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Health problems of first responders emerges as an issue
First responders are willing to take the immediate risks associated with running into a burning building or engaging in a risky rescue operation; long-term ailment as a result of exposure to toxic materials may be a different thing
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Automata launches continuity trainers club
U.K. continuity training company wants to create a club of corporate continuity training officers
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Nuasis awarded patent for call center continuity solution
A call-center back up system is awarded a patent
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GemaTech offers telephone-recover business continuity solution
California company offers a way for businesses to retain records of all their calls in case a disaster destroys their communication networks
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Isonics to develop decontamination method for hospitals and bioterror attacks
Isonics, and energetic and innovative company, joins with others to develop a an effective decontamination solution for bioterror attacks; the good thing is that the solution will also help hospitals keep themselves free of infectious contamination, and give former Soviet weapon scientist a productive line of work
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OMB outlines risk assessment proposal
OMB circulates a proposal detailing how government agencies should assess risk to public security and welfare as they formulate policies and regulations; wouldn’t be a bad idea for the private sector to adopt a similar approach
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Insurance industry divided over federal backstop for disaster coverage
In the wake of 9/11 Congress created a federal backstop “Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA)” for disaster coverage. It was meant to be a temporary measure, but the insurance industry and developers became fond of it, and pushed for its extension last December; division now open among insurers on whether this was a good idea
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Big Blue acquires Classic Blue
IBM Australia acquires disaster recovery company with more than 300 corporate clients
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Disaster performance wins awards
Yes, virtue is its own reward, but it is good to know that there are other rewards as well
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Having business continuity plans is not enough
More and more enterprises develop business continuity plans, but very few of them test these plans in the field
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DHS pushes cities to develop regional disaster recovery plans
DHS insists that cities applying for urban security grants coordinate their disaster and recovery programs with neighboring cities so that they can present a regional disaster recovery plans in their application
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In post-Katrina shift, DHS to consider risk of natural disasters in grants to cities
When DHS absorbed FEMA in 2003, the agency was marginalized, the quality of its leadership declined, and its emphasis on natural disasters was eclipsed by the new emphasis on terrorism; DHS is now trying to recreate an agency with more balance between terrorism and natural disasters
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The long view
Diminishing Snowmelt to Make Colorado, Utah, Wyoming Resemble the Arid Southwest
New research predicts that changes in mountain snowmelt will shift peak stream flows to much earlier in the year for the vast Colorado River Basin, altering reservoir management and irrigation across the entire region. As a result, upper basin in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming may more closely resemble the arid Southwest.
Challenges to Tidal Flats Pose Risks to 41M Americans Living in Coastal Counties
About 29 percent of the United States’ population live in coastline counties – more than 41 million are in Atlantic counties. This high population density poses a critical challenge to sustainable developments in coastal areas.
Boosting Efforts to Predict Harmful Solar Weather Events
When big blasts of energy from the sun envelop the Earth, they can very strong: a 2015 event so weakened Earth’s protective magnetic field that it penetrated to the atmosphere, posing a threat to everything from circling space station astronauts to delicate electronics and communication systems.
Mitigating Flood Disasters
Engineers have proposed a flood control measure which recommends designing permeable pavements to specifically suit local rainfall and soil conditions and reduce flood impacts.