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Illinois announces new firefighting grants
Local firehouses may apply for up to $26,000 in funding for equipment; those looking for new trucks, however, should look elsewhere, perhaps to the state’s no-interest revolving loan program
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On business continuity software...
Systems can be effective, but experts warn they require a lot of upfront work; organizing data across divisions takes time and executives must be aware of ongoing upkeep responsibilities
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NIST finds firefighter radios vulnerable to fire
Institute tested three radios under varied temperature conditions; not one survived Thermal Class 2 heat, and all suffered when exposed to Class 1; hope lies in protecting radios inside firefighter gear and reengineering senstive components such as antennas and speakers
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GAO report finds terrorism insurance market deteriorating
Property and casualty insurers find the risks unmangeable; health and workers compensation coverage remains steady; lobbyists on the Hill seek government solution to a market problem; Treasury report expected tomorrow
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TELEHOUSE and Xceedium announce strategic partnership
Deal marries TELEHOUSE’s dedicated data centers and collocation facilities to Xceedium’s remote IT operations management systems
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SustainLane lists safest (and riskiest) cities
When judged according to natural disaster risks, Miami and New Orleans come off the worst; Mesa and Milwaukee are best bet for the anxiety-prone
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SunGard offers Pandemic Response Planning system
Three-part program includes assessment and a simulated pandemic exercise; threat of disease outbreak often mistakenly overlooked by business continuity planners
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PortAuthority Technologies raises $18 million
Protecting sensitive corporate information is essential to business success — just see the length to which the chemical industry has gone to make sure that complying with new chemical plant safety mandates would not make companies’ internal information subject to FOIA; HP’s Patricia Dunn was also worried about leaks of sensitive information when she authorized wiretapping of HP board members; a California company specializing in leak prevention has just raised $18 million
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Richard Barth appointed DHS assistant secretary for policy development
Appointment of Motorola executive should keep interoperability fires burning; telecommunications industry continues to fill critical roles at DHS
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Government plans to provide hazard warning radios to every public school
When a tornado or a hurricane hits, there is a higher risk of loss of life in places where a large number of people congregate — schools, for example; the U.S. government has decided to equip tens of thousands of public schools with emergency radios so that school administration learns early of an impending disaster and usher the students to safety
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Criticism continues of Congressional formula for state terror funds disbursement
If a camel is a horse designed by committee, than the grants DHS gives states for terror preparedness are more a camel than a horse; the reason: The formula for allocating these grants was designed by a committee — a Congressional committee, that is
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Industry lobbyists flood D.C. looking for terrorism insurance relief
Five years after 9/11 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act is set to expire; insurance, real estate, and financial services sectors disagree about correct approach; Bush administration opposes extension, looks for alternatives
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Wick Hill to distribute Array Network's remote access service in Europe
System permits up to 64,000 remote users without a hardware upgrade; Wick Hill will also distribute small business continuity package
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ESi signs OEM deal with MIR3 for disaster notification technology
New product will be called ESi WebEOCAlert powered by MIR3; deal gives ESi improved notification capabilities, including communication by email and PDA and post-disaster auditing capabilities
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Northrop Grumman signs emergency communications deal with NYC
Agreement will provide radio interoperability alongside data transmission capabilities; emergency responders will have access to anti-terrorism databases, fingerprints, mug shots, city maps, and streaming video; subways and urban canyons presented major technical challeges
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More headlines
The long view
Evaluating U.S. Readiness to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to WMD
Two new reports review the adequacy of U.S. strategies to prevent, counter, and respond to the threat of nuclear and chemical terrorism and highlight the strengths and limitations of U.S. efforts to prevent and counter threats from weapons of mass destruction (WMD), particularly in a changing terrorism threat landscape.
'Hybrid’ Disaster Response Shows How Localization Saves Lives
The earthquake that struck southwest Haiti in August 2021 killed thousands of people and left more than half a million seeking help. New research by a University of Notre Dame expert finds that the assessment of this disaster can serve as a model for evaluating future disasters and making life-saving improvements.
Texas Flooding Brings New Urgency to Houston Home Buyout Program
The San Jacinto River is a national hotspot for ‘managed retreat,’ but recent floods show how far local officials still have to go.