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The Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos 43-8 on Super Bowl Sunday, but a lot of behind-the-scenes planning ensured the game happening on the field was the main draw. Although the bulk of these arrangements dealt with security at MetLife Stadium, the entirety of the surveillance extended throughout New York and New Jersey.

Last month, a group of retired senior-ranking officers argued before a packed audience at the Capitol Hill Club that despite the near certainty of shrinking military budgets, there are ways to trim the Defense Department's spending without leaving the armed forces less-than-ready for combat. Their plan, they contend, could reduce the overall size of the military while actually increasing its combat power. And in doing so, it will support Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's call to revamp the military so that it remains sufficiently strong "under a cloud of budget restraints and uncertainty."

During the summer and early fall, hurricanes become a major threat to a significant portion of the U.S. The combination of high winds, heavy rain and potential impact on coastlines can have far-reaching implications for communities, as was evident during storms like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. Many agencies look to scientific forecasts to help prepare for natural disasters, but regardless of what these reports say, first responders must formulate plans and protocols to prepare for the worst.

Disasters can strike anywhere and at any time. In recent years, many U.S. states experienced natural disasters firsthand, subjecting both civilians and first responders to a wide range of severe scenarios. When properly trained, emergency workers are able to care for themselves and others in these situations. The process of planning for and evaluating these events, however, extends beyond the crisis in progress.

Members of the U.S. Armed Forces are accustomed to training regimens, but not many of these activities are conducted with troops from foreign countries present. This event is exactly what took place in early February, when soldiers from the U.S. and Japan trained together as part of a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan.

Ed Murray, the mayor of Seattle, recently declared that 2014 will be a year of training for police officers in the city. Local officials worked with federal agencies to come up with a plan that would address past problems in protocol, and many of the proposed changes are going into effect this year.

When wildfires strike, firefighters are called upon to tame massive blazes, often without the benefit of significant financial support. That could change if a recent proposal from President Barack Obama is approved. The potential budgetary plan would allow the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior to access a FEMA disaster fund for aid when fighting the largest wildfires.

Terrorist organizations value lone wolves for their ability to carry out the goals of the organization with lower costs, little or no need to plan, and a lower probability of detection, Amit Kumar of Georgetown University said during a recent event at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Lone wolf attacks also appeal to organizations because they can motivate terrorist sympathizers to act.

Chicago police will receive specialized "state-of-the-art" training on how to handle domestic abuse calls under a new inter-governmental task force plan aimed at curbing domestic violence.

From depleted resources to toppling buildings, natural disasters can wreak havoc on communities. Some areas are more prone to particular weather-such as tornadoes, hurricanes or blizzards-while other regions see little need to plan for such catastrophes. When extreme weather impacts cities with large, unprepared populations, the opportunity for devastation increases. After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the city spent years addressing the damage brought about by the disaster. Almost 10 years later, New Orleans is still recovering. To prevent other cities from suffering the same fate, several organizations have banded together to emphasize the importance of citywide resilience.

Car accidents and fires are obvious situations that may require a call to 911. For the most part, doing so does not increase risk for the caller. However, in cases of domestic abuse or abduction, calling 911 can put the victim in grave danger. In these situations, new technology that allows people to silently text to 911 can be life-saving. The National 911 Office is driving the planning and adoption of the text-to-911 service to make communicating with emergency services more dynamic. This begins the process of increasing accessibility and a push for public safety answering points (PSAP) to begin Next Generation 911 (NG911) implementation. Text-to-911 is an interim step between current systems used in PSAPs and NG911 implementation. While there is a national push to upgrade, it is a lengthy and expensive process that will initially limit the availability of the service.

After a crime occurs, law enforcement officials move quickly to gather and react to facts as they piece together what happened. New technology hints at a future where police won't be limited by the arrow of time, allowing them to look into the past to solve the crime

A well-developed infrastructure can be the difference between citywide resilience and longstanding disorder. Notably, this infrastructure consists of both the coordination of first responders and the physical structures they need to support emergency work. Both of these components impact the way a city reacts to natural disasters or other severe weather disturbances. Understanding environmental and climatic patterns proves critical in preparing for weather disturbances and natural disasters. Often, severe weather accompanies shifts in climate but affects each region differently. Armed with this knowledge, city officials across the country are examining ways they can alter infrastructure to mitigate disaster and rapidly repair the damage it might cause.