Emergency Preparedness News articles from June 2005

Emergency Preparedness News archives from June 2005

'The department is behind'.(Slants & Trends)(Department of Homeland Security committee management)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... 'THE DEPARTMENT IS BEHIND' on fulfilling 125 Congressional mandates and listening to private sector wisdom, the House Homeland Security Committee's ranking member has said of DHS. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) told the Homeland Security Summit...

House committee leader lays out future homeland security priorities.
June 7, 2005... "Intelligence is the most important aspect of protecting our homeland," and the federal government still has a long way to go towards integrating 33 intelligence-gathering systems scattered among 15 agencies. So said House Homeland Security...

U.S. remains linguistically unprepared to confront terrorist threat, DOD finds.(Department of Defense)
June 7, 2005... Homeland security is an international undertaking, and the U.S. is linguistically unprepared, according to the Department of Defense. "The terrorist attacks of September 11th, the global war on terrorism, and the continued threat to our...

Congressional investigators press for cargo security improvements.
June 7, 2005... Two reports from the Government Accountability Office plus a Congressional investigation have revealed "crippling flaws" in Customs and Border Patrol cargo security programs, according to Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), ranking member of the...

Maritime information loop clogged by security clearance snafu, GAO finds.(Government Accoutability Office)
June 7, 2005... Information sharing barriers are not the exclusive problem of fire, police, and EMT responders, the Government Accountability Office has found. Nonfederal port security officials are also struggling to get in the information loop due to holdups...

Lack of internal controls endangering cybersecurity in govt./private sectors.(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The nation's critical infrastructure security remains at risk due to lack of proper controls over both public and private computer systems, according to a series of recently released studies. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), ranking member of...

Don't trample public warning system in rush to digital TV, NAB cautions.(National Association of Broadcasters)
June 7, 2005... The National Association of Broadcasters has cautioned that the television public warning system--which notifies viewers of serious weather, terrorism alerts, and Amber alerts for missing children--may be seriously jeopardized in the push to...

VoIP firms must provide E911 service, FCC rules.(News Roundup)(Federal Communications Commission )(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The Federal Communications Commission has given voice over Internet protocol service providers 120 days to supply their customers with enhanced 911 emergency calling capabilities. VoIP providers must deliver all 911 calls to customers' local...

Law enforcement seeks greater input, more prevention in preparedness plans.(News Roundup)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The nation's homeland security strategy is handicapped by a "fundamental flaw," according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police. "It was developed without sufficiently seeking or incorporating the advice, expertise, or consent of...

Agencies say heavy Airtankers safe, will operate in 2005 wildfire season.(News Roundup)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Engineering study results have convinced the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management that they can return many of their heavy airtankers to service during the upcoming wildland fire season. USFS and BLM terminated the contracts for 33...

TSA reopens Reagan National Airport; Markey predicts responder 'nightmare'.(News Roundup)(Transportation Security Administration)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... TSA has issued security regulations that will allow the reopening of Washington Reagan Airport (DCA) to pre-cleared general aviation flights. DCA has been closed to GA operations since 9/11. TSA's interim final rule will open DCA within...

USDA extends animal ID deadline.(Briefly Noted)(Unite States Department of Agriculture)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... USDA EXTENDS ANIMAL ID DEADLINE. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has extended to July 6 the comment period on its draft National Animal Identification System. The NAIS is designed to track the...

Quake losses predicted.(Briefly Noted)(Southern California Earthquake Center)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... QUAKE LOSSES PREDICTED. Potential earthquakes on the Puente Hills fault beneath the Los Angeles region could result in as many as 18,000 fatalities, 735,000 displaced households, and $250 billion in damages, according to Southern California...

'Class of 9/11': pay, prestige.(Briefly Noted)(Partnership for Public Service)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... 'CLASS OF 9/11': PAY, PRESTIGE. Only 20 percent of graduating college seniors said that the events of 9/11 made them more interested in government service, according to a survey from the Partnership for Public Service. Forty-three percent of...

The U.S. Geological Survey.(earthquake predicting maps)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The U.S. Geological Survey has put up new public web pages that show the probability of earthquake shaking in the next 24 hours in California. The maps are not meant to be predictive, although based on previous earthquake sequences, an increase...

The USGS Natural Hazards Support System.(United States Geological Survey)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... The USGS Natural Hazards Support System is a one-stop web-based portal to current natural hazard information, geospatial data, and expert sources to assist emergency professionals in tracking natural hazard events nationally and globally....

NOAA: 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook.(Responder Resources)(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... NOAA: 2005 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook predicts a 70 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season, a 20 percent chance of a near-normal season, and only a 10 percent chance of a below-normal season. The 2005 Outlook and archived editions...

Altered standards of care in mass casualty events.(Responder Resources)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Altered Standards of Care in Mass Casualty Events from the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness provides guidelines on how to plan for delivering...

Protecting first-responders from clandestine meth labs.(Responder Resources)(responder protection training )(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Protecting First-Responders from Clandestine Meth Labs is a new training initiative from the Georgia Tech Research Institute. The program teaches responders how to recognize the labs and protect themselves from the contents such as flammable...

Fired up for fitness.(Responder Resources)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Fired Up for Fitness is a web-based interactive program from the National Volunteer Fire Council that allows firefighters to plan and record a personalized fitness program. Fired Up also guides fire departments that want to design and implement...

Spotlight on security for real estate managers.(Responder Resources)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... Spotlight on Security for Real Estate Managers addresses the changes in building security since 9/11, including legal issues, asset protection for different types of properties, and security technology. Contact: Sharon Peters, Institute of Real...

The Department of Health and Human Services.(Grant & Contracts)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES has released $1.3 billion to U.S. states, territories, and four metropolitan areas for bioterrorism preparedness. Awardees will use the grants to upgrade infectious disease surveillance, enhance...

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.(Grant & Contracts)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES has awarded 10 grants and two contracts totaling $27 million to fund development of therapeutics and vaccines against the deadliest Category A bioterrorism agents including anthrax,...

DHS.(Grant & Contracts)(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... DHS will award $140.8 million under the FY 2005 Port Security Grant Program using a new risk-based formula that considers threat, vulnerability, and consequence. Funding is available to protect against threats from small craft, underwater...

DHS has awarded the first round of grants totaling $2 million under the new Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program.(Grant & Contracts)(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
June 7, 2005... DHS has awarded the first round of grants totaling $2 million under the new Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program. CEDAP provides grants for communications interoperability, information sharing, chemical detection, sensor devices, and...

Senators direct FEMA to 'tighten up' disaster relief assessment procedures.(Federal Emergency Management Agency)
June 7, 2005... "There is no excuse for the error rate" in post-hurricane disaster aid flowing from FEMA to Miami-Dade County residents who did not qualify, declared a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee staffer. At EPN's deadline, the...

Calendar.(Calendar)
June 7, 2005... June 12-15: The 2005 Techno Security Conference, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Topics include wireless security and biometrics. Contact: TheTrainingCo., (410) 703-0332, don@TheTrainingCo.com, www.techsec.com/html/Techno2005.html. June 27-29: 4th...

Thank you for sharing?(Slants & Trends)(information sharing with responders)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... THANK YOU FOR SHARING? From computer network troubles mounting into the hundreds of millions of dollars to terrorism intelligence analysis gaps to alleged civil rights violations, the FBI is on the hot seat in Washington, D.C., and in the media...

Portland, FBI strike uneasy agreement as JTTF earns some positive reviews.(Federal Bureau of Investigation)(Joint Terrorism Task Force)
June 21, 2005... When the City Council of Portland, Ore., recently removed its two police officers from the area's FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, debate surrounding the action presented two pictures of JTTF operations in a local community. On one hand,...

Counter terrorism 'force multipliers'.(information sharing among the task forces)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... The Department of Justice's terrorism task forces have ensured that "a broader group of law enforcement officials have the security clearances needed to secure and share information about terrorism issues," according to DOJ's Office of the...

Thornburgh: DHS grants can foster cooperation among JTTFs, responders.(Department of Homeland Security)(Joint Terrorism Task Force)
June 21, 2005... DHS should make grants to state and local governments contingent on their cooperation with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces in their area, former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh has asserted. Thornburgh expressed his views at...

DHS reveals administration support for federal chemical security rules.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... The Bush Administration has stated publicly for the first time that it supports federal legislation to regulate security at the nation's chemical facilities (EPN, May 3, p. 68). Robert Stephan, DHS acting undersecretary for Information...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture.(Grants & Contracts)(Emergency Watershed Protection Program funds)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE has awarded $104.5 million in Emergency Watershed Protection Program funding for locally-sponsored watershed protection projects resulting from floods and other natural disasters such as tornadoes, fires,...

DHS information analysis and infrastructure Protection directorate.(Grants & Contracts)(Department of Homeland Security research grants for cybersecurity)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... DHS INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION DIRECTORATE has awarded the Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory $11.7 million in a second round of funding for INL's multi-year cybersecurity program. The laboratory is...

The IAIP.(Grants & Contracts)(Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection contracts)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... THE IAIP has also selected Symantec Corp., Cupertino, Calif., to supply its DeepSight Alert Services and DeepSight Threat Management System to the agency's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team's secure threat alert and analysis portal. USCERT...

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.(Grants & Contracts)(research grants)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... THA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES has awarded $10 million a year for the next four years to two new Regional Centers of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research to the University of California,...

NIAID.(Grants & Contracts)(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases research grant)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... NIAID has also awarded the University of California, Los Angeles, $6 million over four years to research countermeasures for bioterrorism, focusing on bacterial pathogens. UCLA will be a major component of the Pacific Southwest Center for...

Transit Security Design Considerations.(Responder Resources)(http://transitsafety.volpe.dot.gov/security/SecurityIn itiatives/DesignConsiderations/default.asp)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... Transit Security Design Considerations is a collaboration among the Federal Transit Administration, Transportation Research Board, American Public Transportation Association and others designed to help transit agencies assess the most likely...

"Emergency response tabletop exercises for drinking water and wastewater systems".(Responder Resources)(CD for utility workers training)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... "Emergency Response Tabletop Exercises for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems" is a CD developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to train wastewater utility workers to apply their emergency response plans. The exercises include...

"Cost effectiveness tool for capital asset protection".(Responder Resources)(risk assessment software product info)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... "Cost Effectiveness Tool for Capital Asset Protection," Version 1.0, released by National Institute of Standards and Technology economists, is risk assessment software designed for use by building owners to identify and guard against terrorist...

An online photo library database.(Responder Resources)(Federal Emergency Management Agency)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... An online photo library database just launched by FEMA includes more than 9,200 thumbnail and high-resolution images of natural disasters and terrorist events taken by the agency's staff of field photographers. The majority of photographs is in...

Roundtable advises responders: leverage resources, be creative.(EPN Special Report: Bioterrorism Experts Weigh In on Preparedness)
June 21, 2005... Flexibility, innovative thinking, and acknowledging that chaos must be factored into even the most thorough plans-these are factors that make for an effective response to bioterrorism, according to experts in the field. They dispensed...

Bioterrorism countermeasure drugs now part of healthcare cost debate.(EPN Special Report: Bioterrorism Experts Weigh In on Preparedness)(legislative bills on antiterrorism measures)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... A coalition of employers, insurers, and drug manufacturers are contending that legislation currently before the Senate would produce "windfalls for large pharmaceutical companies at the expense of consumers." S. 975 is designed to remove...

DHS reform on the horizon.(Briefly Noted)(Department of Homeland Security operations review report)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... DHS REFORM ON THE HORIZON. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff has told the House Government Reform Committee that he should be ready by early-to-mid July to discuss what changes are needed as the result of his comprehensive review of DHS operations...

DHS found unprepared.(Briefly Noted)(Department of Homeland Security information technology sytems security deficiency)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... DHS FOUND UNPREPARED. An audit by the Office of Inspector General has revealed that "DHS IT disaster recovery sites were not prepared to prevent service disruptions from potentially hindering DHS' ability to perform mission essential...

L.A. Port completely covered.(Briefly Noted)(security screening for nuclear materials in Long Beach ports)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... L.A. PORT COMPLETELY COVERED. Los Angeles/Long Beach, the nation's busiest seaport, will have all international container traffic and vehicles screened for nuclear materials and other sources of radiation by the end of the year, according to...

US-visit biometric exit.(Briefly Noted)(airports security measures )(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... US-VISIT BIOMETRIC EXIT. Seattle-Tacoma International has become the latest airport for Customs and Border Protection's US-VISIT biometric exit pilot. Most foreign visitors at Sea-Tac must check out of exit stations where CBP officials will...

'Have a weapon to share?'.(Briefly Noted)(website alerts for weapons screening)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... 'HAVE A WEAPON TO SHARE?' The National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a nonprofit corporation based in Oklahoma City, posts a monthly feature on its Web site alerting security officials to potentially dangerous concealed...

Florida hurricane protections.(Briefly Noted)(insurance companies disaster coverage legislation)(Brief Article)
June 21, 2005... FLORIDA HURRICANE PROTECTIONS. As hurricane season opened, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) signed legislation requiring insurance companies to clearly explain policy coverage and deductibles to customers, begin processing claims within 14 days, and...

Augusta Mayor will keep pushing for haz mat notice from railroads.(hazardous materials transportation operations management rules)
June 21, 2005... Augusta, Ga., Mayor Bob Young got a wake up call last January when a train derailment caused 90 tons of chlorine to spill in Graniteville, S.C., killing nine people, hospitalizing more than 300 others, and forcing the evacuation of nearly 5,500...