Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee
Committee Overview
The Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Committee examines issues related to emergency first responders and the preparation by governments and organizations for potential manmade and environmental emergencies. The work of the committee is devoted to a broad range of topics, including volunteer firefighters, police, community resiliency, and emergency coordination.
Summary of Current Initiatives
Future of Policing
In 2017, the committee decided to examine the future of policing. To supplement the committee’s deliberations, the Institute is researching best practices in policing and meeting with police officers across the region to discuss the important issues facing police officers in Southwestern Pennsylvania both now and in the future. The result of the committee’s work will be a community forum for local government officials, police officers, and regional stakeholders to have a conversation about policing best practices and resolving issues facing law enforcement.
Ongoing and/or Completed Projects
Community Resilience
In March 2014, the committee met to identify a potential topic for 2014 and beyond. After reviewing several options, the committee determined that community resilience provided the best opportunity to make meaningful change in the region. In September 2014, Anita Chandra of RAND spoke at the Institute's Elected Officials Retreat about the community resilience model she helped to develop for the county of Los Angeles.
Given the recent grant award received by the City of Pittsburgh to implement a chief resilience officer, the committee will continue to evaluate its role in developing a community resilience model in the region.
Volunteer Firefighter Recruitment and Retention
In 2011, the committee hosted a forum on volunteer firefighter recruitment and retention. In conjunction with that event, the committee also developed several "Best Practices in Recruitment and Retention" tools and made them available to forum attendees as well as legislators in the area. The tools are designed to help educate municipal officials, volunteer fire departments, and the public about the situation facing volunteer fire departments in the region and how the declining enrollment can be mitigated.
Memberships
The Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee is chaired by:
- G. Reynolds Clark, Former Vice Chancellor, Community Initiatives and Chief of Staff, University of Pittsburgh
Click here for a complete list of committee members.
The Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee is carefully crafted to be balanced and represent a variety of stakeholders. However, we occasionally have spots available for members in certain sectors who may be underrepresented on the committee. Please contact Briana Mihok at 412-624-7792 or bnd2@pitt.edu if you have an interest in serving as a member.
Publications
The following publications issued by the Institute are related to the focus areas of the Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee:
- Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Improving Incarceration Policies and Practices in Allegheny County (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2016)
- Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Courts and Probation (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2016)
- Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Jail (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2016)
- Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Law Enforcement (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2016)
- Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Pretrial Decisions (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2016)
- Criminal Justice in the 21st Century: Allegheny County Prosecution and Defense (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2016)
- Public Officials Emergency Resource Guide - Update (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2009)
- Bruce Barron and Judy Feldman, Can the Correctional System Live Up to Its Name? Offender Rehabilitation in America (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2009)
- Public Officials Emergency Resource Guide (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2006)
- Public Officials Emergency Resource Guide - Pocket Guide (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2006)
- Hurricane Katrina: A Community's Response to a National Disaster (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2006)
- Flight 93: Policy Considerations for Emergency Preparedness in Pennsylvania (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2005)
- Louise Comfort and Carrie Miller, Decision-Making Under Uncertainty: The Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident from Multiple Perspectives (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2004)
- Louise Comfort and Carrie Miller, Safety vs. Technology in High Risk Environments: Trade-offs in Public Policy Decision-Making (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2004)
- Louise Comfort and Carrie Miller, The Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident: Continuing Policy Issues, Dilemmas, and Strategies (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 2003)
- Gangs and Youth Violence Forum (University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, 1994)