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FCC releases report on agency's preparedness for major emergencies
The FCC has an important role to play in ensuring that the U.S. communications infrastructure serves the public safety needs; a new report concludes that the agency largely meets this challenge, but that there are a few area where matter can be improved
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Exoskeletons ready for troop tests in 2010
Designer of the exoskeleton demonstrates invention for journalists; a wearer can hang a 200 lb backpack from the back frame and heavy chest armor and kit from shoulder extensions
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Hawaii H1N1 preparedness test disburses medicine
Hawaii tests emergency response to swine flu outbreak; supplies were distributed to more than 40 locations statewide in about seven hours; said incident commander for the exercise: “We consider that a great success”
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Swine flu still poses a deadly threat
While H1N1 mostly causes mild disease, some people — estimates suggest fewer than 1 percent — become deathly ill, very fast; experts warned that these cases could overwhelm hospitals
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Better immune defense against anthrax
Scientists discover a gene in anthrax-causing bacteria may help defend against this form of bio-warfare
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Google analyzes flu Web searches to create early warning system
Google’s public Flu Trends system, for example, is designed to pick up early clues by tracking and analyzing Internet searches for flu information
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Purdue University, 21CSI to pursue homeland security opportunities
The two organizations will collaborate in implementing new decision support tools and processes at the federal, state, and local levels
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New iPhone app locates, reports H1N1 outbreaks
New app pinpoints outbreaks that have been reported in the vicinity of the user and offering the opportunity to search for additional outbreak information by location or disease
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Swine flu: 10 things you should know
A White House report from an expert panel suggests that from 30 percent to half the U.S. population could catch swine flu during the course of this pandemic and that from 30,000 to 90,000 could die
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Stanford researchers aim to stretch limited supply of flu vaccine
Stanford researchers begin trials which, if successful, it could mean that doctors would give people one swine flu shot instead of the anticipated two doses spread three weeks apart
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New Orleans storm pumps do not protect city
The Army Corps of Engineers quickly installed new storm control pumps in New Orleans in the months after Katrina; trouble is, these pumps do not protect the city, the the Corps could have saved $430 million in replacement costs by buying proven equipment
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Blocking emergency exits to boost evacuation rates
Placing an obstacle in front of an emergency exit door accelerates the pace at which people evacuate a room; the reason: by blocking access to the door from one side, the obstacles prevents too many people from occupying the area right in front of the door
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Mustard-gas leak detected in Denver Army base
No emergency at Army Pueblo Chemical Depot; the depot has 780,000 mustard-gas-filled projectiles that are about 60 years old; the 2-foot-long artillery shells were brought to the Pueblo depot in 1952; crews investigate
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Simulation to help in preparing for wildfires
Increasingly complex systems which combine simulation and monitoring tools could help emergency services prevent future ecological disasters on the scale witnessed in Greece this week
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How life will survival in a post-apocalypse blackout
What if asteroid impacts, massive volcanic eruptions, or large-scale wildfires were to plunge our planet into abnormal darkness” It happened several times in the past; life will continue with a little help from organisms that can switch to another source of energy while they wait for sunlight to pierce the darkness once more
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The long view
Trump Aims to Shut Down State Climate Policies
President Donald Trump has launched an all-out legal attack on states’ authority to set climate change policy. Climate-focused state leaders say his administration has no legal basis to unravel their efforts.