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AirKnight releases details of its bid for U.K.'s search and rescue helicopter
AirKnight — a consortium consisting of VT Group, British International Helicopters (BIH), and Lockheed Martin — announced it would use Eurocopter’s EC225 in its proposal for the future fleet of U.K.’s search and rescue helicopters
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Swine flu vaccine strains grow very slowly, delaying vaccine production
The fastest-growing of all the wine flu vaccine strains tested so far grows only half as fast as ordinary vaccine viruses; if the current pandemic behaves like the last H1N1 pandemic in 1918, the next, possibly worse waves of infection could be long over by the time vaccine contracts are filled
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WHO: Swine flu "unstoppable"
The World Health Organization says the swine flu pandemic has grown “unstoppable” and all nations will need access to vaccines; while most cases have been considered mild, a study released today said the virus causes more lung damage than ordinary seasonal flu strains
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Practical guides to disaster recovery planning in SMEs
Gartner says that “40% of all SMBs will go out of business if they cannot get to their data in the first 24 hours after a crisis”; two papers aim to help SMBs prepare for disaster
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DHS to start trials of emergency radio
DHS is launching a trial of a software-defined radio handset from Thales which is designed to operate on all the frequencies used by the emergency services
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DARPA funds see-through vidspecs, war-graffiti project
Lockheed martin turns to Microvision to develop “daylight-readable, see-through, low-profile, ergonomic” color video specs; in addition, the final device should incorporate “voice and tactile command” interfaces, some sort of location system
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Second thoughts about public alert systems
Public alert systems, which the authorities use to send messages about disasters to citizens’ cell phones and computers, have become popular among cities and localities; more and more of these localities, though, have began to question the efficacy and cost of these systems
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Using cell phones to predict floods
Researchers show that variations in microwave transmissions, specifically those used to connect up cell towers, can be used to measure humidity and thus predict flooding
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Soteria provides more details of search-and-rescue helicopter capabilities
The Soteria Consortium — consisting of RBS, Thales, and CHC — is competing with the AirKnight consortium for the lucrative contract to provide the U.K. government and localities with search-and-rescue helicopters
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GAO finds major security flaws at federal buildings
Undercover investigators sneaked bombs and detonators past security guards and into federal buildings occupied by DHS, Justice, and State departments; the investigators were able to assembled the bombs, carried them in a briefcase and “walked freely around several floors”
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SAIC acquires Beck Disaster Recovery
SAIC, a government contractor with revenues last year of $10.1 billion, wants a bigger presence in disaster recovery operations; it acquires a Florida-based disaster recovery specialist, changing its name to SAIC’s Homeland Protection & Preparedness business unit
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New type of El Niño may mean more hurricanes make landfall
The form of El Niño may be changing potentially causing not only a greater number of hurricanes than in average years, but also a greater chance of hurricanes making landfall
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Rat-like rescue robot uses whiskers to feel its way through rubble
Researchers developed rat-like robot which can crawl through — and under — rubble in search for victims trapped under collapsed buildings; robot uses long plastic whiskers at the side of its head to detect objects and radio back to a control center
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Soteria chooses Sikorsky
Soteria — a consortium bidding for a U.K. search and rescue helicopter contract — has selected the Sikorsky S-92 as its preferred mission aircraft
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Orsus forms users group in the situation management market
First meeting of users group brings together core users of Situator to share best practices, ideas for product development
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The long view
Strengthening School Violence Prevention
Violence by K-12 students is disturbingly common. Ensuring that schools have effective ways to identify and prevent such incidents is becoming increasingly important. Expanding intervention options and supporting K-12 school efforts in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) would help.
Huge Areas May Face Possibly Fatal Heat Waves if Warming Continues
A new assessment warns that if Earth’s average temperature reaches 2 degrees C over the preindustrial average, widespread areas may become too hot during extreme heat events for many people to survive without artificial cooling.
Trump’s Cuts to Federal Wildfire Crews Could Have “Scary” Consequences
President Donald Trump’s moves to slash the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of wildland firefighters and support personnel, fire professionals warn, leaving communities to face deadly consequences when big blazes arrive this summer. States, tribes and fire chiefs are preparing for a fire season with minimal federal support.