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Three cities show off government continuity procedures
Arlington, St. Louis, and New York lead the way by emphasizing data recovery and commmunications interoperability; trend shows cities outdoing state and federal continuity planners
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Lobbyists resist homeland security measures recommended by 9/11 Commission
Farmers fight off ammonium nitrate controls; television station opposes handing over frequency for emergency services; retailers stick to their guns on radiological screening of containers
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CoCo Communications unveils new radio interoperability system at Dallas airport
Revolutionary product brings old and new technologies together; deal with Southwest Airlines first system to incorporate private industry; PDAs coordinate with radio networks to manage communications, watch surveillance video in real time; low price and easy roll-out makes system ideal for cash-strapped and wealthy municipalities alike
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Sarasota County, Florida sets the standard for municipal networking collaboration
Nearly each of America’s 10,000 cities and counties buys its own networking systems, leading to gross waste and inefficiency; in Sarasota County, planners work within and without to share broadband and IT staff; big benefit seen for underfunded public schools, data storage facilities
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DHS release report on Operation Cyber Storm
DHS’s report on a large-scale simulated attack on U.S. government and critical infrastructure assets offers mixed results; no grades were assigned to specific performances, but the over-all impression is that the government’s — and industry’s — response to such an attcak could be much improved
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New book suggests IT security managers look within for threats
“Enemy at the Water Cooler” looks at consultants, vendors, and former employees as threats; greed and disgruntledness common motives for treachery
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Juniper Network hosts business continuity Webcast tomorrow
Speakers include officials from DHS, state of California, and ICG Government
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Sysix Solutions announces comprehensive mid-market continuity services
Company software creates comprehensive continuity assessment; Strategic Business Solutions Center offers hosting of continuity-related systems
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AT&T survey finds D.C. area businesses unprepared for disasters
While two-thirds have continuity plans, less than half update them; one-third say continuity not a priority
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Senate committee scolds SBA for poor oversight of 9/11 business loans
Small Business Administration told bankers it would not second guess STAR loans; many uneffected by 9/11 received assistance; waste recalls Hurricane Katrina efforts
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Keefe, Bruyette & Woods rebuilds by taking care of employees first
Financial services company assisted victims’ families with funeral arrangements and 9/11 compensation fund; money raised to pay insurance and tuition bills; since 9/11, company has doubled in size, more willing to take risks
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Economists examine market's response to terrorism
Experts see a 5 percent “tether” on stocks; rebound much quicker after 9/11 than after outbreak of the Second World War; faster communication systems and broader market participation keys to modern recovery
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Homefree offers families on-line emergency planning toolkit
Subscribers receive detailed notes on home maintenance; household inventory and warranties can be stored on company server
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MonitorBot offers remote moisture monitoring system for flood recovery
Remote sensors provide moisture and humidity data
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Peer-to-peer tsunami detection software unveiled
Program relies on detecting vibrations on hard disks; free software allows personal computer users to link-up and share data; may be boon to cash-strapped South East Asia
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More headlines
The long view
Proactively Planning for Community Relocation Before and After Climate Disasters
Between 1980 and mid-2023, 232 billion-dollar disasters occurred in the U.S. Gulf Coast region, with the number of disasters doubling annually since 2018. As the frequency, intensity, and destructiveness of climate change-driven disasters increase, accompanied by an increase in recovery costs, more experts are calling for a managed retreat of entire communities from disaster-prone areas to safer ground.
Number of People Affected by Tropical Cyclones Has Increased Sharply Since 2002
The number of people affected by tropical cyclones has nearly doubled from 2002 to 2019, reaching nearly 800 million people in 2019, according to a new study. More people are affected by tropical cyclones in Asia than any other region, but every affected world region saw an increase in the number of people exposed to tropical cyclones, which are expected to become more intense and possibly more frequent as the climate warms.
Coastal Populations Set to Age Sharply in the Face of Climate Migration
As climate change fuels sea level rise, younger people will migrate inland, leaving aging coastal populations — and a host of consequences — in their wake. While destination cities will work to sustainably accommodate swelling populations, aging coastal communities will confront stark new challenges.
Damaging Thunderstorm Winds Increasing in Central U.S.
Destructive winds that flow out of thunderstorms in the central United States are becoming more widespread with warming temperatures. New research shows that the central U.S. experienced a fivefold increase in the geographic area affected by damaging thunderstorm straight line winds in the past 40 years.