Daniel Kaniewski’s publications

2025

The Disaster-Resilient Building Codes We Need. Governing. September 10, 2025.

Kaniewski argues that Florida's statewide building code demonstrates how modern hazard-resistant standards can save lives, prevent losses, and strengthen communities nationwide.

Testimony on the Future of FEMA: Perspectives from the Emergency Management Community. U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. March 4, 2025.

Kaniewski urges Congress to treat FEMA as the nation's risk manager by preserving mitigation, clarifying shared responsibilities, and rewarding communities that reduce risk before disasters.

2024

Opinion: Americans Don’t Have Enough in the Bank to Weather Unrelenting Disasters. CNN. July 28, 2024.

Kaniewski warns that inadequate household savings and insurance leave many Americans financially exposed to disasters and calls for greater financial preparedness before losses occur.

Minnesota North Commencement Address. LinkedIn. May 16, 2024.

Kaniewski recounts lessons from his path from a local firehouse to the White House and FEMA, encouraging graduates to seek mentors, embrace opportunity, and serve others.

Testimony on Reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program: Local Perspectives on Challenges and Solutions. U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. January 25, 2024.

Kaniewski emphasizes that federal flood insurance is essential but must be paired with state, local, and household action to reduce risk and strengthen flood resilience.

2023

Building a Climate-Resilient Future. Marsh McLennan. December 1, 2023. (contributor)

This report identifies five priorities through which the global insurance industry can reduce climate losses, narrow the protection gap, and make adaptation central to business strategy.

Remembering an Emergency Management Titan: Jerome Hauer. Homeland Security Today. October 20, 2023.

Kaniewski honors Jerome Hauer's influential leadership in emergency management, public health preparedness, and homeland security.

Resilience Incentivization Roadmap 2.0. National Institute of Building Sciences. September 2, 2023. (report editor and chair, Committee on Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate)

As report editor and committee chair, Kaniewski helps set out a roadmap for aligning finance, insurance, real estate, government, and property-owner incentives around flood resilience, including certification and pilot programs.

Building Confidence in the Future: Towards a Framework for Measuring National Resilience. Marsh McLennan and the National Preparedness Commission. August 2023. (contributor)

The report proposes a practical framework for measuring national resilience so governments and businesses can direct policy, investment, and accountability toward better preparedness outcomes.

Resilience Incentives Advance. LinkedIn. June 26, 2023.

Kaniewski describes progress toward developing incentives that align the interests of insurers, lenders, real estate owners, and governments around resilience investment.

Disaster Resilience Is a Trillion-Dollar Challenge. Here’s What FEMA Can Do to Help. National Institute of Building Sciences blog. January 17, 2023.

Kaniewski argues that FEMA can help meet the nation's enormous disaster-resilience challenge by using policy, programs, and incentives to reward risk reduction before disasters.

2022

NIBS Committee on Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate Kicks Off Resilience Incentives Study. LinkedIn. November 29, 2022.

Kaniewski introduces a National Institute of Building Sciences study examining how finance, insurance, and real estate incentives can accelerate investments in disaster resilience.

Disaster Recovery: Actions Needed to Improve the Federal Approach. U.S. Government Accountability Office. November 15, 2022. (expert panel member and contributor)

As a member of GAO’s expert panel, Kaniewski contributed to the report’s assessment of 11 options for reducing fragmentation, improving coordination, incentivizing resilience, and making federal disaster recovery more effective and equitable.

The Disasters That Define Us. LinkedIn. November 15, 2022.

Kaniewski reflects on the defining lessons of major disasters and explains how those experiences should shape future emergency-management leadership and preparedness.

Cyber Disaster Risks Are Mounting. BRINK. June 2, 2022.

Kaniewski warns that cyberattacks can create disaster-scale consequences and calls for cyber risk to be integrated into emergency management, resilience planning, and insurance.

Building Resilient Communities by Incentivizing Investments. LinkedIn. January 11, 2022.

Kaniewski calls for financial, insurance, and public-policy incentives that reward property owners and communities for investing in measures that reduce disaster losses.

2021

Partnering with Purpose: Strengthening National-Level Resilience in the UK Through More Dynamic Public-Private Interactions. National Preparedness Commission and Marsh McLennan. November 2021. (contributor)

The report recommends more dynamic public-private collaboration in the United Kingdom to connect national resilience policy with operational capabilities, investment, and shared responsibility.

A Resilience Framework for the Future. Security Magazine. October 4, 2021.

Kaniewski presents preparedness, mitigation, and insurance as mutually reinforcing pillars of a durable framework for future resilience.

FEMA Could Be America’s Climate Adaptation Agency—What Is the Biden Administration Waiting For? BRINK. August 16, 2021.

Kaniewski argues that FEMA should become a leading climate-adaptation agency by expanding mitigation, strengthening building standards, and aligning public and private incentives.

When a 100-Year Disaster Strikes. BRINK. February 22, 2021.

Kaniewski explains how increasingly frequent extreme events challenge the idea of a rare hundred-year disaster and require stronger public-private preparedness and risk management.

2020

Building Financial Resilience for Pandemics. The Insurer. November 25, 2020.

Kaniewski advocates a public-private approach to pandemic risk that combines private insurance capacity with a government backstop for losses too systemic for the market to absorb alone.

Where Does the Defense Production Act Go from Here? Defense One. November 24, 2020.

Kaniewski recommends modernizing and clarifying use of the Defense Production Act so government and industry can mobilize critical supplies more effectively during national emergencies.

The Value of Disaster Planning Outweighs Its Cost—Sixfold. BRINK. November 19, 2020.

Kaniewski explains that investments in hazard mitigation can return several times their cost through avoided casualties, property damage, and economic disruption.

Final Report of the Economic Security Subcommittee. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Advisory Council. November 2020. (subcommittee member and collective contributor)

As a member of the Economic Security Subcommittee, Kaniewski contributed to recommendations for strengthening DHS’s role in economic security, including supply-chain intelligence, institutional leadership, and public-private coordination.

FEMA’s 20-Year Record of Hazard Mitigation and Opportunities for the Future. LinkedIn. October 30, 2020.

Kaniewski reviews two decades of FEMA hazard-mitigation achievements and identifies opportunities to strengthen sustained investment before disasters occur.

Building National Resilience in a Rapidly Evolving Risk Environment. LinkedIn. June 9, 2020.

Kaniewski outlines how shared risk awareness, coordinated capabilities, and public-private investment can build national resilience in a rapidly changing threat environment.

Pandemic Risk Protection: The Role of Government. LinkedIn. June 4, 2020.

Kaniewski argues that government must provide a financial backstop for catastrophic pandemic risk while preserving a meaningful role for private insurers.

Hurricane Season Has Started, but FEMA Is Tied Up with Coronavirus. BRINK. June 1, 2020.

Kaniewski warns that simultaneous hurricane and pandemic response demands could strain FEMA and calls for advance planning for concurrent disasters.

How Will Climate Catastrophes Be Handled in the Face of Coronavirus? BRINK. May 13, 2020.

Kaniewski examines how pandemic conditions complicate evacuation, sheltering, staffing, and disaster response during climate-related catastrophes.

Building National Resilience: Aligning Mindsets, Capabilities, and Investment. Marsh & McLennan. May 2020. (with Richard Smith-Bingham and Alex Wittenberg)

The report offers a national resilience framework that aligns public and private mindsets, operational capabilities, and long-term investment around shared risks.

A ‘Whole of America’ Response. The Hill. April 12, 2020.

Kaniewski calls for a whole-of-America pandemic response that coordinates federal, state, local, private-sector, and community capabilities.

Coronavirus Is a Disaster. Why Hasn’t FEMA Been Brought In? Politico. March 10, 2020.

Kaniewski argues that COVID-19 met the definition of a national disaster and that FEMA should have been given a central coordinating role in the federal response.

2019

Building a Culture of Cyber Preparedness. FEMA. October 28, 2019.

Kaniewski urges governments, businesses, and individuals to treat cyber preparedness as a shared responsibility and incorporate it into routine emergency planning.

Prepared, Not Scared. FEMA. September 19, 2019.

Kaniewski encourages Americans to replace fear with practical preparedness by understanding risks, making plans, and taking achievable steps before emergencies.

FEMA Guest Column: Insurance, Savings Help Us Get Past Disasters. Beaumont Enterprise. August 5, 2019.

Kaniewski explains how insurance and emergency savings help families recover more quickly and reduce dependence on post-disaster assistance.

Americans Need to Start Saving for a Rainy Day. The Hill. July 30, 2019.

Kaniewski argues that household emergency savings are a basic component of national disaster resilience and should be encouraged alongside insurance and mitigation.

Strengthening Our Nation’s Resilience for Disasters Is a Top FEMA Priority. Fox News. May 23, 2019.

Kaniewski outlines FEMA's priority of strengthening resilience before hurricane season through preparedness, mitigation, insurance, and shared responsibility.

Testimony on Disaster Preparedness: DRRA Implementation and FEMA Readiness. U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. May 22, 2019.

Kaniewski reports on implementation of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act and FEMA's operational readiness for the 2019 hurricane season.

FEMA Readiness Dispatch: Is Your Community Financially Prepared for Disaster? Homeland Security Today. April 26, 2019.

Kaniewski explains how communities can improve financial resilience through planning, insurance, reserves, and an understanding of their disaster risks.

2018

Financial Preparedness Pays. FEMA. October 16, 2018.

Kaniewski shows how financial preparedness by households and businesses can shorten recovery and reduce the broader costs of disasters.

Testimony on Using Innovative Technology and Practices to Enhance the Culture of Preparedness. U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications. July 25, 2018.

Kaniewski describes how technology, data, exercises, and public-private partnerships can strengthen a nationwide culture of preparedness.

Building a Resilient Nation. FEMA. June 4, 2018.

Kaniewski calls for resilience to become a shared national priority supported by mitigation, modern building practices, insurance, and coordinated community action.

Investing in Mitigation to Build a More Resilient Nation. FEMA. January 11, 2018.

Kaniewski argues that investing in mitigation before disasters is more effective and economical than repeatedly paying for avoidable damage afterward.

2017

Testimony at the Nomination Hearing for Deputy Administrator for Protection and National Preparedness, FEMA. U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. September 12, 2017.

Kaniewski presents his qualifications and priorities for FEMA, emphasizing locally led preparedness, realistic risk communication, mitigation, and proactive federal support.

2016

Why We Need a National Security Transition Plan for the Next Administration. The Daily Signal. January 21, 2016.

Kaniewski calls for a disciplined national-security transition plan so an incoming administration can maintain continuity, preserve institutional knowledge, and act quickly on emerging threats.

3 Reasons Why Obama Shouldn’t Claim Victory Over Ebola Response. The Daily Signal. January 13, 2016.

Kaniewski argues that progress against Ebola did not justify declaring victory while transmission risks, weak health systems, and preparedness gaps remained.

2015

2015 Annual Report: A Look at the District’s Preparedness Level in Addressing a Potential Pandemic Incident. District of Columbia Homeland Security Commission. December 2015. (commissioner and collective contributor)

As a commissioner, Kaniewski contributed to the Commission’s assessment of the District’s pandemic preparedness and recommendations to strengthen planning, coordination, public-health capacity, and continuity.

The Lessons We Must Learn From Paris. The Daily Signal. November 24, 2015.

Kaniewski draws lessons from the Paris attacks for intelligence sharing, local preparedness, crisis coordination, and sustained vigilance against terrorism.

How the NYPD Works to Counter Terror Threats. The Daily Signal. November 20, 2015.

Kaniewski examines the New York Police Department's intelligence-led counterterrorism practices as a model for detecting threats and protecting a major city.

How Local Emergency Managers Have Responded to the Paris Terror Attacks. The Daily Signal. November 16, 2015.

Kaniewski describes how local emergency managers responded to the Paris attacks through heightened awareness, interagency coordination, and reviews of security plans.

The Passing of Homeland Security Visionary Mike Wermuth. The Daily Signal. November 6, 2015.

Kaniewski pays tribute to Mike Wermuth's lasting contributions to homeland-security policy, preparedness, and the development of a new professional community after September 11.

Former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly Was Right to Defend Police Tactics. The Daily Signal. October 21, 2015.

Kaniewski defends Ray Kelly's record of data-driven policing and counterterrorism while emphasizing the continuing importance of effective and accountable police practices.

Why VA Police Thought an Active Shooter Drill Was Real. The Daily Signal. October 15, 2015.

Kaniewski uses confusion surrounding an active-shooter exercise to show why realistic drills require clear planning, safeguards, and communication among all participating organizations.

States of Emergency. The Daily Signal. October 8, 2015.

Kaniewski reflects on how state emergency managers prepare for simultaneous hazards and coordinate resources when evolving events threaten multiple jurisdictions.

A Political Wager on Flood Control. The Hill. October 8, 2015.

Kaniewski criticizes short-term political approaches to flood control that underinvest in mitigation and leave communities and taxpayers exposed to preventable losses.

What the Obama Administration Still Hasn’t Learned From the Ebola Crisis. The Daily Signal. April 29, 2015.

Kaniewski argues that the Ebola response still had not produced an honest assessment of preparedness failures or the reforms needed for future outbreaks.

The Ebola Outbreak of 2013–2014: An Assessment of U.S. Actions. The Heritage Foundation. April 24, 2015.

The report assesses United States actions during the Ebola outbreak and recommends stronger leadership, coordination, health-system capacity, and preparedness for biological threats.

2014

Ebola Preparedness: Yearning for Yesteryear. The Daily Signal. October 31, 2014.

Kaniewski argues that the Ebola crisis exposed an erosion of national biodefense preparedness and calls for stronger leadership and coordination modeled on earlier practices.

Dysfunctional Oversight Undermines Security. The Hill. October 2, 2014.

Kaniewski contends that fragmented congressional oversight of homeland security weakens accountability, wastes resources, and hampers the Department of Homeland Security's mission.

2013 Annual Report: Cybersecurity. District of Columbia Homeland Security Commission. January 1, 2014.

The commission reviews cyber threats facing the District of Columbia and recommends stronger governance, information sharing, preparedness, and protection of critical systems.

2013

The Resilient Social Network: @OccupySandy #SuperstormSandy. Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute. September 30, 2013.

The study examines how Occupy Sandy used social networks to organize grassroots relief after Superstorm Sandy and identifies lessons for official emergency-management partnerships.

2012

Next Generation Homeland Security: Network Federalism and the Course to National Preparedness. John Fass Morton, Naval Institute Press, 2012, pp. 149–151.

Kaniewski's contribution describes network federalism as a collaborative model linking governments, nonprofits, communities, and businesses to improve national preparedness.

Public Health and Emergency Management: Challenges and Opportunities. Homeland Security Policy Institute. June 7, 2012. (with Raphael Barishansky, Marko Bourne, Darrell Darnell, Robert Kadlec, John Paczkowski, Peter Roman, and Adam Thiel)

The report identifies opportunities to better integrate public health and emergency management through joint planning, shared information, training, and coordinated leadership.

A Preparedness Wake-Up Call for Cyprus. Security Debrief. March 21, 2012.

Kaniewski uses Cyprus's crisis experience as a warning that governments must prepare for foreseeable emergencies before institutional and infrastructure failures compound a disaster.

Risks Abound at Home and Abroad. Security Debrief. January 19, 2012.

Kaniewski surveys significant risks at home and abroad and argues for sustained preparedness despite uncertainty about which threat will materialize next.

2011

Operationalizing Resilience: A Systems-Based Approach Emphasizing Risk Management Is Required. Homeland Security Policy Institute. October 13, 2011. (with R. David Paulison and Michael Balboni)

The report recommends a systems-based, risk-management approach that translates resilience from an abstract goal into measurable policies, capabilities, and investment decisions.

The Gordian Knot of Disaster Funding. Security Debrief. September 25, 2011.

Kaniewski explains how federal disaster-financing rules can discourage local risk reduction and calls for incentives that reward preparedness and mitigation.

Preparedness, Response, and Resilience Task Force Comments on the Draft National Preparedness Goal. Homeland Security Policy Institute. September 6, 2011. (with R. David Paulison and Michael Balboni)

The task force recommends that the National Preparedness Goal be risk-based, measurable, outcome-oriented, and grounded in whole-community responsibility.

Preparedness, Response, and Resilience Task Force Interim Report on Resilience. Homeland Security Policy Institute. May 16, 2011. (with R. David Paulison and Michael Balboni)

The interim report defines national resilience and recommends policies that connect preparedness, response, recovery, infrastructure, and public-private collaboration.

White Swan at the Waterfront. Security Debrief. April 29, 2011.

Kaniewski uses a foreseeable waterfront hazard to argue that low-probability but high-consequence risks deserve sustained attention and advance planning.

Clear and Present Dangers. Security Debrief. April 28, 2011.

Kaniewski highlights evolving homeland-security threats and the need for integrated risk assessment, situational awareness, and preparedness across sectors.

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned or Lessons Observed? George Washington University doctoral dissertation. 2011.

Kaniewski examines whether reforms after Hurricane Katrina reflected genuine institutional learning or merely documented lessons without durable implementation.

2010

Critical Lessons from the Federal Response to the Gulf Oil Crisis. Heritage Foundation WebMemo No. 2980. August 9, 2010. (with James Carafano)

Kaniewski and Carafano identify leadership, coordination, preparedness, and accountability lessons from the federal response to the Gulf oil spill.

The Gulf Oil Disaster: Three Steps to Federal Leadership. Homeland Security Policy Institute Commentary. July 7, 2010. (with R. David Paulison)

Kaniewski and Paulison recommend three immediate steps to strengthen federal leadership and establish clearer command and coordination during the Gulf oil disaster.

Flooded With Help—but Still Flailing. Homeland Security Policy Institute Commentary. June 24, 2010. (with James Carafano)

Kaniewski and Carafano argue that an abundance of personnel and resources cannot substitute for unified leadership, defined missions, and effective incident coordination.

Congress Should Consider Its Own Failures in Attempted Bombing. Roll Call. February 19, 2010.

Kaniewski argues that Congress should examine how fragmented oversight and policy failures contributed to weaknesses revealed by the attempted airline bombing.

No Longer on Auto-Pilot: Aviation Security and Intelligence Reform. Homeland Security Policy Institute Commentary. January 8, 2010. (with W. Ralph Basham, Sharon L. Cardash, and Frank J. Cilluffo)

The commentary calls for intelligence-driven, risk-based aviation security reforms that connect threat information more effectively to screening and operational decisions.

2009

Metro’s Crash Reveals Gains in Preparedness. The Washington Post. June 28, 2009.

Kaniewski argues that the response to the Washington Metro crash demonstrated important preparedness gains while underscoring the need for continued investment and learning.

The Homeland Security Council: Considerations for the Future. Homeland Security Policy Institute Task Force Report. April 1, 2009. (with Frank J. Cilluffo and the Homeland Security Council Task Force members)

The task force examines the future of the Homeland Security Council and recommends preserving strong White House coordination of homeland-security policy and crisis management.

Testimony on Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act Implementation: An Examination of FEMA’s Preparedness and Response Mission. U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response. March 17, 2009.

Kaniewski evaluates implementation of post-Katrina FEMA reforms and the agency's preparedness and response mission, authorities, resources, and relationships with state and local partners.

Serving America’s Disaster Victims: Where Does FEMA Fit? Homeland Security Policy Institute. January 13, 2009. (with Frank J. Cilluffo, Jan P. Lane, Gregg C. Lord, and Laura P. Keith)

The issue brief examines FEMA's proper role in disaster management and recommends clearer responsibilities and stronger coordination across federal, state, local, and private organizations.

2008

Not Your Father’s FEMA. The Washington Times. September 10, 2008.

Kaniewski explains how post-Katrina reforms reshaped FEMA and argues that the agency must sustain stronger preparedness, professional capability, and integration with its partners.

2007

The National Strategy for Homeland Security. The White House. October 2007.

The strategy establishes a national framework for preventing terrorism, securing borders and critical infrastructure, strengthening preparedness, and building resilience through shared responsibility.

2006

The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned. The White House. February 2006.

The White House report identifies failures in the Hurricane Katrina response and recommends reforms to planning, command, communications, logistics, and intergovernmental coordination.

2005

Back to the Future: An Agenda for Federal Leadership of Emergency Medical Services. Homeland Security Policy Institute Task Force Report. May 2, 2005.

The task force calls for stronger federal leadership of emergency medical services, including a dedicated national advocate and improvements in funding, data, training, and coordination.

A Doomsday Priority. The Washington Times. April 6, 2005.

Kaniewski argues that preparation for catastrophic attacks and mass-casualty events must receive sustained national priority before a worst-case scenario occurs.

2004

Consolidating the House’s Homeland Security Efforts: The Time to Act Is Now. Homeland Security Policy Institute Issue Brief. December 29, 2004. (with Frank J. Cilluffo)

Kaniewski and Cilluffo call for consolidating fragmented House homeland-security oversight into a permanent committee with clear jurisdiction and accountability.

DHS 2.0: Rethinking the Department of Homeland Security. The Heritage Foundation. December 13, 2004. (James Jay Carafano and David Heyman)

The Heritage Foundation report proposes organizational, management, border-security, intelligence, and preparedness reforms to improve the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

Commission’s Proposals Fall on Deaf Ears. Roll Call. August 16, 2004. (with Frank J. Cilluffo)

Kaniewski and Cilluffo argue that Congress was failing to act on important September 11 Commission recommendations for reforming homeland-security organization and oversight.

House Homeland Panel Needs Own Jurisdiction. Roll Call. March 9, 2004.

Kaniewski argues that the House homeland-security committee needs permanent status and its own jurisdiction to oversee the department effectively.

A Homeland Security Model to Be Emulated. Homeland Protection Professional. January/February 2004. (with Frank J. Cilluffo)

Kaniewski and Cilluffo highlight a collaborative homeland-security model that other jurisdictions could emulate to connect government, first responders, businesses, and communities.

2003

War Requires Homeland Panels’ Attention, Too. Roll Call. March 24, 2003.

Kaniewski argues that congressional homeland-security panels must remain focused on domestic preparedness and oversight even while national attention is centered on war abroad.

Post-9/11 Congressional Actions. Encyclopedia of World Terrorism. Frank G. Shanty and Raymond Picquet, eds. 2003.

The encyclopedia entry surveys major congressional actions taken after September 11 to reorganize government, strengthen security, and improve preparedness.

2002

A Response to Extremist Terrorism. Homeland Protection Professional. October 2002.

Kaniewski outlines a coordinated response to extremist terrorism that combines prevention, intelligence, preparedness, emergency response, and public engagement.

Local Emergency Response: Enduring the Rhetoric While Trying to Define Readiness. Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Bulletin. Third Quarter 2002.

Kaniewski examines the gap between national preparedness rhetoric and the resources, standards, and capabilities available to local emergency responders.

The Blame Game: More Fingers Required. Homeland Protection Professional. August 2002.

Kaniewski argues that homeland security is a shared responsibility and that assigning blame cannot replace clear roles, coordination, and preparedness across institutions.

Home Alone: Congress Needs Security Plan. The Washington Times. March 12, 2002, p. A19.

Kaniewski calls for Congress to establish a comprehensive security and continuity plan for the Capitol rather than leave its own preparedness fragmented.

America’s EMS Providers: The Unsung Heroes. Journal of Emergency Medical Services. February 2002.

Kaniewski recognizes emergency medical services personnel as essential but often overlooked contributors to public safety, disaster response, and homeland security.

Create a House Select Committee on Homeland Security. Journal of Homeland Security. February 2002.

Kaniewski calls for a House select committee to consolidate homeland-security responsibility and provide focused oversight after September 11.

1999

Bureaucratic Barriers for Consequence Management. Fire-Rescue Magazine. August 1999, p. 14.

Kaniewski identifies bureaucratic obstacles that impede consequence management and calls for clearer responsibilities and better coordination before catastrophic incidents.