Results - Topic: Disaster Preparedness

5 Years Later: Ground Zero, Grants, & Great Intentions

The attacks and subsequent loss of responders helped to once again elevate the public's respect of the entire Fire Service. But with great respect comes great responsibility and five years later some agencies have found that the greater the height, the greater the fall as the "mileage" gained after 9/11 has come back to haunt them in many ways never imagined.

9/11 A Decade Removed

I was asked by 9-1-1 Magazine Editor Randall Larson to express a few thoughts on the events of 9/11, and how we've changed, ten years later. I'd given the request quite a bit of thought; attempting to adequately describe where we stand today, a decade after the Twin Towers fell, appeared at first to be a fool's errand... like Shrek's life, 9/11 is really complicated, having dozens of 'layers,' depending on where you stood that day.

9/11/11: Ten Years Gone

For everyone of us who watched the towers fall and understood the loss not in terms of concrete and steel, but in the content of lockers to be carefully gathered and delivered to loved ones, and of roll calls to which there would never be an answer there will always be the question "have we done enough?"

Asian Tsunami: Are We Safe?

The devastation in Southeast Asia has graphically demonstrated one thing: tsunami dangers are real. Unfortunately, it has taken a disaster of that magnitude to make the American public aware of that fact. "Before that, you'd mention tsunami and people would snicker," said Gloria Morrison, Emergency Services Coordinator for the City of Huntington Beach, California. "Now people are paying closer attention."

Books

Center for Domestic Preparedness Reaccredited to offer Continuing Education Credits

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) recently passed a stringent year-long reaccreditation process that allows its emergency responder students to earn continuing education credits for most of the courses they take at the CDP.

Communications Network Surge Management: Coping At The Local Level

By identifying the possible things that can create emergency situations to our voice, data, and video pathways we can attempt to find ways to plan for or respond to them... The 2004 hurricane season in Florida and more recently the February 2, 2007 tornado event in Lake County (Groundhog Day Tornadoes) plainly evidenced the need for comprehensive analysis of potential emergencies and how they can or might affect our communications pathways and how we can respond to them.

Communications Technology Key to Disaster Preparation

Recently, Motorola Solutions had an opportunity to speak with two of our customers who were on the front lines of very different natural disasters that grabbed headlines this year. We wanted to hear their stories first-hand to ensure that we are meeting the current demands of first responders throughout the country, as well as anticipating their needs in coming years.

CoreLogic Introduces Natural Hazard & Parcel Data Product to Improve Local Emergency Planning & Response Efforts

CoreLogic. a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, has introduced a new offering that will help emergency responders and local governments improve their emergency planning, preparedness and response efforts in the event of a natural hazard. The new offering from CoreLogic bundles the company's detailed natural hazard geospatial data, risk models and comprehensive parcel database to provide city and county officials a more accurate picture of potential hazard...

Danger Ahead: The Public's Troubling Attitudes Toward Disaster Warnings & Preparedness

Though 2011 represented a record-breaking year with regard to the number of disasters, the American public remains largely unaware of both their local alerting processes and their community's emergency notification capabilities. Even more alarming, many citizens approach the subject of disaster warnings and personal emergency preparedness with attitudes that reflect unacceptable levels of complacency, indifference and, in far too many cases, what can only be described as outright apathy.

Diesel Power and Disaster Preparedness

As large parts of the nation battle storms of epic proportions, local, state and federal governments, emergency responders and businesses are moving into emergency response mode relying on some of the most powerful and reliable and proven technology available today. Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum, issued the following statement on diesel's vital role in the United States' emergency preparedness for this storm system.

Disaster Training: A Volunteer's Viewpoint of Austin Urban Shield

According to Alameda County, California, Urban Shield is "a national model, full-scale exercise, designed to assess and validate the speed, effectiveness and efficiency of capabilities, as well as test the adequacy of regional policies, plans, procedures and protocols" (Urban Shield, 2013). Urban Shield events require hundreds of volunteers, to portray victims in a variety of disaster scenarios. When possible local residents are used and that is how I got involved with the Austin, Texas...

Emergency Communicators: Stay One Step Ahead in Preparedness

One of the most important things for emergency telecommunicators to do is to truly understand their jurisdiction and what critical infrastructure, symbolic targets, and other unique features exist and how the loss or disruption of those facilities or events will impact emergency responders and the community. Understanding community threats prior to an emergency is critical to not just the success of the response, but also the life safety of the occupants and emergency responders.

EmergencyLink Partners with Kansas County to Prepare All Residents for Emergency Medical Situations

EmergencyLink, the free emergency ID network, has announced its first government partnership to provide an entire U.S. county with state-of-the-art emergency medical services. Butler County Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Kansas has implemented EmergencyLink to improve the quality of information first responders have and better prepare its 65,000 residents for emergency situations.

FDNY Communications: One Year Later

As we approach the first anniversary of the day that forever changed our lives, the FDNY still is in a world of hurt. Well documented are the experiences of the firefighters and chiefs on duty that day. Not so well documented is what has happened to us inside the communications office, and inside our minds.

FEMA Disaster Workshop Brings Tribal Leaders to the Bay Area to Prepare for, Respond to, Recover from Catastrophic Events

Nearly 200 tribal leaders, emergency managers, first responders and other disaster preparedness officials, representing more than 60 tribal governments are meeting this week in Oakland (CA) with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials , to discuss how to jointly prepare for, respond to and recover from the next catastrophic disaster that could strike tribal communities with or without warning in California, Arizona or Nevada.

FEMA Invests $100 Million in Post-Tsunami Disaster Relief & Emergency Preparedness Improvements for American Samoa

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded nearly $100 Million dollars in Post-Tsunami improvements to American Samoa for lifesaving emergency management systems that include an early warning siren system, 9-1-1 emergency call center, and the completion of a formal tsunami hazard plan that proved instrumental in helping the island achieve the coveted status of TsunamiReady.

FirstWatch Real-Time Situational Awareness to Monitor Crowds at Mardi Gras and Super Bowl XLVII

With huge crowds expected to descend on New Orleans for Mardi Gras and Super Bowl XLVII this winter, public safety and public health officials are deploying FirstWatch Real-Time Situational Awareness to make sure they have up-to-the minute information on potential safety threats.

Fort Worth EOC Deploys WebEOC for 2011 Super Bowl and Ice Event

The city of Fort Worth, Texas, the 17th largest city in the United States, purchased, configured, trained and successfully deployed WebEOC emergency management software from ESi in three-and-a-half months, just in time for the 2011 Super Bowl and an unexpected snow and ice storm in the days leading up to the big event. On January 30, only a week prior to "Super Week," the city also opened the doors to a brand-new emergency operations center.

From the Chair: Preparing for the Unthinkable

In the latest installment of From the Chair, Paul pays tribute to the dispatchers working in the Newtown (CT) Emergency Communications Center on the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He goes on to discuss how they were able to control the chaos of the active shooter incident, and still maintain the order and normal function of their center. He concludes with a warning that what the Newtown dispatchers did would have been impossible without careful preparation and planning...

Golden Guardian 2013: Calif. Officials Create Action Plan for State's Largest Exercise

Last week, Cal EMA and FEMA Region IX hosted the Golden Guardian 2013 Joint Action Planning Training Workshop at Cal EMA Headquarters in Sacramento. This workshop provided an action plan that will be used for the Golden Guardian 2013 Functional Exercise being held May 15, 2013.

Home On The Range: Are Effective Changes In Place To Prevent Terrorism On America's Homefront?

Five Years Later: What has happened since September 11, 2001 to instill confidence in homeland security for America? Cosmetic changes, visible security enhancements in certain places, and booming business for government bureaucracy. It is still the same bureaucracy that left civilian targets vulnerable to terrorist attacks in the first place, according to Congressional investigators.

Howard County, Maryland Embraces CommandScope Technology for First Responders

The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS), a nationally accredited department located in Maryland, has implemented the CommandScope All Hazard Pre-Incident Plan program to help protect nearly 300,000 residents in 25 communities. CommandScope gives first responders access to critical pre-plan information, both on-site and en route on their Mobile Data Computers, which includes maps, photographs, utility shutoff locations, floor plans, fire protection systems, hazardous...

Hurricane Seminar Will Look at 2011 Season Predictions and Offer Enterprise-Level Preparedness Solutions

In advance of the 2011 hurricane season (which begins June 1) ImpactWeather, Inc., with sponsorship support from MIR3, will present The 22nd Annual Hurricane Seminar for Business and Industry: Innovation, New Techniques and What to Expect in 2011. Taking place Tuesday, May 24, at the Hilton Houston Hobby Airport from 7:45 a.m. until noon, this year’s lineup will educate business and industry leaders on how to get, and stay, prepared for the hurricane season.

ICS at Ground Zero: Incident Management Teams in NYC

There are 16 national Type 1 Incident Management Teams (IMTs) across the country. Though they mostly deal with wildland fire, they're also dispatched for non-fire incidents such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes. One of FEMA's 12 emergency support functions is firefighting, and under ESF-4 the teams can be activated from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. The teams are prepared to use the Incident Command System (ICS) to handle just about any situation. But no...

Incident Command System Helped Prepare Alabama For April Tornadoes

Alabama emergency management officials used the Incident Command System in responding to the April 27 outbreak of storms and tornadoes that devastated many communities. On that day, 62 tornadoes swept through the state. All 67 Alabama counties have participated in ICS training, according to the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. More than 70 emergency managers from Alabama have attended the ICS course at EMI in the last five years and many more have been trained in classes held in Mobile,...

Life After 9/11

While the general public beheld the unfolding events at the Pentagon and World Trade Center as tragic, those of us in public safety saw an even more disturbing picture. Most, if not all, of us immediately recognized the magnitude of these losses from our particularly parochial viewpoint... So, what have we learned from all of this? How are we as a nation and as a profession different now? How do we view life after 9/11?

Making The Campus Safer with a Unified Security Approach

As the president of Blackboard Transact, I often speak with safety officials on campuses about how they can improve their approaches to reduce campus safety risks and institution liability, a high priority for universities in light of high-profile security issues on college campuses in recent years. While a unified approach takes commitment, time and resources, the end result could help save lives.

Maryland EMA Turns to Earth Networks for Public Safety and Planning Support

Earth Networks, the owner of and operator of the largest weather, lightning and climate observation networks, announces it is continuing to support the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), the agency that is responsible for coordinating the response to any major emergency or disaster, through a new five-year contract with the State of Maryland.

Massachusetts EMA Unveils Renovated State EOC & Introduces First-In-The-Nation Emergency Alerting App

On Oct 5th, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick held his weekly cabinet meeting at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Headquarters in Framingham, where he joined Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and members of his cabinet to tour the newly renovated State Emergency Operations Center and received a demonstration of Ping4alerts!, a new public alerting technology for smartphone users.

Mini ICE Exercise Takes Hefty Approach to Integrate Courses, Cohorts

In March 2012, the CDP, located in Anniston, Ala., conducted its first Integrated Capstone Event (ICE). The ICE is a unique training approach that allows the CDP to combine multiple courses in a single end-of-course exercise. ICE events may include students from ten different disciplines - ranging from law enforcement to healthcare - to interact, communicate, and respond to a full-impact mass casualty incident.

National Preparedness Survey Released

A group of national public safety associations has released the results of a national survey completed by more than 1,000 first responders, emergency managers, public health officials and others on the front lines of emergency preparedness and response.

New Multimedia Toolkit Helps Local Governments Integrate 3-1-1 Disaster Response and Recovery Systems

ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, and the 311 Synergy Group have announced release of a new multi-media DVD toolkit, "Integrating 311 into Disaster Response & Recovery." The kit is designed to assist local governments in better using their 311 or CRM (constituent relationship management) systems to share information with the public in the event of an emergency.

New White Paper Assesses What's Needed for Improving Communications During Disasters and Emergencies

Eight years after the 9/11 Commission named interoperability as a serious problem for 9/11 first responders, and the Department of Homeland Security developed a communications plan for interoperability, there is still no inclusive national communications capability, according to a new white paper issued today by Mutualink, Inc.

One Year Later in Pennsylvania

What has changed since that ill-fated day around the 9-1-1 Center? The 9-1-1 Center has relocated; it is no longer in the basement of the County Courthouse. It moved across the street to a newly renovated, modern, three story 10,000 square foot facility, that was already county property.

One Year Later: Moving Past September 11th

As we all have read or witnessed through news accounts since September 11th, 2001, our world has changed. Those of us in Emergency Management have seen both positive responses in understanding, establishing and mitigating threat, or risk, to our citizens, but we have also seen what I would consider to be the "chicken little" mentality where an uneasy society sees a terrorist around every corner and in every shadow

Photo Report: 2011 California Mobile Command Center Rally/Disaster Management Initiative

The California Emergency Management Agency, the California Fire Chiefs Association Communications Section, and the Carnegie Mellon University Silicon Valley Disaster Management Initiative held the 3rd Annual Mobile Communications/Command Center rally on May 22 and 23rd, 2011. This year's event combined the Rally with CMU's Disaster Management Initiative for a greater opportunity for associated workshops and exercises. The event was held at the CMU Silicon Valley campus located within the...

Public Safety And The EMP Threat

For years many have talked about the threat of an electromagnetic pulse, whether natural occurring or as a result of a nuclear weapon, but recent event have increased concerns about that threat. EMP is the acronym for electromagnetic pulse, a burst of energy that travels through the air that is produced by a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere or possibly non-nuclear -manmade means that may result in widespread damage to all unshielded semiconductor/electronics, power lines,...

Revised Guidebook for Self-Reliance during Natural Disasters and Civil Unrest

Originally published in 2007, the author, retired fire department captain George R. Bradford, has thoroughly updated the book with additional tools and guidelines for the civilian "immediate responder" -ordinary citizens operating at their own homes or businesses who are willing and able to provide the most timely action during those critical first few moments following an emergency, before the availability of government public safety responders (which, during a major event, may be delayed).

Rising Sun: Dimming Hope - What the 9-1-1 Community Can Learn from the Tragedy in Japan

Sitting half a world away and watching the spectacle unfold, those of us in the Western Hemisphere are still afforded a ringside seat as the tragedy in Japan continues to develop. Every day brings with it new information, and seemingly a new crisis. As with any disaster, we in emergency services have a unique view of these events. Who didn't watch the Twin Towers fall and immediately have a sense of the tremendous public safety losses? We didn't need to be informed; the first picture told us...

School Bus Enhances CDP Mass Casualty Exercise

The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama is known for its realistic, emergency response exercises. Responders attending the Hands-On Training for CBRNE Incidents (HOT-I) course will now have an added level of realism thanks to a school bus CDP recently added to the simulated mass casualty exercise for each class.

The Four E's of Crash Analytics

In an effort to combat the high costs, deaths and injuries associated with traffic collisions, state departments of transportation (DOT) work closely with law enforcement agencies, state traffic safety offices and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to plan and implement policies that can help reduce the number of motor vehicle crashes. One approach is through the Four E’s of traffic safety - Enforcement, Engineering, Education and Emergency Medical Services.

The Technology You Need To Survive A Killer Tornado

After tornadoes left over 300 dead in just a 24 hour period those in the across the country are now aware that technology, email, text alerts, and weather radios prevented an astronomical death toll. Some of the supercell storms from Wednesday were so extreme that if anyone in their path didn’t adequately seek shelter they would not survive. By a miracle, highly visible tornadoes during the day Wednesday combined with media coverage saved many whom are counting their blessings today. Had the...

United Flight 93 Revisited: Command and Control in Shanksville

Since Shanksville is located in a very rural area, the Pennsylvania State Police were in charge of the crash scene, although numerous other agencies would follow to conduct the investigation and necessary follow-up tasks.