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GAO report slams Bush, Chertoff for Katrina lack of preparation, slow response
Michael Brown was the public face of the federal government’s failures before and during Katrina; new GAO report says President Bush and Secretary Chertoff should share more of the blame
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Advise to small businesses: Planning is crucial
Small businesses do not have the resources of big businesses, so they need to plan for disasters even more
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CYA's business continuity suite awarded Designed for Documentum designation
CYA has a colorful name, but it is a serious company offering a serious business continuity solution, and has just received a certification
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Emergency kit maker in Series B funding
Most families in the United States say preparation for a disaster is important, but fewer than 13% of them have taken any preparedness measures; this where this Canadian company comes in
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AT&T in broad security drill
Large communication company to engage in a week-long disaster resilience and recovery exercise; Katrina showed the need for such exercises
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Ohio company develops secure IP-based communication system for first responders
Ohio company teamed up with NASA to develop extra-secure communication gear for satellite communication; it now offers that gear to first responders
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Health problems of first responders emerges as an issue
First responders are willing to take the immediate risks associated with running into a burning building or engaging in a risky rescue operation; long-term ailment as a result of exposure to toxic materials may be a different thing
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Automata launches continuity trainers club
U.K. continuity training company wants to create a club of corporate continuity training officers
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Nuasis awarded patent for call center continuity solution
A call-center back up system is awarded a patent
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GemaTech offers telephone-recover business continuity solution
California company offers a way for businesses to retain records of all their calls in case a disaster destroys their communication networks
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Isonics to develop decontamination method for hospitals and bioterror attacks
Isonics, and energetic and innovative company, joins with others to develop a an effective decontamination solution for bioterror attacks; the good thing is that the solution will also help hospitals keep themselves free of infectious contamination, and give former Soviet weapon scientist a productive line of work
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OMB outlines risk assessment proposal
OMB circulates a proposal detailing how government agencies should assess risk to public security and welfare as they formulate policies and regulations; wouldn’t be a bad idea for the private sector to adopt a similar approach
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Insurance industry divided over federal backstop for disaster coverage
In the wake of 9/11 Congress created a federal backstop “Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA)” for disaster coverage. It was meant to be a temporary measure, but the insurance industry and developers became fond of it, and pushed for its extension last December; division now open among insurers on whether this was a good idea
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The long view
Revising the Cost of Climate Change
Climate scientists have warned of calamitous consequences if global temperatures continue their rise. But macroeconomists have largely told a less alarming story, predicting modest reductions in productivity and spending as the world warms. Until now. New study of economic toll yields projections ‘six times larger than previous estimates’.
Efforts to Build Wildfire Resilience Are Heating Up
Stanford’s campus has become a living lab for testing innovative fire management techniques, from AI-powered environmental sensors to a firebreak-creating “BurnBot.”
Autonomous Disaster Response Technology Successfully Applied to Fire Extinguishing System of a 3,200-ton Vessel
An innovative technology for autonomously responding, without crew intervention, to ruptures to the pipes within the fire extinguishing system of vessels has been successfully verified for the first time in Korea.
Reducing Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise in Virginia
As the climate changes and sea levels rise, there is concern that sinking coastlines could exacerbate risks to infrastructure, as well as human and environmental health in coastal communities. The Virginia Coastal Plain is one of the fastest-sinking regions on the East Coast.