Disaster Preparedness | Emergency Response

Featured Videos

GSN 2012 Award Winners/Finalists/Sponsors: Dubhe Beinhorn, VP Public Sector, AtHoc, Inc

Dubhe Beinhorn describes AtHoc, Inc, winner of GSN’s 2012 award for “Best Mass Notification Solutions,” as a company that operates in one sector only: critical communications for crisis management....

GSN 2012 Award Winners/Finalists/Sponsors: Covia Labs, David Kahn, CEO

Covia Labs received the award for “Best Interoperable First Responder Communications” in the 2012 Awards Program for its “Alert & Respond” software platform and application that provides voice/...

GSN 2012 Award Winners/Finalists/Sponsors: Drew Morin, Chief Technology Officer, TeleCommunication Systems

TeleCommunication Systems (TCS), which entered its “Commercial Mobile Alerts System” in the 2012 Awards Program, was named a Finalist in the “Best Mass Notification Systems” category. Drew Morin, who...

GSN 2012 Award Winners/Finalists/Sponsors; Jim Montagnino, CEO/President, NC4

El Segundo, CA based NC4 specializes in situational awareness, emergency response and event planning, according to Jim Montagnino. Its crime fighting solution “Situational Awareness for Enforcement’s...

IACP Conference, 2012: Stephen Meer, Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Intrado, Inc,

Stephen Meer, one of the founders of Intrado, Inc of Denver, Colorado, indicates that his company provides services and products to the 9-1-1 infrastructure, which he says is a very complicated...

IACP Conference 2012: Mike Bostic, Director of Customer Advocacy, Security and Transportation Service, Raytheon

Mike Bostic of Raytheon points out that he spent 34 years as an Assistant Chief in the LAPD, where he worked about a third of that time in technology and communications. And one thing he...

IACP Conference 2012: Kevin P. Madden, Solutions Architect for Public Safety, Cisco Sytems

Kevin Madden discusses the nation’s first demonstrated multi-vendor interoperable Public Safety Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, which was deployed by a consortium of companies including Cisco and...

IACP Conference 2012: Dave Snyder, Spillman Technologies, Inc.

ASIS 2012: Paul Christin, Homeland Security Industy Manager, ESRI

ESRI is the innovator of GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, which Paul Christin describes as a way of managing information and understanding it geographically, or plotting information,...

GSN Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors: Tony Wilder, Incident Commander, Southern Agency Type 1 Red Team

The Bastrop County, TX Unified Command was named Winner of GSN’s 2011 Award for “Most Notable Emergency Response – Federal, State or Local.”. Trophies were awarded to the Incident Commanders of...

GSN 2011 Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors: Elizabeth Cavasso, Type 1 Planning Section Chief, US Forest Service, National Incident Management Organization (NIMO)

GSN 2011 Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors: Mike Fisher, Emergency Management Coordinator, Bastrop County, TX

GSN 2011 Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors: Dan Kleinman, Incident Commander, National Incident Management Organization (NIMO)

GSN 2011 Awards Dinner Winners and Sponsors Interviews: Bill Eckerd, Director of Sales for Strategic Account Group, Verint Video Solutions

Verint Video Solutions was a 2011 Winner of “Best Intelligent Video Surveillance Solution” for its Nextiva Physical Security Information Management System (PSIM). According to Bill Eckerd, the PSIM...

News

FCC re-names mobile alert system to ‘Wireless Emergency Alerts’

Tue, 2013-03-19 10:26 AM

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a final rule that changes that changes the name of the “Commercial Mobile Alert System” to “Wireless Emergency Alerts,” or WEA. “This is...

Coast Guard, Oregon first responders, oil company practice large oil spill response

Tue, 2013-03-19 08:51 AM

Lower Columbia River
near Astoria

A gathering of Oregon first responders, the Coast Guard and an oil company conducted a major tabletop drill on oil spill response in the lower Columbia River on March 14. A real oil spill disaster in...

Hagel cites ‘homeland security’ in beefing up anti-missile defense

Mon, 2013-03-18 08:48 AM

Kim Jong Un

Newly-installed secretary of defense Chuck Hagel said he plans to beef up domestically-based U.S. missile interceptor programs to counter growing nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea against the...

Obama signs CBRN/natural disaster preparedness reauthorization law

Mon, 2013-03-18 08:16 AM

Assistant secretary
Lurie

President Obama put his signature on the Pandemic and All–Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPA) on March 14, authorizing funding for public health and medical preparedness programs aimed...

B.I.G. Enterprises wins platinum award for border security inspection booths

Fri, 2013-03-15 12:17 PM

B.I.G. Enterprises, of Los Angeles, CA, has been named Platinum award winner (first place) in a 2013 border security awards program sponsored by Government Security News magazine. The winning product...

U.S. faces radical, shifting threat environment, says Clapper

Wed, 2013-03-13 09:10 AM

Director Clapper

The top U.S. intelligence official told a Senate panel that threats from Cyber attack, terrorists, nuclear proliferation are part of a growing diverse set of challenges facing the U.S.

Coast Guard anti-pirate detachment returns from middle east deployment

Tue, 2013-03-12 10:48 AM

A Coast Guard
MSRT

The Coast Guard welcomed a Maritime Security Response Team detachment home from counter-piracy deployment on March 8. The Chesapeake, VA-based advanced interdiction team (AIT) from the Coast Guard...

Jordanian, Iraqi officials receive radiological emergency response training

Mon, 2013-03-11 08:11 AM

NNSA training

U.S. nuclear security officials trained Jordanian and Iraqi officials in nuclear emergency response the week of March 4. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the International...

CDC warns on novel coronavirus

Fri, 2013-03-08 11:01 AM

Coronavirus
transmission

The emerging “novel coronavirus” that has appeared in patients in the U.K. and the Middle East is cause for concern, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and bears watching. Although...

Bio attack/pandemic preparedness bill approved by Congress

Fri, 2013-03-08 09:24 AM

A bill that improves the ability of U.S. infrastructure to respond to a bioterror or pandemic has been approved by both the House and Senate and now awaits the president’s signature to become law....

Newly-captured, key Al Qaeda spokesman faces trial in New York

Fri, 2013-03-08 08:52 AM

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith

The son-in-law of Osama bin Laden and fiery spokesman for Al Qaeda in the days following the 9/11 attacks has been nabbed by federal authorities in Jordan and now awaits trial in New York City.

Manned aircraft standards-based UAS makes its maiden flight

Wed, 2013-03-06 10:12 AM

Cassidian Atlante

An unmanned drone designed to manned aircraft standards made its maiden flight in Spain in late February. The Atlante Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) took flight at Rozas airfield, in the Castro de Rey...

Company News

More than 26,000 new citizen registrations for Nixle alerts in times of crisis

Nixle, LLC, a free provider of informational communication services between government agencies and the communities they serve, received 26,000 new citizen subscribers during two recent natural disasters -- Hurricane Irene and the massive Texas wildfires, Nixle said in a Sept. 15 news release.

In areas affected by these catastrophes, agencies using the Nixle high-performance notification system were able to provide their citizens with real-time warnings, information, and evacuation details.

Panasonic launches toughbook tablet microsite ahead of device in U.S.

As it unveiled the product in London on Sept. 14, Panasonic Solutions Company launched a micro-Web site for its soon-to-be-released enterprise-grade Toughbook Android tablet computer.

Panasonic launched the Toughbook Android tablet, along with newer versions of its Toughbook lineup of notebook computers, in London during the biennial Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEi).

SRI International and NRDC team to enhance first responder capabilities

SRI International and the National Disaster Resiliency Center (NDRC) signed a strategic alliance agreement to collaborate on new technologies, systems, and enhanced training capabilities to assist first responders during emergency and disaster situations.

SRI said it will work with the NDRC to create, test, and commercialize solutions that will help federal, state, and local agencies prepare for, train, and manage crisis situations.

Bayer MaterialScience’s blast-resistant structural envelope offers new level of protection

Protecting people and other critical assets from the devastation of an explosive attack is a high priority for security and building managers – and for Bayer MaterialScience LLC.

LRAD announces $1.5 million in orders from U.S. Navy

LRAD Corp., a provider of acoustic hailing devices (AHDs), announced on August 17 approximately $1.5 million in new LRAD orders from the U.S. Navy. The orders, which consist primarily of LRAD 1000X systems and support equipment, are scheduled to ship this quarter.

GAO tosses out BayFirst’s protest of State Department contract to upgrade security overseas

The Government Accountability Office has thrown out a contract protest lodged by BayFirst Solutions, LLC, of Washington, DC, after BayFirst objected to the State Department’s award of an $18 million contract to a rival, Veteran’s Solutions, Inc. (VSI), of Arlington, VA, to provide support services related to the upgrade of security at U.S. Government locations overseas.

GAO dismisses protest lodged against FEMA by training firm Business Management Associates

Business Management Associates (BMA), of Alexandria, VA, was not happy when it lost a bid to provide support to FEMA in developing hazard mitigation training programs, but the Government Accountability Office has denied the protest that BMA subsequently lodged against FEMA.

Athletes competing at World Police and Fire Games in NYC will be wearing fibers by Lenzing

Lenzing, an Austrian-based company that provides high-quality cellulose fibers to the textile industry, has announced that athletes it is sponsoring at the World Police and Fire Games, scheduled to take place in New York City from August 25 to September 5, will be outfitted in “performance apparel” made from Lenzing fibers. The Lenzing athletes, who have competed in skill competitions in Europe and Asia, will be competing in the U.S. for the first time.

Commentary and Opinions

Streamlining emergency management

By Craig Fugate

[Editor’s note: Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, delivered the following testimony on Oct. 13, 2011 before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, entitled "Streamlining Emergency Management: Improving Preparedness, Response, and Cutting Costs."]

Introduction

The homeland security ‘end-user’

In the 2010 Quadrennial Review of Homeland Security, the department identified an objective regarding individuals and families. Specifically, it addressed the reduction of vulnerabilities and the enhancement of resources in order to minimize impact and fallout from attacks and disasters.

The reason seems to be obvious. However, this is not usually the approach of homeland security. The practice of homeland security, to this day, has been a top-down approach, yet, if the system fails, it is the citizen or local responder left to deal with the fallout.

9/11, A Decade Later -- Managing fear

9/11 unleashed ripples of uncertainty and fear of further attacks in the following months. While this was expected, given the enormity of the event, did the federal and state response fuel the terror of terrorism?

I would argue that it did, and that effective risk communication strategies are still lacking 10 years later. Furthermore, failure to implement a comprehensive risk communication strategy that covers natural and man-made disasters will continue to undermine preparedness, response and recovery efforts.

9/11, A Decade Later -- Crisis communications is now interactive

It used to be that most government organizations had a crisis communications plan that would be pulled out and reviewed maybe once a year, which was relatively static and standard in its contents.

The plan provided guidance on calling a press conference to update reporters who would, in turn, update the public on the process and progress being made in dealing with the crisis or disaster at hand, creating press releases and other briefing materials, etc.

9/11, A Decade Later -- The Homeland Security & Defense Business Council’s 9-10-11 Project

During the past year, the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council has issued a series of monthly papers encapsulating the major topics that have shaped our nation’s approach to homeland security. Thirteen monographs have highlighted industry and government’s joint effort to confront the challenges, and develop solutions to successfully focus on the historic mission to create a more prepared, responsive, resilient, safer and secure homeland.

Technology Sectors

Market Sectors

Essential Guides

Recent Disaster Preparedness Videos

IACP Conference, 2012: Stephen Meer, Founder and Chief Technical Officer of Intrado, Inc,

Stephen Meer, one of the founders of Intrado, Inc of Denver, Colorado, indicates that his company provides services and products to the 9-1-1 infrastructure, which he says is a very complicated ecosystem with lots of different constituent groups. The 9-1-1 infrastructure is like an iceberg, he says, with a little piece that delivers services to the public that is above the water line, and a massive infrastructure under the water line that supports it in operating seamlessly, continuously, dealing with all the regulations and issues in the world of public safety communications.

IACP Conference 2012: Mike Bostic, Director of Customer Advocacy, Security and Transportation Service, Raytheon

Mike Bostic of Raytheon points out that he spent 34 years as an Assistant Chief in the LAPD, where he worked about a third of that time in technology and communications. And one thing he learned from his LAPD experience is that everything the military needs, so does public safety. But Raytheon is in the business of solving operational problems rather than selling boxes and devices, he says, and as a systems integrator the company sells solutions to specific sets of problems.

IACP Conference 2012: Kevin P. Madden, Solutions Architect for Public Safety, Cisco Sytems

IACP Conference 2012: Dave Snyder, Spillman Technologies, Inc.

Spillman Technologies is a vendor of public safety software used by law enforcement, fire and emergency management agencies, according to Dave Snyder. The company provides an integrated solution and specializes in multi-jurisdictional assignments involving agencies that want to collaborate with other agencies with information systems in large geographic areas. Snyder points out that the company has been in business for almost 30 years and has an extraordinary degree of stability, and its customers can count on major upgrades each year at no cost.

ASIS 2012: Paul Christin, Homeland Security Industy Manager, ESRI

ESRI is the innovator of GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, which Paul Christin describes as a way of managing information and understanding it geographically, or plotting information, visualizing the data, and analyzing the dots to make sense out of the data. The company sells to 40 verticals, one of which is homeland security. Christin describes how GIS technology is used for planning major events, such as political conventions or the recent NATO conference in Chicago.

Upcoming Events

Event Details	Dates of Event
SANS Austin 2013	May 19 - 24
DoD VA Healthcare Training Forum	May 20 - 23
Transport and Logistics of Hazardous Material	May 27 - 28
Southwest Microwave Seminar	May 28 - 28
Border Management Southwest Summit	May 29 - 31
Cyber Security Conference & Expo	May 30 - 30
Mobile Device Security Summit 2013	May 30 - Jun 6
Security Analytics Summit 2013	May 30 - Jun 6
Cyber Security Conference & Expo	May 30 - 30
Southwest Microwave Seminar	May 30 - 30
SANS Malaysia @ MCMC 2013	Jun 3 - 8
2013 SIA Government Summit	Jun 4 - 5
Southwest Microwave Seminar	Jun 4 - 4
NCT: CBRNe Israel, 4 - 6 June 2013, Tel Aviv	Jun 4 - 6
SEL Modern Solutions Power Systems Conference	Jun 5 - 7
Mission Command	Jun 10 - 12
Cyber Securty Brainstorm	Jun 11 - 11
EDGE Summit 2013	Jun 11 - 11
IPv6 Summit 2013	Jun 14 - 16
SANSFIRE 2013	Jun 15 - 22
Oak Ridge National Laboratory's 2nd Biosurveillance Symposium	Jun 17
Biodetection Technologies 2013	Jun 18 - 19
Southwest Microwave Seminar	Jun 18 - 18
Cyber Defense and Network Security Summit	Jun 24 - 26
Vanguard Security & Compliance 2013	Jun 24 - 27
SANS Canberra 2013	Jul 1 - 13
Border Management & Technologies Summit	Jul 2 - 5
SANS Rocky Mountain 2013	Jul 15 - 20
SANS Mumbai 2013	Jul 22 - 27
SANS San Francisco 2013	Jul 29 - Aug 3
SANS Boston 2013	Aug 5 - 10
Cyber Security for Government	Aug 12 - 14
SANS Thailand 2013	Aug 19 - 31
SANS Virginia Beach 2013	Aug 19 - 30
Maritime Security 2013 West	Aug 19 - 21
930gov: Strategic Buying at Year-End Showcase	Aug 21 - 21

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IDenta says explosives ID kits identify underwear bomber’s PETN

Add Jerusalem-based Identa Corp. to the handful of companies that issued statements in the wake of the failed...

Introducing the ‘In Case of Emergency’ iPhone app

Legalzoom.com, an online legal service, and Donate Life America (DLA), a non-profit organization, have created and are offering ICE App, intended to help users input the compreh...

MetaCarta releases version 4.5 of geographic search software

Cambridge, MA-based MetaCarta, Inc., a provider of geographic search solutions, has announced the launch...

Magnasphere rolls out high-security sensor

Waukesha, WI-based Magnasphere reports that its new high-security sensor, HSS, has completed its UL inspections and is r...

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