Emergency Preparedness News articles from July 2004

Emergency Preparedness News archives from July 2004

From hot potato to fast track.(Slants & Trends)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... FROM HOT POTATO TO FAST TRACK. The cringing was evident last week when the 9-11 Commission's final report landed on Bush administration and congressional Republican desks. President Bush promised only to study it, and House and Senate leaders...

Risk is greatest factor for responder funding, 9-11 commission concludes.(National Commission on Terrorism Attacks Upon the United States)
July 27, 2004... Funding to prepare first responders for terrorist attacks, "should be based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities," with Washington, D.C. and New York City "certainly at the top of any such list," declared the final report of...

Commission warns of 'opportunities to do harm' in rail, maritime modes.(National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... Ninety percent of the nation's transportation security investment "goes to aviation--to fight the last war" on terror rather than funding "a forward-looking strategic plan systematically analyzing assets, risks, costs, and benefits," asserted...

Quantifying a tragedy.(statistics of World Trade Center and Pentagon Attacks, 2001's deaths )(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released an interim analysis indicating that more people died on 9/11 below the impact of the two planes that hit World Trade Center Towers 1 and 2 than previously thought. At Tower...

FCC ruled on interference with 'tunnel vision,' some first responders assert.(Federal Communications Commission)
July 27, 2004... The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted its long-awaited plan to resolve the interference problem for public safety radio systems operating in the 800 MHz band, but it appears the controversy surrounding the issue is far from...

GAO offers DHS advice to jumpstart nationwide responder interoperability.(Government Accountability Office)(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... DHS does not have a handle on how well responders can communicate via public safety wireless networks, and the status of the federal government's Wireless Public Safety Interoperable Communications Program (SAFECOM) has so far been hamstrung by...

Advice to businesses in Boston, NYC: plan for preparedness past dialing 911.(New York City)
July 27, 2004... Companies doing business in Boston, site of this week's Democratic political convention, and in New York City, where Republicans convene next month, would be wise to make their own preparedness plans rather than rely solely on first responders,...

DHS threat center up and running; all states, high-risk cities included.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... DHS has formally unveiled its Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) in Washington, D.C., a 24/7 "national-level nerve center for real-time threat monitoring," incident response coordination, and information sharing. The heart of HSOC...

Funding freed up to train responders in state, local incident management.(Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness )(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... DDS's Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness is permitting states and urban areas to use Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Area Security Initiative funding to pay for additional training courses offered by...

TRIP III scanning for explosives while passengers ride the rails.(Transit and Rail Inspection Pilot )(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... Phase III of TSA's Transit and Rail Inspection Pilot (TRIP) is underway and for the first time screening passengers for explosives in a moving rail car. Passengers boarding from eight Connecticut Shoreline East commuter rail stations between...

Ridge heads new council on disability preparedness.(EPN News Roundup)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... DHS Secretary Tom Ridge is chair of the new Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities (Interagency Council)., created to ensure that disabled citizens are included in preparedness plans. ...

USDA animal registration program is first step in tracking outbreaks.(U.S. Department of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has selected an interim standardized premises registration system as the first step in a national animal identification system (NAIS) to track livestock...

Stone officially takes helm.(David Stone appointed as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for transportation Security Administration)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... STONE OFFICIALLY TAKES HELM. He's been acting administrator since last year, but the Senate has unanimously made it official: Rear Adm. David Stone is now Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for TSA (EPN, Dec. 2, 2003, p. 177).

FEMA, USFS responder guidance emphasizes all-hazards approach.(Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States. Fire Administration, Response to Terrorism Job Aid)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... FEMA has teamed up with the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to issue Response to Terrorism Job Aid, a guide for emergency response personnel to identify a possible weapons of mass destruction (WMD) terrorism incident and take initial response...

U.S. Department of Agriculture.(Grants & Contracts)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) has committed $100 million for a First Responder Initiative to finance equipment and services needed to better prepare rural responders for emergency situations. A minimum of $1 out of every $5 of fiscal...

Americorp.(Grants & Contracts)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... AMERICORP is offering state grants, national service awards, fellowships, and educational awards in several areas, including homeland security. Deadlines vary depending on the programs. Contact: National Service Corp., (202) 606-5000; Web site:...

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.(Grants & Contracts)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION is awarding grants ranging from $300,000 to $3.5 million to tax-exempt institutions to reduce the threat of bio-terrorism. Grants ranging from $500 to $45,000 may be approved immediately. These are rolling...

The defense Department.(research grants to develop security systems)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT'S Personnel Security Research Center is accepting applications from graduate students for projects aimed at improving security techniques and systems for vetting and monitoring personnel. Awards range from $5,000 for...

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.(Grants & Contracts)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES (NIEHS) FY04 SBIR/SBTRR E-Learning for Hazmat and Emergency Response will award grants of up to $200,000 each for small businesses to develop technology products enhancing online education...

TSA.(Transportation Security Administration awarded grants for Regional Maritime Security Coalition of Portland)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... TSA has awarded the Regional Maritime Security Coalition of Portland, Ore., $1.62 million to develop a prototype multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency Cargo Information Action Center (CIAC) for the 22 ports in the Northwest's Columbia-Snake River...

Calling all colleges.(Center of Excellence in the Behavioral and Social Aspects of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... CALLING ALL COLLEGES. DHS has issued a Broad Agency Announcement inviting colleges and universities to submit letters of intent by July 30 to become a Center of Excellence in the Behavioral and Social Aspects of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism....

Making maritime security stick.(Coast Guard's maritime security plans)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... MAKING MARITIME SECURITY STICK. It is "uncertain" whether the U.S. Coast Guard will have enough well-trained inspectors to ensure that 3,150 port facilities and 9,200 vessels are effectively implementing the maritime security plans that went...

Updating deepwater.(Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System )(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... UPDATING DEEPWATER. The U.S. Coast Guard needs to update the original schedule for its Integrated Deepwater System acquisition program to replace or modernize cutters, aircraft, and communications equipment, according to the Government...

Post 9/11 preparedness for feds.(Federal Preparedness Guide )(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... POST 9/11 PREPAREDNESS FOR FEDS. DHS has updated the five-year-old Federal Preparedness Guide 65, Federal Executive Branch Continuity of Operations (COOP) to reflect post 9/11 procedures for all departments and agencies. Subjects include orders...

trial expands.(clinical trials of effectiveness of West Nile virus antibodies)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... WEST NILE VIRUS TRIAL EXPANDS. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has expanded its clinical trial of an experimental West Nile virus (WNV) treatment from the original 36 sites to 60 sites throughout the U.S. and...

Flash flood safety.(Kyle Busch to endorse National Weather Service's Turn Around, Don't Drown campaign)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... FLASH FLOOD SAFETY. The National Weather Service (NWS) Las Vegas office has enlisted NASCAR driver Kyle Busch to launch its regional TADD (Turn Around, Don't Drown) public awareness campaign to prevent people from walking or driving into flood...

Immune Buildings.(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's project for building safety)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... IMMUNE BUILDINGS. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Battelle a $20 million two-year contract to serve as lead systems integrator for the demonstration phase of the Immune Building Program. The project is...

Foam for fire.(Emergency Film Group)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... FOAM FOR FIRE. Emergency Film Group has released a video-based training program for emergency responders on the correct preparation and application of foam to extinguish fires, prevent ignition at flammable or combustible liquid spills, and...

Portal touts accurate detection while responders steer clear of explosives.(Explosive Detection System)
July 27, 2004... The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) declared success recently in reaching the dual high-tech goal of significantly increasing the accuracy of explosives detection while protecting responders. INEEL, a...

Portal moves from rail to air.(San Diego International Airport)(Brief Article)
July 27, 2004... San Diego International Airport is the site for testing the GE EntryScan3 explosives detection portal in an airport setting. The portal, which can detect vapors and microscopic particles left behind by explosives and clinging to air passengers...