Rich Cooper

Hope For The Best, Plan For The Worst – Lessons From The Tornadoes in Oklahoma

May 22, 2013

This week, a category 5 tornado ripped through Moore, Oklahoma, leveling the suburban area with winds up to 200 mph. The ability to bounce back and re-establish normalcy as quickly as possible is critical after any disaster. For businesses, resilience is essential because of the important role the private sector plays in community recovery. Yet, not all businesses are aware of what it takes to build resilience into their operations or why it is so important.

When Daily Business Stops – The Cost of the Boston Bombings

Rich Cooper |

April 24, 2013

As the Boston area recovers from the tragic and unprecedented events of the past week, the lessons learned will be far reaching. Emergency management professionals, like their counterparts in law enforcement, are pretty good culturally at pulling together “after-action” reports that chronicle what they did right and what they can do better next time. Those lessons learned will offer new chapters to study and consider in terms of planning and preparations for any future incidents of this magnitude but in terms of the private sector, there are a number of lessons learned that need to be studied as well.

A Failure to Communicate – DHS Ignores Stakeholders with 2014 Budget

Rich Cooper |

April 12, 2013

If you want to have a successful relationship in anything, communications are critical. I have to wonder if DHS really cares about its relationships with anyone. The department’s communications with just about everyone are lacking of late, and this is seen most clearly in the way DHS recently rolled out its newest budget submission. It seems like DHS has little-to-no interest in telling the public how they want to spend taxpayer dollars.

Failing Infrastructure in America

Rich Cooper |

March 27, 2013

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has released its latest report card on U.S. infrastructure, and the country again received poor marks across the board. Here is a piece I wrote for Defense Media Network about the continuing problems plaguing America’s infrastructure.

DHS' 10th Anniversary – A Neverending Mission and the Threat Within It

Rich Cooper |

March 1, 2013

A lot can change in a decade, but as the Department of Homeland Security celebrates its 10th anniversary, its unchanging mission is something that should be applauded, but in other ways should be of even greater concern. Along the way there have been problems, but lessons have been public, have been learned, and have been applied, at some times better than at others. Tom Ridge’s original credo of “You cannot protect the country from inside the Beltway,” remains true today.

Interview With Tom Ridge – The Columbia Accident

Rich Cooper |

February 19, 2013

Ten years ago this month, NASA and the world lost seven brave explorers when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry. While the Department of Homeland Security was not stood up until a month later, the Columbia disaster was the first event to which the fledgling agency responded. I recently spoke with the first DHS Secretary, Tom Ridge, about lessons learned from the Columbia accident and what it taught him about how the nation responds to unforeseen circumstances.

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano for President?

Rich Cooper |

February 10, 2013

Almost as soon as the 2012 presidential election wrapped up, pundits and reporters began speculating about likely candidates for the White House in 2016. Among the names tossed around inside and outside the Beltway is Janet Napolitano, the current DHS Secretary. Sec. Napolitano may at first glance seem an unlikely choice for the presidency, but in fact, her past work makes her a strong candidate for the highest office in the land.

Thank you, Tom Ridge – 10 Years later

Rich Cooper |

January 25, 2013

Ten years can go by in a blink. A decade ago, a man who resigned the governorship of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (a certainly safe and stable position) raised his right hand and swore an oath to lead and assemble a confederation of singular government units with separate missions to serve a singular one – protect the homeland. His name was Tom Ridge.

Peter King’s Rage and Why You Should be Torqued too

Rich Cooper |

January 2, 2013

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) is mad as hell. Joining him in his anger are the congressional delegations from New York and New Jersey, who are enraged at the last minute maneuvering by House Speaker John Boehner to not act upon a $27 billion dollar aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy. New York and New Jersey members had been shepherding the package through legislative processes for weeks, but when it came time to vote, some of the legislators in the nation’s capitol literally walked away. It’s no wonder Congress has the dismal approval rating it does.

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