Public Safety & Government Correspondent

Samuel Okonkwo

Samuel Okonkwo reports on the officials and practitioners behind public safety and emergency response, from local government to homeland security. He is interested in how institutions prepare for the worst day and who does that work well.

Covers Homeland security, emergency management, public sector MPA Washington, DC

Stories by Samuel Okonkwo

Public Safety & Government

How to Run a Tabletop Exercise (and Why Drills Matter)

How to run a tabletop exercise to test your emergency plan, plus how tabletops fit among the seven…

July 29, 2026

Public Safety & Government

Workplace Emergency Action Plans: What OSHA Requires

What OSHA's emergency action plan standard (1910.38) requires: when a written plan is mandatory, the six required elements,…

July 29, 2026

Public Safety & Government

What Is the Incident Command System (ICS)?

The Incident Command System (ICS) is FEMA's standardized structure for managing emergencies. Here are its five functions and…

July 29, 2026