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New device locates people in danger
University of Pittsburgh researchers develop a tracking device that can pinpoint within a few feet the locations of people inside burning buildings or other structures where there is an emergency
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Soldiers' helmets serve as sniper location system
Commodore researchers develop a networked helmet that help soldiers and first responders fighting in a hazardous urban environment pin-point and display the location of enemy shooters in three dimensions and accurately identify the caliber and type of weapons they are firing
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Disease maps may help turn Zimbabwe's health crisis around
The government of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe destroyed the country’s health care system and shut down water treatment facilities; the result has been an uncontrolled cholera outbreak; international aid organizations launch a Web site to help the poor people of Zimbabwe find disease-related information — because their government not only would do nothing to curb the epidemic, it also conceals crucial information from the citizenry
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Better bullet-proof vests with advanced fiber weaves
Manchester University researchers say that bullet-proof vests used to protect the lives of police officers could be further improved with advanced fiber weaves
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U.K. to train workers in counter-terrorism
Home Office says 60,000 U.K. workers will be trained in counterterrorism so they can assist in responding to terror incidents; the trained workers will augment the existing force of 3,000 dedicated counterterrorism police officers
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North Dakota EMS employees use disaster money for booze
Nearly $200,000 of the roughly $810,000 the Bismarck, North Dakota-based EMS group received between 2004 and last year to help produce a plan to fight bioterrorism and other mass disasters was used on “unallowable or questionable” items
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U.K. looking for a single search and rescue helicopter fleet
The U.K. Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Transportation are planning to acquire one helicopter for both military and domestic search and rescue missions; the single SAR fleet of aircraft will succeed the existing service in 2012
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Deadly avian flu virus found in wild duck in Germany
German authorities discovered the virus in a wild duck shot during a hunt near Starnberg, in Bavaria; this is the first case of a virus found in a wild bird for over a year
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Cost of bioterror false alarms, anthrax hoaxes rises
The U.S. government has spent more than $50 billion since the 2001 anthrax attacks to beef up U.S. defenses against biological attacks; there has not been another attack so far, but the cost of hoaxes and false alarms is rising steeply
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Ejector-seat ambulance design
U.K. design students produce a novel concept: an ambulance with ejector seats; when paramedics arrive on the scene of the disaster, they and their equipment are “hurled” toward the victims to ensure faster treatment
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CDW-G shows Mass Notification Toolkit
New Web site offers guidance on emergency alert system implementation, marketing, and sign-up
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More than 100 levees in 16 states are in an "unacceptable" state of disrepair
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gives “unacceptable” maintenance ratings to 114 levees in 16 states; these levees are in such a bad shape, that it can be “reasonably foreseen” that they will not perform properly in a major flood; 30 of the levees are in Arkansas
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Random antenna arrays boost emergency communications
When first responders rush to a disaster scene, they are often met with large amount of rubble; the vast amount of metal and steel-reinforced concrete in buildings and rubble often interferes with or blocks radio signals; a new antenna array solves this problem
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High tech, high price tag technology supports first responders
South Walton, Florida, upgrades first response gear with funds from the federal Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
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University of California-Berkeley prepare for the Big One
Cal students train in disaster response and are equipped with the supplies that are necessary to help
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The long view
Innovating Firefighting Technology with Smart Solutions to Enhance Urban Resilience
The increase in high-rise and densely populated urban development has heightened the demand for safety and resilience solutions against emergencies, such as fires. Researchers have created advanced technological solutions to enhance firefighting and urban resilience.