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Bell Helicopters takes a look at an Israeli flying rescue vehicle
Helicopter-like machine relies on fans rather than rotor blades, allowing for greater maneuverability in the urban environment; Urban Aeronautics sees a market for first responders and military; craft can sidle up to a building and evacuate residents out of a window
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NSF provides $700,000 for a study on EMS and fire department creativity
The psychology and sociology of emergency responders now a growing academic discipline; researchers seek to learn how firemen improvise on the job; 9/11 and Oklahoma City bombing provide useful datasets
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FEMA solicits proposals for internal 911 service
Agency looks for a way to locate 911 calls within its dispersed office network; ideal system will permit identification of caller, office, and cubicle number; once identified, 911 system should automatically hand off caller to local dispatch office
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Poor oversight hampers National Guard readiness
DoD lacks a system to track movement of equipment from stateside depots to overseas combat; disaster readiness a major concern; planners worry that a $21 billion Guard modernization program will be swallowed up by the war in Iraq
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Sun Microsystems offer shipping containers for secure data storage
Stackable and easily shippable system holds eight server racks, a cooling system, and other critical appurtences; both DoD and FEMA see useful applications; airlifting to war zones a major possibility
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iJet releases study on business impact of avian flu pandemic
Using data drawn from its World Pandemic monitoring system, research firm lays out preparation strategies for business; free report available by contacting company
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DHS announces $10 million in firefighter grants
Assistance to Firefighters Grant program expected to disperse a total of $485 million; awards go to small towns such as Walls, Mississippi and Church Hill, Tennessee; equipment and vehicles top departments’ wish lists
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U.S. Army offers stimulating simulations for emergency responders
Eighteen customizable programs offer a thorough work-out of any agency’s response capabilities; military organziations can learn for free, but cities and states may find the fees reimbursable by DHS
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Ball Aerospace proposes asteroid-busting robots
The collective action problem aside, saving the planet may be more important than saving the homeland; basketball-sized drones would swarm the asteroid, with some exploding while others listen to vibrations; Ball looks for funding and promises a three year delivery date
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Zombie masters move into the 21st century
Oak Ridge scientists identify thirty distinct compounds emitted from rotting bodies; data will help train dogs, but cunning investors may see opportunities for handheld sensor devices; report recalls a fingerscanning device intended for the deceased
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Raytheon launches Quad Cities interoperability pilot
$2 million test project will link up emergency responders in neighboring Illinois and Iowa cities; remote broadband and mobile situational awareness among the capabilities on the menu; Nortel, New Era Wireless, NexPort, DropFire, and EAGLE Project lend a hand
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NYC to allow citizens to upload photos during 911 and 311 calls
Breakthrough concept relies on established technology to help diffuse information; photos of suspicious individuals can be quickly uploaded to dispatch authorities; citizens protect infrastructure by keeping their eyes (and apertures) open
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U.K. to spend £1.7 million on urban flooding projects
Urban flooding caused by limited drainage system and ancient infrastructure; overlapping and conflicting government authorities make the problem difficult to solve; global warming has British government anxious
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IT spending for first responders to reach $4.4 billion by 2011
Government agencies report increased confidence in technology; money and guidance from the federal level is still wanting; lack of coordination betweem agencies remains a major challenge
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Federal Signal Corporations buys Codespear
Purchase of interoperability and data-sharing firm a sign that FSC is moving whole-heartedly into the security business; company already known for its E-ONE fire apparatus
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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.