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Hybrid cars pose special risk to first responders
High voltage a major problem; Toyota responds by offering training seminars for firefighters and other emergency personnel
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Super Thermal teams up with Colorado State for DHS grant
Team hopes for a $1 million grant for further development of cooling and breathing apparatus; system designed with biological and chemical emergencies in mind; cryogenic air a key component
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Frost and Sullivan offers report on WMD detection market
Business is booming, particularly in the federal sector; some end users, however, are shying away from the sometimes unreliable technology; research firm suggests industry needs better PR
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DHS inspector general turns up the heat
Arrest and conviction rates for post-Katrina contracting fraud are skryrocketing, even as total complaints decrease; impressive new zealousness strikes fear into the unethical, but the lawyers are happy; DHS has more than 2,500 open cases pending
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NYC unveils new $50 million emergency operations center
New Brooklyn location facility boasts state of the art technology held within environmentally friendly walls; EOC will serve as the hub for the Citywide Incient Management System; full back-up generation a critical feature
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GreeneChip offers rapid diagnosis of 30,000 pathogens
Unlike systems that can only test blood samples, new technology can assay tissue, urine, and stool; from Marburg to urinary tract infections, Columbia University’s GreeneChip offers a fast and inexpensive testing regime
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Research shows early detection of earthquake magnitude possible
Italian researchers find string correlation between strength of primary wave and the damage resulting from the secondary wave; basic math now permits 10-15 seconds warning time for those near the epicenter; early warning could trigger emergency response mechanisms
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Radio interoperability costs reach $7 billion for states
High prices deter states and municipalities from moving forward; depressed federal spending certainly does not help; $1.5 billion needed just to upgrade state operations centers
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DHS downplays terrorism in new readiness ads
Ready.gov campaign reemphasizes preparedness but lays off fear; new ads take a lighthearted approach to encourage stockpiling food and water
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US and Thai authorities launch DART "tsunameter" buoy system
Just one of 22 scheduled for deployment, buoy is attached to underwater sensor that measures changes in water pressure; funding provided by USAID, but Thai government will handle the maintenence; linked sensor systems seen as key for tsunami preparedness
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AMTI to lead TOPOFF-4 exercises
Company defeats Northrop and Lockheed in winning the $24 million contract; planning for the ten day event will take eighteeen months; bid accepted on the strength of AMTI’s presentation, as well as on strong performance in earlier TOPOFF events
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Air Force frequency jams Denver garage door openers
Emergency band shares frequency with remote control devices; altitude at Cheyenne Mountain means thousands effected; Air Force will try to tweak transmission, otherwise Denverites will have to buy new garage door openers
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Prepared Response to protect Huntington Library
Deal makes a significant foray into the private market; Rapid Responder, company’s crisis management software, already a hit among emergency response agencies
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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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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.