September 2021 – By PARENTS WITH PREPAREDNESS MAGAZINE
Written by Jim Johnson
On September 11, 2001, FDNY’s Thomas Richardson and Richard Blatus were Battalion Chiefs working in different areas of New York who had only recently gotten to know each other despite being sworn in on the same day more than 20 years earlier.
Two decades later, the FDNY’s Chief of the Department Richardson and Assistant Chief of Operations Blatus have ascended to the pinnacle of the department’s leadership and are close friends, and each have sons – Thomas John (TJ) Richardson and Michael (Mike) Blatus.
These sons have recently chosen to follow their fathers’ legacy by joining the FDNY, albeit in different roles than their dads.
Both Richardson and Blatus survived 9/11, when so many of their FDNY fellows did not, largely by circumstance of duty assignment or schedule.
Richardson, working at an outer borough firehouse, was off that day and did not arrive at Ground Zero until September 12.
(The Chief of Operations for the Fire Department, City of New York Thomas J. Richardson discusses the commitment to service of police and fireman following 9-11 Tribute ceremony at the Brooklyn Wall of Remembrance on Sept. 10, 2020. Courtesy of Ken Kraetzer and YouTube. Posted on Sep 11, 2020.)
Blatus was working at FDNY headquarters just across the Brooklyn Bridge from the World Trade Center in Manhattan but took his 9-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, to a specialist to treat a minor schoolyard injury and arrived at Ground Zero shortly after the collapse of the north tower.
Blatus said his boss, Chief Peter Ganci, and many of his friends and colleagues who responded to the terrorist attacks at the Twin Towers were killed, and knows he would have likely been among them had it not been for his daughter’s injury.
In a submission for the Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s 9/11 20th anniversary commemoration publication, Blatus described the devastation at Ground Zero in the immediate aftermath of the Twin Towers collapses, including the loss of most FDNY command staff, several special operations officers, and the attempts by top fire officials to regroup and locate hundreds of missing firefighters.
The final death toll of firefighters lost was 343, a staggering number leaving generations of grief for families and colleagues.
Richardson said he and Blatus were charged, along with others, to fill in for the special operations chiefs who perished, and they worked for months afterward in rescue and recovery at Ground Zero.
They were also charged with stepping into the FDNY leadership void in the years after the 9/11 attacks, and Blatus said those leaders who survived 9/11 “rose to the top.”
(Learn More. Peter Ganci of Brooklyn was the highest-ranking New York City firefighter to die on September 11th. Chris Wragge talks to two of his two sons, Pete and Chris, who are now FDNY firefighters and remember their father’s bravery every day. Courtesy of CBS News and YouTube. Posted on Sep 7, 2011.)
Continue reading… FDNY: FATHERS AND SONS, A LEGACY PASSED ALONG
Preparedness Without Paranoia
PWPORG (Preparedness Without Paranoia) is a 501(c)(3) built by law enforcement and security industry practitioners and educators to provide educational resources to kids, families and communities on safety and emergency preparedness.
Emerging as a result of hands-on experience through Kiernan Group Holdings’ community-based trainings on active shooter prevention and workplace violence, and the realization that kids are often spoken around but not directly to about safety and security.
As our nation continues to see increasing reports of violence in schools, public spaces, and even places of worship, these expert practitioners saw an important gap in resources and educational opportunities to meet the needs of our youngest and most vulnerable populations – our children.
Guided by Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, a 29-year veteran of Federal Law Enforcement, previously serving as the Assistant Director for the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), PWP designed an age appropriate series of activity books, games and puzzles for kids 4-8 to introduce skills that when learned and practiced – will last for a lifetime.
PWPORG also launched a companion digital magazine (Parents With Preparedness) to provide practical information with easy access to national level resources.
Parents With Preparedness Magazine is a FREE digital magazine filled with commonsense strategies, powerful interviews, authoritative articles, life stories, and resources to create a dialogue to educate, inform, and share best practices about preparedness and resiliency for families and communities.
Through the following efforts to name but a few, PWPORG is taking action to provide guidance and information directly to those oftentimes most in need, to navigate through the unthinkable.
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Social media initiatives on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram
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PWPORG’s partnership with the Washington DC Police Foundation
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Promoting reading circles with Police Officers and other First Responders
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Providing downloadable FREE resources on website: The ABC’s of Preparedness and other curated resources
How to Get Involved
Be a Superhero, Make a Donation and Make a Difference
PWPORG is accepting charitable, donations, contributions and corporate/agency sponsorships to provide Safety and Emergency Preparedness Training to children’s groups in your community.
Please consider taking action to provide educational resources to kids, their families, and their communities today.
Every donation will make a difference and all donations go towards developing new children’s books, parental resources, and educational content.
Become an author of change that can forever enhance the life of a child! Visit pwporg.org/contribute
Are you a parent, caregiver, first responder, or educator who would like to contribute your experience, strength, hope and expertise in an upcoming edition of Parents With Preparedness magazine?
If so, also visit pwporg.org/contribute and sign up to be an author of change!
Check out Parents with Preparedness Magazine for More Free Resources for You and Your Family!
Republished with permission by PWPORG.ORG.
FDNY’s Thomas Richardson and Richard Blatus Nominated in 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program
American Security Today’s ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards program is today in its Sixth Year and continues to recognize the Outstanding Innovations of top firms and agencies in the Homeland Security and Public Safety fields.
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
American Security Today is pleased to announce TSA Administrator David Pekoske, will join the organization as a featured speaker at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Presentation Luncheon, on November 18, 2021 at ISC East in New York City.
“On the heels of an unprecedented global pandemic, continued unrest in our cities and potentially catastrophic cyberattacks on our nations critical infrastructure, the focus of the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon will be on the latest, state-of-the-art innovations that are driving investments in new public security and safety technologies and systems,” said AST Editorial and Managing Director Tammy Waitt.
“As a recognized expert in crisis management, strategic planning, innovation and aviation, surface transportation and maritime security, David Pekoske’s message highlighting his top priorities and challenges for the TSA based on his years of wide-ranging experience will be critical to our attendees internalizing the critical nature of these escalating challenges, and realizing innovative new approaches to meet them.”
The 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by AMAROK, Fortior Solutions and SIMS Software, along with Returning Premier Sponsors ATI Systems, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, and Reed Exhibitions.
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
Comprehensive List of Categories Include:
| Access Control/ Identification | Personal/Protective Equipment | Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism |
| Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System | Interagency Interdiction Operation | Cloud Computing/Storage Solution |
| Facial/IRIS Recognition | Body Worn Video Product | Cyber Security |
| Video Surveillance/VMS | Mobile Technology | Anti-Malware |
| Audio Analytics | Disaster Preparedness | ID Management |
| Thermal/Infrared Camera | Mass Notification System | Fire & Safety |
| Metal/Weapon Detection | Rescue Operations | Critical Infrastructure |
| License Plate Recognition | Detection Products | And Many Others! |
| COVID Innovations | And Many Others! |
Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?
With the unprecedented occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of the safety and security industries has realized the need to increase innovations to address the daily growing challenges.
As such AST aims to make sure these firms and professionals are reflected in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, so we’d like to encourage you to submit appropriate categories recommendations and include COVID-19 Frontline Professionals in your Nominations to see that these Professionals, Facilities, and Vendors receive the Recognition they Deserve!
Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
Register for the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Luncheon Today
At ISC East 2021 you with the opportunity to interact with a broad array of security industry professionals.
ISC East works closely with other businesses in the security and public safety space to help bring together the Northeast’s largest security trade show each year.
In collaboration with premier sponsor SIA (Security Industry Association) and in partnership with ASIS NYC, ISC East is proud to work with and be supported by various associations, trade publications, charities, and more.
Therefore, the ISC audience of security dealers, installers, integrators, consultants, corporate, government and law enforcement/first responder practitioners will be joined by the ASIS NYC audience of major corporate managerial-through-director-level national and global security executives.
The combination of one-on-one conversations with the industry’s top innovators, integrators and security executives, special events, high-quality education and training, and strong support from industry associations, will allow attendees to learn and evaluate solutions from leading security exhibitors and brands.
Your ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon registration includes complimentary attendee access to ISC East – Thank take advantage of this exclusive luncheon opportunity to take a break from the show – Invite your team, guests, clients and show visitors to a lovely and affordable plated meal event in the heart of New York City, for a fabulous networking opportunity!
Go to https://americansecuritytoday.com/product/awards-luncheon/ to secure your seat or reserve a table.
***Limited space available so Register Today. There will be no on-site registrations.
Why American Security Today?
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.
American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.
Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications
The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.
‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’
AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.
Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.
AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
To learn more about the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, Check Out the New 2020 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2020 ‘A Year in Review’.
The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.
It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2020 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION has what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.
It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
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For a complete list of 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, click here.
For more information on All Things American Security Today, and the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:
- Provides named sources
- Reported by more than one notable outlet
- Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos
Subscribe to the AST Daily News Alert Here.
Learn More…
PWPORG Seeking Superheroes to Help Children in Our Communities
