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Preparedness & Resilience

Practical readiness for households, organizations, and communities without allowing preparedness to take over daily life.

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Briefing work

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Current assessments and intelligence-style work connected to this subject.

Watch Floor Brief

Ebola Returns: What Worked Last Time and What Didn’t

The return of Ebola to international headlines is a reminder that some threats never disappear; they simply fade from public attention until conditions allow them to…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Polycrisis: A System Under Strain

The current global environment is no longer defined by isolated crises. It is defined by convergence. What analysts now describe as a polycrisis is not a…

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Watch Floor Brief

The Patterns Before the Blast: What Terrorists Do Before They Strike

When people think about terrorism, they picture the moment of impact — the explosion, the gunfire, the chaos. But that moment is the final phase of…

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Watch Floor Brief

Holiday Season Threat Awareness and the Role of Public Vigilance

As the holiday season approaches, the security environment always grows more vulnerable to threat activity. Large gatherings, predictable public events, and symbolic religious observances provide both…

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Watch Floor Brief

Suicide Bomber Recognition and Response: Lessons from the EasyJet Incident

On July 27, 2025, Abhay Nayak, a 41-year-old passenger on an EasyJet flight from London to Glasgow, caused panic when he exited the lavatory mid-flight shouting…

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Watch Floor Brief

Riyadh Revisited: Lessons from a Complex Attack and Implications for Homeland Defense

On this date in 2003, a series of coordinated suicide bombings struck residential compounds in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, targeting Western nationals. Orchestrated by al-Qaeda, these attacks…

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Watch Floor Brief

Potential Threats to the Paris Olympic Games

The upcoming Paris Olympic Games, scheduled to begin on July 26th, is preparing for a host of threats. While numerous actors could potentially disrupt the Games,…

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The Commons

Put it to work

Practical guidance from The Commons for turning lessons into capability.

Commons Guide

Tabletop Exercise: Johnstown Veterans Event and Multi-Site Attack

A discussion exercise for a smaller jurisdiction focused on a veterans event, limited resources, mutual aid, hospital surge, credential verification, and a second incident.

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Commons Guide

Tabletop Exercise: Capitol Complex Multi-Site Attack

A response-focused discussion exercise for testing unified command, credential verification, mass-casualty coordination, public messaging, continuity, and a second wave of incidents.

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Commons Guide

10 Community Counterterrorism Readiness Priorities

A state-and-local readiness checklist covering communications, command, medical response, HAZMAT, hospitals, digital resilience, community expertise, private partners, and exercises.

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Commons Guide

Digital Hygiene for Law Enforcement and First Responders

A practical OPSEC brief for reducing doxxing exposure, protecting family information, hardening accounts, and responding when personal information is published online.

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Commons Guide

Recognizing a Biological Attack and What to Do

Why biological incidents can be difficult to see at first, what public-health patterns matter, and how families and communities should respond to official guidance.

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Commons Guide

Recognizing a Chemical Attack and What to Do

How to recognize a possible chemical release, create distance, reduce secondary contamination, decontaminate safely, and follow official instructions.

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Commons Guide

Recognizing the Indicators of a Possible Suicide Bomber

A public-safety brief on observable warning signs, avoiding stereotypes, creating distance, and reporting a concern without confronting the person yourself.

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Commons Guide

Family Preparedness: Start Here

The basics for an ordinary household: communication, meeting points, essential supplies, medications, documents, children, pets, and a calm plan everyone can understand.

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Commons Guide

Digital Hygiene for Americans Overseas

A practical guide to location data, app permissions, device separation, connectivity, metadata, and the habits that reduce unnecessary exposure while traveling.

Read on the site
Commons Guide

A Community Action Plan

Practical steps for neighborhood communication, schools and workplaces, wellness support, volunteer networks, local food and blood banks, medical training, and trauma kits.

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Commons Guide

Preparedness for Churches and Community Spaces

A calm framework for assessing risk, planning communications, training volunteers, working with local authorities, and supporting people after a frightening event.

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Commons Guide

Medical Readiness Before You Need It

The practical difference between a first-aid kit and a trauma kit—and the training that makes either one useful.

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Commons Guide

Sisu: Steady Strength for Difficult Days

A Nordic idea about courage, endurance, and taking the next useful step without pretending difficulty is easy.

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Commons Guide

The Last Mile of Preparedness

An expanded working paper for families and communities: communications-down planning, essential buffers, go bags, vehicles, medical readiness, chemical/biological awareness, mobility, and local relationships.

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Commons Guide

Delivered to Your Door: Ten Risks Most Americans Never Think About

Welcome to The Watch Floor. I'm glad you're here. As we get into summer, I wanted to do something a little different. Not hurricanes. Not terrorism.…

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Commons Guide

America’s 7 Blind Spots: What Comes Next?

One of the most common phrases you'll hear after a major crisis is: "Nobody could have seen this coming." I've spent much of my career studying…

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Commons Guide

Digital Hygiene Checklist

Digital Hygiene Checklist Search your name, phone number, and email online Remove your info from data broker sites (use tools like Optery, DeleteMe, or Incogni) Blur…

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Commons Guide

Uber & Lyft Hacking

Here’s links to pull materials from: https://youtu.be/OrXtioJ0C58?si=bePIqMkHmfGfkwiY https://www.uber.com/en-FR/newsroom/security-update/ https://www.wxyz.com/news/national/fake-ride-share-drivers-could-know-your-personal-information-arizona-woman-warns-after-lyft-experience Intro Today we’re diving into a growing threat you might not…

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Commons Guide

When Your Apps Turn Against You: Digital Hygiene for Americans Overseas

Consumer apps can expose more than a location. Over time, routine check-ins, fitness data, photos, rides, social posts, and account metadata can reveal patterns about where…

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Commons Guide

Misused Fire Alarms, Missed Opportunities: Rethinking School Security During the Off-Season

Wayne Black, author of School Insecurity: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Educators on School Security, lays down a hard truth: no child has died in…

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Commons Guide

Surveillance of Churches in the U.S.: Awareness, Reporting, and Security Measures

Churches across the U.S. have been experiencing a concerning trend of surveillance activities. These incidents typically involve one to four individuals entering religious establishments and attempting…

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Commons Guide

Enhancing Airport Security – Your Role in Mitigating Terrorist Threats

Terrorist threats are expected to spike this year, with groups like al-Qaeda continuing to prioritize aviation and crowded spaces. Suicide vests remain a favored method of…

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