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Continuity expert derides 80 percent post-disaster survival rates
Mel Gosling of the Business Continuity Institute looks into notion that 80 percent of businesses fail after a disaster if they lack contingency plans; poppycock, he says, citing a series of incidents in the United Kingdom
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L-3 announces new thermal imaging camera for rescuers
Thermal-Eye 5000xp offers a 400 percent increase in pixels and twice the field of view as the previous model; camera is designed for emergency rescue, law enforcement, and perimeter security
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Interoperability fund struggles to get off the ground
Congressional Research Service dings DHS for failing to reach a memorandum of understanding with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration; a 30 September deadline looms, and security officials worry about 2008 budget cuts
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California Highway Patrol boosts response capabilities
$6.4 million in grants from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security permits the force to purchase two fixed-wing aircraft, nine mobile command centers, and two water response vehicles
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University of Portsmouth to test antibacterial gown
Hospital garb is coated with an anti-microbial coating known as Permagard; effort intended to mitigate MRSA transmission; unique design also minimizes contact with nurses
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MIT students invent wall crawling device
Intended for first responders, the Atlas Powered Rope Ascender uses the capstan effect to pull a firefighter carrying one hundred pounds of equipment up a thirty-story building in thirty seconds; students have already sold units to Army and look to commercialize
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Arsenic-treated lumbar a major post-disaster threat
Researchers at the University of Miami find 1,740 metric tons of arsenic strewn about the Gulf Coast; problem is traced to now-banned practice of treating lumber with chromated copper arsenate to prevent pest infestation
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UC Irvine offers emergency planning course
University extension offers a series of lectures and tabletop exercises in disaster management; Irvine’s emergency management coordinator to provide instruction
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Indonesia adopts GIS to aid humanitarian efforts
Provided by UN, geographic information systems help identify areas of need and allocate resources; ArcCatalog used to create metadata; authorities print maps and privide datasets free of charge to humanitarian agencies
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Hawaii a case study in cross-juristictional emergency cooperation
Earthquake last year offers a model of Hawaii’s can-do attitude; emergency response personell trained to respond to leadership, not rank; power failures doomed radio communications, so planners consider buying backup generators for the island’s radio stations
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Congress takes a serious look at Cyren Call
After an FCC rejection in November, the Commerce committee revisits the idea of creating a national wireless network for first responders; John McCain offers his support; critics, angry about the idea of giving away valuable spectrum, gird for battle
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Kansas City chemical plant fire forces evacuation
A fire destroys a chemical plant located in a Kansas City residential neighborhood; newspaper reports that the fire “draped the city in mushroom-shaped plume of black smoke”
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GSA opens federal contracts to local emergency officials
Under new rule, states and municipalities will be able to order supplies from the Federal Supply Schedule in response to or anticipation of an emergency; 10 million goods and services will eventually be made available, but disaster relief and firefighting equipment will be first
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Incident command systems aid in business continuity
Emergency planning is critical, but a rigid approach can only compound problems; ICSs permit flexible response while ensure a chain of command; predetermining roles and responsibility key to success
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Business continuity should be about thriving, not merely surviving
For too long business continuity has been discussed in the context of dire events such as a terrorist attack or natural disasters; it would be better to discuss the tipic in the context of the company’s over-all performance, paying special attention to the perspectives of the investors in the company
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The long view
Postfire Debris Flows May Become Predictable, Thanks to a New Study
Scientists at Los Alamos have developed a model framework to better predict events such as landslides. The framework is making simulations faster and more accurate, which in turn will improve safety for communities that are at risk of their infrastructure being washed away.