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Policymakers said unprepared for subduction earthquakes
A lack of historical data makes it impossible to predict when these rare disasters will occur; 2004 Indonesian tsunami an object lesson in being unprepared
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Israel prepares for WMD attacks
Army joins the United States in a computer simulation of a non-conventional missile attack; troops pulled off checkpoint duty to take part in emergency response drills
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Sources say DHS will be flexible on interoperability grants
With $1 billion soon to be unleashed, DHS says it will support the unfavored 800 MHz band; NTIA argues grants can only be used for technology and equipment
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Battle over allocation of the 700MHz band looms
TV operators will soon vacate the 700 MHz band, and the FCC is getting set to auction it; pressures grow to allocate portion of the band for public safety uses
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RAE expands its wireless detection offerings
AreaRAE systems, already a hit with the National Guard, receive a tune-up; new sensors can detect hydrogen chloride, hydrogen flouride, and carbon monoxide
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Tsunami Institute offers cell phone-based warning system
Inexpensive service provides ample warning to get off the beach; developers look for business partners along the Pacific Rim.
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British bust plot against Internet
Suspected Al Qaeda operatives planned to infiltrate a major Internet hub and detonate explosives; MI5 creates a critical infrastructure protection unit
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NYC lags behind in firefighter equipment
Fire department lacks efficient pre-planning and command software; Critical Information Dispatch System offers only 160 characters of text; accurate building maps remain a low priority
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AIG launches terrorism insurance unit
With the extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act still under discussion, AIG moves into a business its former chief threatened it would abandon
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Saab wins disaster communications contest
Danish government lauds the Tacticall system for its cheap and portable solution to interoperability problems
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Homeland security comes to live and on-demand TV
On-demand TV can now be used not only for HBO specials, but also for homeland security programming
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New modular search and rescue robot
Small robots operate independently but can be combined into a single unit; Hamburg researchers offer solution to communications problems among USRs
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GPS tracking devices as moral hazard
First American to climb Everest comes out against an Oregon law requiring mountaineers to carry signalling devices
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"Crisis management" or "incident management"?
A veteran of the British Standard for Business Continuity Management process explains why companies should prefer the former
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USDA awards $415,000 in weather radio grants
More than 100 sites have received assistance in connecting to the Weather Radio All Hazards early warning system
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The long view
Climate Change Is Turning Global Wildfires into Monsters
Predicting bushfires is difficult at the best of times. But as climate change wreaks havoc with our world’s weather systems it’s getting harder and more important to get right. And the behavior of wildfires worldwide over the last year has shown us just how unpredictable and devastating these fires have become.