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FSSCC warns that "work at home" may strain emergency telecommunications
Banking and securities industry is extremely reliant on the nation’s communications networks, but remote labor may bring down an already injured system
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Indian business continuity market on the rise
IBM leads the way in this tech-happy country beset with natural disasters and a lingering terrorist threat; China and Japan are said to lag behind their Asian neighbors; Malaysia and Hong King are ripe targets
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LWG releases corrosion retardant for circuit boards and equipment
Product a boon to health and communications personnel; application keeps equipment in shape until repairs can be made; salvage value of components is maintained in case the damage is irreperable
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Critics get tough on emergency preparedness drills
High cost a major factor, especially when real-life consistently befuddles even the most exercised of agencies; consultants often sell cookie-cutter drills of little value; after-action anlaysis is often more important than the program itself
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The MEDSI project offers scalable, efficient crisis management tool
Information sharing and improved coordination are key to a successful effort to mitigate and contain the consequences of a terorist act or natural disaster; MEDSI offers crisis managers a useful tool
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Japanese tsunami alert system proves itself after recent earthquake
Thousands take heed of televised warnings to head to higher ground; system relies on hundreds of seismographs and marine sensors; government officials have the power to automatically turn on home televison sets to warn citizenry
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SPRUCE system permits emergency supercomputing
Scientists need access to TeraGrid computers in order to predict dangerous weather patterns; once notified by an emergency call, computers and servers linked into the SPRUCE system preempt less-critical work
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Buffalo researchers use nano-sensors to locate power outages
Technology will save utilities from block to block searches for downed wires; nanosensors monitor any electrical system that runs on 120 volts — including refrigerators, freezers, home theatre systems, and even home medical systems
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Sealegs unveils new emergency rescue amphibious craft
Crushing demand for the fiberglass ARC forces the company to open a larger factory; at a price of $58,850, Sealegs sees a great opportunity in the American homeland security market
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New England planners look to athenahealth to track epidemic health outcomes
Exercise at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center will test an Internet-based approach to handling patient care; ability to provide surge capacity and manage patient records key factors; athenaNet platform supports the system
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FEMA rapped for failure to maintain emergency housing units
$4 million in units have been rendered unihabitable after officials at an Arkansas storage facility failed to properly store them; Trimarro’s modular homes the biggest victim, in large part due to FEMA’s failure to require proper weather-resistant containers; tarping seen as futile
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ManTech wins DHS iCAV management contract
Company will build out and integrate the geospatial mapping system intended to provide real-time data on natural and man-made disasters
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Kiwis look to expand emergency recovery budget
Auckland region asks for a 175 percent budget increase; expenditutes may include an new emergency information management system, a review of early warning systems, and a group operations center
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Spanish firefighters use software to direct resources, develop tactics
Developed at the Universirt of Grenada, SIADEX system considers fire data along with available resources to propose three plans of attack; constant updates by emergency crews on the ground lead to immediate refinements; technology is almost ready to go
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FCC declines to consider Cyren Call's public safety band proposal
Improving communication among first responders and rescue units is a pressing topic, and one proposal, advanced by Cyren Call, calls for allocating 30 MHz in the 700 MHz band for public safety purposes; the wireless industry opposes the plan, and the FCC says it contradicts the wishes of Congress
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More headlines
The long view
Using Drone Swarms to Fight Forest Fires
Forest fires are becoming increasingly catastrophic across the world, accelerated by climate change. Researchers are using multiple swarms of drones to tackle natural disasters like forest fires.
How Climate Change Will Affect Conflict and U.S. Military Operations
“People talk about climate change as a threat multiplier,” said Karen Sudkamp, an associate director of the Infrastructure, Immigration, and Security Operations Program within the RAND Homeland Security Research Division. “But at what point do we need to start talking about the threat multiplier actually becoming a significant threat all its own?”