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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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Germans publish rogue wave atlas
Sensor-based instraments prove incapable of measuring these unpredictable forces; near-sinking of the Bremen may have spurred interest in SAR satelite approach; high risk zones identified
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Oracle shows GRC suite to compete with SAP
The field of corporate governance, risk, and compliance is growing, and application giant Oracle wants a piece of the action; the company acquires Stellent, a contents management specialist, and is getting set to compete with market-domianting SAP
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NIST: Search and rescue robots suffer communications problems
In a report mirroring concerns about UAVs and EOD drones, NIST says that urban search and rescue robots too often interfere with each other’s communications; neither ISM bands or established protocols solve the problem
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New life in the air raid siren market
Mass notification systems receive $1 billion in DHS budget; Acoustic Technology, Federal Signal, and others jump into the market; interoperability with other security systems the key
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The long view
Sea-Level Rise Has Increased Frequency of Extreme Coastal Flooding Worldwide: Study
Human-caused sea-level rise has significantly increased the frequency of extreme coastal flooding worldwide. New research found that coastal flooding events expected only once every 100 years are now, on average, about 12 times more likely to occur.
U.S. Needs New Drought Assessment Framework as Droughts Become More Severe and Unpredictable
Droughts in the United States are becoming more intense and unpredictable, and the nation needs to develop a new drought assessment framework to better understand and address them. A new framework should be developed which distinguishes between short-term operational needs, such as drought monitoring and emergency response, and long-term planning for water management, infrastructure, and climate adaptation.
Feds Increasingly Leave Local Governments Hanging When Climate Disasters Hit: Report
Communities that ask for federal assistance when climate disasters hit can’t count on that help to arrive.