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Virginia asks emergency responders to use common language
Approach takes HSPD-5 and NIMS requirements seriously by asking agencies to abandon 10-codes; confusion often resulted during inter-agency responses due to different associated meanings
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Attensity announces new text analytics suite
Computational linguistics-based approach ideal for sorting through unstructured data to identify hidden patterns; applications range from managing insurance claims to detecting smuggling and counterfeiting; new product brings analytics and search together under a single label
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Fuel cells' promise for low power, long run-time devices
Two New Jersey companies demonstrate a fuel cell-powered wireless camera prototype system with infrared sensing and audio capability; the device is ideal for perimeter defense, border monitoring, batlefield observation, and more
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Cyclops Technology and Total Computer Group strike license plate imaging deal
Companies will package recognition software with automobile and criminal records databases
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SmartLink Radio Networks to provide San Francisco with interoperable radio networks
Award made under the Department of Justice’s High Risk Metropolitan Area Interoperability Assistance Project; Smartlink I-Network platform integrates existing radios into digital networks; unlike mobile radio patches, system is always on
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DHS relied on flawed information in extending visa waiver program
Contributing factors are understaffing and lack of information on lost or stolen passports; report comes as U.S. delays renewing program; Europe turns on the heat
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Cyclops Technologies offers inexpensive license plate recognition system
PlateSmart uses existing on-board cameras and computers; hands-free technology a plus
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ShotSpotter technology deployed to Minneapolis
Sensors immediately tell police the exact location of a fired shot; technology based on acoustic detection of muzzle blasts; data to aid criminal prosecutions
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Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International to hold conference in August
The Unmanned Vehicles 2006 Symposium and Exposition will present latest technology, offer technical sessions; Innova Robotics to demonstrate command and control system for mutiple unmanned vehicles
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DHS launches information-sharing program with states
More information should lead to more effective law enforcement, and DHS next month will begin to share some of the information in its files with the states; first will be the personal and biometric information collected from travelers in the US-VISIT program; DHS also said that the number of illegal aliens in the U.S. reached 11 million
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Pictometry, Integraph integrate 9-1-1 solution
It is one thing for a dispatcher to call a first response unit and tell them that there is an emergency situation developing at the corner of Main Street and First Avenue; it is another thing for the dispatcher to be able to view the scene, obtain measurements such as distance, height, elevation, and more — and provide that information to the units en route to the scene; two companies combine their emergency solutions to offer just that
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House panel reports bus and passenger rail security bill
Legislators complain that investments in bus and rail transportation security pale in comparison to investments in air transportation safety; a House panels is doing something about this imbalance
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• Three CoreStreet OCSP products receive FIPS 201 approval • WidePoint receives GSA HSPD-12 approval for IT Schedule 70, SIN 132-6x series • Probaris SP/PIV wins HSPD-12 approval
U.S. government departments and agencies and private contractors doing business with them must comply with the HSPD-12-mandated FIPS 201 by 27 October 2006; during the past year many IT companies applied to the GSA to have their products and solutions approved, and the GSA is announcing such approvals at an ever-growing rate
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State of Maryland has a sleek, new mobile command center
The state of Maryland has a sleek, new mobile command center which looks a bit as if it came from a Sci-Fi movie
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Jurisdictional squabbles, looming mid-term elections, scuttle port security measures
Disagreements over jurisdiction and the coming November elections threaten to derail port security legislation; of special interest: The 100 percent container inspection clause passed by an overwhelming vote (421-2) in the House – but it is the only clause in the port safety legislation which is adamantly opposed by every part and every component of the shipping industry
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The long view
European ethno-nationalist and white supremacist movements thrive
More than seventy years after the defeat of Nazi Germany, ethno-nationalist and white supremacist movements in Europe continue to thrive. They include far-right political parties, neo-Nazi movements, and apolitical protest groups. Some groups openly espouse violent white supremacy, while others have propagated their radical stances under the guise of populism. Though not all of these groups directly link their ideologies to Nazism, their propaganda portrays immigrants and ethnic minorities in a similar manner to how Nazi propaganda portrayed Jews, blaming them for national economic troubles and depicting them as a serious threat to the broader national identity.
Deradicalization and countering violent extremism
Since the early 2000s, more than fifty countries have developed initiatives to counter violent extremism (CVE). Despite this, there still remains a lack of strong evidence on which interventions are effective. Researchers have reviewed the literature on CVE programs to give examples of what good CVE practice should look like.
White supremacist propaganda and events soared in 2018
White supremacists dramatically stepped up their propaganda efforts targeting neighborhoods and campuses in 2018, far exceeding any previous annual distribution count for the United States and showing how these extremist groups are finding ways to share hateful messages while hiding the identity of individual members.
A new way to sense earthquakes could improve early warning systems
Every year earthquakes worldwide claim hundreds or even thousands of lives. Forewarning allows people to head for safety and a matter of seconds could spell the difference between life and death. Researchers demonstrate a new earthquake detection method — their technique exploits subtle telltale gravitational signals traveling ahead of the tremors. Future research could boost early warning systems.
California hospitals to pay billions for seismic safety upgrades
California hospitals would need to make substantial investments—between $34 billion and $143 billion statewide—to meet 2030 state seismic safety standards, according to a new report.