department of Transportation] and the Public Utilities Commission have instituted contingency plans to get retailers online with power and clear roads.” The changes instituted in Florida are reflective of a wider trend affecting the strategies of many other states. Another state at the forefront of efforts to improve emergency preparation through more streamlined procurement processes is Texas. After Hurricane Rita in 2005, the state’s Division of Emergency Management began to implement a strategy of reaching out to large private sector retailers as planning partners in the disaster preparation process, developing relationships with a broad range of private sector channels before an incident occurs. Large retailers, including Wal-Mart, H-E-B and Home Depot, became an integral part of the state’s emergency preparation team, with retailers developing advance commitments to provide critical supplies for residents in communities affected by a catastrophic event. An interesting example of new approaches to public-private collaboration in emergency preparedness is Rx Response, a free public service that works with the American Red Cross, the departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security and state officials to share information to help support the continuing provision of medi- 38 June 2009 | Homeland Security Today Magazine This month’s issue is now available online at…