Emergency Preparedness News articles from October 2004

Emergency Preparedness News archives from October 2004

Christmas in October?(Slants & Trends)(homeland security bill to pass in Congress)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER? Parties have accused each other of treating the intelligence reform bill currently making its way through Congress as a homeland security Christmas tree on which to hang issues better addressed elsewhere. Responders may...

FEMA's twelve-year learning curve produces improved disaster response.(Slants & Trends)(Federal Emergency Management Agency )
October 5, 2004... The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has passed through several painful rites of passage in the last dozen years. As a result, a much different FEMA responded to the recent hurricanes that swept across the southern United States than...

Medical teams called a 'tremendous asset' in FEMA hurricane response.(Federal Emergency Management Agency, Disaster Medical Assistance Teams )(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... Although FEMA is still tabulating statistics from the quadruple hurricane whammy that blew across the southern United States, the agency can count almost 10,000 patients that have received treatment so far by Disaster Medical Assistance Teams...

DHS opens new interoperability office; urges states, cities to speed up plans.(Department of Homeland Security, Office of Interoperability and Compatibility)
October 5, 2004... With the goal of accelerating responder communications interoperability across the nation, DHS has launched the Office of Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC). The new organization gathers under one umbrella the public safety...

TSA files formal paperwork to begin long-awaited secure flight screening.(Transportation Security Administration )(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... After much controversy over lack of privacy safeguards, TSA released documents to formally begin the testing phase of its Secure Flight program to screen airline travelers using passenger name record (PNR) data and lists of individuals known or...

CDC accelerates antidote distribution; chem-packs shipped to those who ask.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
October 5, 2004... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ended the pilot phase of its chemical antidote distribution program and is now shipping "chem-packs" to every community willing to receive them, according to spokesman Von Roebuck. ...

NIAID awards $230 million in contracts for breakthrough smallpox vaccines.(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) awarded contracts worth more that $230 million to two vaccine companies to produce smallpox vaccines that are safe for people with immune system disorders. The companies already...

DHS awarded 110 Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) grants worth more than $46 million.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... DHS awarded 110 Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) grants worth more than $46 million. Local responders receive the grants to maintain preparedness for high-casualty events involving radiological, nuclear, chemical, biological or...

Northwestern public/private partnership links preparedness with prosperity.(Pacific Northwest Economic Region )
October 5, 2004... Holistic preparedness is a cornerstone of economic prosperity, according to a public/private partnership in the northwestern United States and western Canada that is applying its message of interdependency to on-the-ground action. The...

Joint force for capital defense.(Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region formed)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... The Department of Defense activated a special command that includes every branch of the military and the Coast Guard to defend the nation's capital and surrounding suburbs, and coordinate terrorism response. The Joint Force...

National emergency extended.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... NATIONAL EMERGENCY EXTENDED. President Bush issued an Executive Order extending for one year beyond Sept. 23, 2004 the national emergency authorizing the U.S. government to designate and block the assets of foreign individuals and entities that...

Community biopreparedness.(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality introduced Community-Based Mass Prophylaxis: A Planning Guide for Public Health Preparedness)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... COMMUNITY BIOPREPAREDNESS. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released Community-Based Mass Prophylaxis: A Planning Guide for Public Health Preparedness. Developed by a team of researchers from Cornell University and New...

Avian flu vaccine order.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... AVIAN FLU VACCINE ORDER. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ordered two million doses of avian influenza H5N1 vaccine as a preventive measure to prepare the nation if a pandemic of the virus occurs in humans. H5N1 has killed 29...

Protection standard.(American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices available with International Safety Equipment Association )(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... PROTECTION STANDARD. The recently updated American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, ANSI Z87.1-2003, is now available from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA). The...

The business of homeland security.(LexisNexis Matthew Bender )(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... THE BUSINESS OF HOMELAND SECURITY. LexisNexis Matthew Bender has published The Homeland Security Deskbook by Washington, D.C. law firm Venable LLP reviewing private sector responsibilities under post 9/11 homeland security laws including those...

Building security.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... BUILDING SECURITY. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) is offering an audio seminar on Oct. 8 entitled "Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Threats in the Built Environment". The seminar will be conducted via...

Secure families.
October 5, 2004... SECURE FAMILIES. The Terrorism and Disaster Branch of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has available on its Web site preparedness materials designed specifically for children, families, and schools. Topics include...

Preparedness by the book.(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... PREPAREDNESS BY THE BOOK. Broadman & Holman Publishers has released Counter-Terrorism Handbook: How to Protect Yourself at Home and Abroad by Phil Little with Albert Parrotta. Besides practical measures, the 96-page booklet discusses the roots...

DoD cuts field analysis short to make decontaminant available to responders.(Department of Defense's contract with O'Dell Engineering Ltd. to provide Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... First responders across the nation now have access to a skin decontaminant previously available only to members of the military, according to a new contract announced by the Department of Defense and O'Dell Engineering Ltd. Reactive Skin...

Department of Justice.(Grants & Contracts)(Community Oriented Policing Services)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) awarded $82.6 million in grants to 23 communities in 17 states to develop interoperable communications networks. The COPS Interoperable Communications Technology grant...

Battelle.(Grants & Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... BATTELLE was awarded a $33 million contract to provide maintenance and repair support for the U.S. government's worldwide family of biodetection systems. Battelle, as a subcontractor of AAI Corp., will train 200 maintenance and operations staff...

Nuclear Regulatory Commission.(Grants & Contracts)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) awarded PEC Solutions, Inc. a $3.1 million two-year contract to develop an automated, interactive information technology system to modernize the NRC's materials licensing process and its ability to track...

DHS.(Department of Homeland Security's contract with BearingPoint Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... DHS named BearingPoint Inc. as prime contractor for its eMerge2 (electronically managing enterprise resources for government effectiveness and efficiency) Program. eMerge2 is the DHS-wide effort to deliver critical information across all...

DHS awarded $9 million to fund 12 information technology demonstration projects in the department's Information Technology and Evaluation Program (ITEP).(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... DHS awarded $9 million to fund 12 information technology demonstration projects in the department's Information Technology and Evaluation Program (ITEP). The program supports demonstration of technology that could improve DHS's ability to...

DHS awarded Telecommunications for the Deaf Incorporated (TDI) a $1.4 million Competitive Training Grant to develop a program to provide disaster preparedness information to people with hearing disabilities.(Department of Homeland Security)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... DHS awarded Telecommunications for the Deaf Incorporated (TDI) a $1.4 million Competitive Training Grant to develop a program to provide disaster preparedness information to people with hearing disabilities. TDI will work with project directors...

TSA.(Transportation Security Administration alloted money to improve screening systems in airports)(Brief Article)
October 5, 2004... TSA committed $3.4 million to Allegheny County Airport Authority and $1.6 million to the Sacramento County Airport System for improvements to their checked baggage screening systems at Pittsburgh International Airport and Sacramento...

Calendar.(Calendar)
October 5, 2004... Oct. 6-7: Federal Buildings Expo, Washington, D.C. This General Services Administration-supported seminar and expo will focus on the changes in managing, securing, and building government facilities in the post-9/11 environment that will guide...

The countdown is on.(Slants & Trends)(presidential elections)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... THE COUNTDOWN IS ON. Although the Bush Administration has taken its lumps for dropping the ball on terrorism and holding back on adequate responder funding, President George W. Bush has his admirers among responders who credit him for the...

Responders reflect general voters' divided opinions on Bush/Kerry.(George W. Bush, John F. Kerry)
October 19, 2004... With presidential election results predicted to go down to the wire next month, the responder community, like the American public at large, is divided on whether President George W. Bush has exercised wise leadership and deserves four more...

IG urges DHS to take its rightful lead in consolidating terrorist watch lists.(Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security)
October 19, 2004... DHS "has not fulfilled its leadership responsibility" under the 2002 Homeland Security Act to consolidate terrorist watch list information, according to the department's Inspector General (IG). As a result, this vital national security function...

Weather buoys are latest guardians of homeland security on high seas.(United States. Coast Guard to use automatic identification system )(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is about to employ the high-tech tools of weather prediction to improve homeland security. USCG has teamed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to install Automatic Identification...

GIS software technology upgrades boost responders' maritime accuracy.(Applied Science Associates, geographic information system SARMAP)
October 19, 2004... Boosting the effectiveness of responders at sea--whether they are involved in search and rescue operations for distressed vessels and airplanes or responding to a haz mat spill--is the aim of geographic information system (GIS) upgrades from...

IG calls for stricter cargo inspections; CBP defiantly shirks '5 percent myth'.(Inspector General, Customs and Border Protection )
October 19, 2004... In the wake of a DHS Inspector General (IG) report calling for improvements in oceangoing cargo inspections to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the country, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has claimed that it inspects "all cargo...

FCC votes in interference protection for digital search and rescue band.(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a rule that extends interference protection to all international digital search and rescue frequencies in the 406 MHz band. Responders use these frequencies to detect and locate emergency...

Guard orders backup satellite net for emergency link to responders.(National Guard)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... The National Guard has hired a team of satellite network providers to create a communications network that will link the Guard's emergency response teams with local and state responders in the event that landline communications break down. ...

DHS/FBI analyze Russian terror attack, urge U.S. schools to heed lessons.(Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Beslan, Russia, School Siege, 2004)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... The Department of Education (ED) has sent a letter to school administrators nationwide providing advice based on an FBI/DHS analysis of the September terrorist school siege in Besian, Russia, that killed nearly 340 people, many of them...

Experts rank top terror concerns plaguing U.S. drinking water plants.(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... The distribution systems of drinking water utilities are the components most vulnerable to terrorist attack, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Testifying before the House Environment and Hazardous Materials...

D.C. approves mall security design to ward off terrorists, not tourists.(National Capital Planning Commission, National Mall )(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... Planners in the nation's capital have approved a preliminary design to protect nine Smithsonian museums located on the National Mall from terrorist attack without unduly alarming visitors. The design approved by the National Capital...

TSA chided by DHS IG for 'excessive' party costs, exec performance cash.(Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security. Inspector General)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... With TSA already raising Congressional eyebrows over hiring and resource management, the DHS Inspector General (IG) recently concluded that although the agency did not break any laws or violate government regulation, "in our view TSA's choices...

High-tech accessibility.(Department of Health and Human Services' effort to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... HIGH-TECH ACCESSIBILITY. DHS is in the process of creating a new program to ensure department compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to...

Infrastructure security.(National Transportation Safety Board's recommendations for bridge safety)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued its final report on the crash of a towboat into an interstate highway bridge in Oklahoma (EPN, Sept. 7, p. 129). NTSB recommendations would strengthen...

Secure food supply.(cooperation among Homeland Security department, Food and Drug Administration and Agriculture department to plan food assistance practices)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... SECURE FOOD SUPPLY. DHS, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have signed a cooperative agreement to help states develop a set of best practices for response and recovery...

Medical upgrade.(APCO Institute's Emergency Medical Dispatch 5th Edition, Version 2 course enhancement)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... MEDICAL UPGRADE. APCO Institute, the education and certification branch of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), has upgraded its Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) 5th Edition, Version 2 course. Enhancements include...

Terrorism insurance.(Treasury Department's survey to evaluate effectiveness of 2002 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... TERRORISM INSURANCE. Select insurers and policyholders have begun receiving questionnaires from the Treasury Department as it conducts the second wave of its survey of the terrorism risk insurance market and the effectiveness of the 2002...

Screener burnout?(Department of Homeland Security. Inspector General's report on screener performance at airports )(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... SCREENER BURNOUT? A report from the DHS Inspector General (IG) found federal airport screeners suffering from low morale, possibly due to the understaffing and large amount of overtime also noted in the report. TSA answered that screener...

Nationwide biometrics.(Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol stations to be equipped with biometric technology )(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... NATIONWIDE BIOMETRICS. DHS, in a joint effort with the Department of Justice, has reached the goal of installing integrated ten-print biometric technology in all 148 U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol stations. The technology...

Expanded US-VISIT.(Department of Homeland Security )(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... EXPANDED US-VISIT. DHS has expanded its US-VISIT program to include foreign visitors traveling under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). DHS rolled out US-VISIT in January to cover most visitors traveling to the U.S. on a visa, requiring them to...

Taking a 'sniff'.(Transportation Security Administration installed detection scanners at three air ports)(Brief Article)
October 19, 2004... TAKING A 'SNIFF'. TSA has deployed Explosives Trace Detection Documents Scanners at three more major airports: Chicago O'Hare International, Los Angeles International, and New York's John F. Kennedy. The technology "sniffs" passenger documents...

National challenge marks 25th year, spotlights responders as athletes.(Firefighter Combat Challenge)
October 19, 2004... Firefighters are legendary for their bravery and know-how in the face of a powerful element burning out of control, but the public may not realize the physical strength needed to get the job done. The Firefighter Combat Challenge has provided a...