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BreakAway offers disaster simulation game free to cities
Incident Commander ideal for underfunded municipalities; players work out logistics, procurement, and communications problems; hostage taking, terrorism, and natural disasters among available scenarios
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Carribean islands sign disaster relief deal wih Cable & Wireless
Jamaican telecommunications giant to evaluate Carribean Disaster Emergency Response Agency planning; deal may integrate C&W’s network into regional emergency management system
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Remote access market to expand 34% by 2010
Originally sold as home office technology, remote access has significant security and business continuity advantages
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URS, Applied Marine Technology win contract to support National Exercise Program
Total value of contract for workshops, policy development, program evaluation, information technology support, and exercises for senior officials is $350 million
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DHS inspector general criticizes FEMA oversight of search and rescue teams
Many task forces rated themselves below 50 percent readiness; few complying with training, maintenance, and record-keeping requirements
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Disaster Management Systems critical for insurance companies
Off-site, on-line lockboxes hold claims information, lists of assets submitted by customers
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IT failure tops list of small business continuity concerns
Despite high recognition of the problem, implementation lags behind; new British continuity standards loom
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Louisiana officials worry about levees
Tropical Storm Ernesto heads toward Gulf of Mexico; evacuation planning seems improved but overtopping and breaching still threaten levees
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9/11, Katrina anniversaries highlight radio interoperability problems
Government grants have done little to improve municipal communications; New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Tulsa provide models of ongoing difficulties
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Engineering Systems Solutions announces successful test of its ForeWarn Universal Communicator
Successful DHS-sponsored simulation is a good sign for company’s ambitious expansion plans; test of the Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network an even better sign for emergency responders nationwide
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Utility and telecom industries press government for national identification cards
Industries want immediate access to emergency sites; interoperability with FIPS-201-1 a critical issue
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Texas groups to offer pipeline emergency course
Innovative program uses a 2,300-foot underground pipeline to simulate oil and gas leaks; course to begin 28 August 2006
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Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International to hold conference in August
The Unmanned Vehicles 2006 Symposium and Exposition will present latest technology, offer technical sessions; Innova Robotics to demonstrate command and control system for mutiple unmanned vehicles
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Professor finds continuity planning improves employee morale
Employees report higher job satisfaction, stronger perceptions of control, enthusiasm for hard work
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Parvus Technology demonstrates wristwatch computer at LandWarNet conference
Zypad WL 1000 can download maps, detect if wearer is injured; although designed for military and industrial purposes, firefighters may also benefit
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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.