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DHS plans back-up cross-agency data center
Worries about the Eastern Interconnect prompt DHS to build a mirror site in the west; contracts to be awarded this summer
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U.S. and Canada kick off Ardent Sentry exercises
Emergency response drill will last two weeks and feature fifteen maritime, WMD, and air defense scenarios
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Harvard to explore emergency response failures
Acting in Time initiatives will explore the political and financial friction that can impede post-disaster efforts.
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Pharmacies launch emergency prescription database
Emergency Rx History system will serve as a backbone of existing Pharmacy Health Information Exchange
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TRIA likely to be made permanent
TRIA mandates that the U.S. government provide commercial insurers up to $100 billion in reinsurance capacity for claims arising from terrorist events; the program is set to expire in December, but is likely to be made permanent and expanded
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Responder Knowledge Database: on overlook asset
Hosting data about DHS grants and third-party equipment certification, RKD is an invaluable resource for those in the emergency response business
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Survive shuts down operation
Membership organization was synonomous with continuity in Britain; consultants and trainers lose a reliable revenue source
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Noble Resolve exercises kick-off in Virginia
U.S. Joint Forces Command, increasingly interested in statistical modeling and simulation, teams up with Virginia authorities for emergency preparedness drills
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FEMA readies $65 million in preparedness grants
CEDAP to pay out $37 million for equipment, while CTGP offers public and private sector $29 million in training and management grants
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Fritz Institute to study community-based disaster relief
Little is known about how local groups and faith-based organizations operate during emergencies; a major push to help the neediest
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MIR3 unveils campus emergency notification system
The Virginia Tech tragedy highlights the importance of disseminating emergency alerts to thousands of recipients simultaneously, and do so to many different communication devices; MIR3 offers a solution
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FEMA tosses $40 million in MREs
A lack of refrigeration contributed to waste in 2006; agency now intends to hold-off on pre-positioning; ongoing delays for the Total Asset Visibility system
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DHS to award $33.7 million in local first responder grants
Funds can be used for a host of different products, including IT, thermal imaging, and video surveillance; applications due 29 May
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Digital angel buys Chemring's McMurdo
$7.5 million deal expected to pay dividends in 2009 when COSPAS-SARSAT equipment is replaced
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Minor league baseball passes on DHS Ready Campaign
Over two-thirds of teams are not participating in what William Arkin calls a “sophomoric and wasteful” effort
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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.