Tuesday, March 16, 2010

FEMA Announces Membership Of National Advisory Council 

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator David Paulison has announced the membership of the National Advisory Council. The council advises the Administrator of FEMA on all aspects of preparedness and emergency management in an effort to ensure close coordination with its partners across the country....

DHS Sponsors 4th Annual Preparedness Month 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will sponsor the fourth annual National Preparedness Month this September and encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities. This year's effort has a growing coalition of more than 625 national, regional, state and local organizations pledging support....

Report Downplays Threat to Rail System 

The study concludes that the threat of a terrorist attack on a rail shipment carrying toxic inhalation hazards is much more modest than many assert....

What a Disaster 

By Sam White

TEEX’s Disaster City offers trainees a final exam in real-life emergency management. ...

Trotter Leaves Chicago Post for Private Sector 

Chicago Chief Emergency Officer Cortez Trotter has resigned to take a position with James Lee Witt Assoc. as its vice president and director of the Midwest region....

LAX Holds Disaster Exercise 

A full-scale, simulated aircraft disaster was conducted on May 15 to test the capability of Los Angeles International Airport's emergency management system....

FDNY Releases New Terrorism Response Plan 

The Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness Strategy defines the mission of the FDNY; identifies the operational adjustments made since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001; and explains how the department can evolve to meet the demands of the future....

DHS Awards Almost $4 Million in Fire Prevention Grants 

DHS will award approximately 300 awards totaling $27 million to fire departments and other eligible organizations to reduce losses from fire and fire-related hazards. ...

Red Cross Gets new President and CEO 

The American Red Cross Board of Governors named Mark W. Everson the next president and CEO of the Red Cross, effective May 29. ...

FEMA Announces $29.1 Million Available for Preparedness Training 

The Competitive Training Grant Program provides funds to support training initiatives that are national in scope and further the department’s mission of preparing the nation to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from catastrophic events. ...

DHS Announces CEDAP Application Dates 

Equipment and training awards are offered in five categories: personal protective equipment; thermal imaging, night vision, and video surveillance tools; chemical and biological detection tools; information technology and risk management tools; and interoperable communications equipment....

NGA Center Launches Pandemic Outbreak Workshops 

Building on the significant progress states have made in planning for medical and public health responses to a potential pandemic influenza outbreak, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, convened officials from the upper Midwest on April 10 in the first of a series of regional workshops designed to assess and enhance overall state and regional pandemic preparedness. ...

NFPA Releases Evacuation Guide for People with Disabilities 

The guide addresses the need for evacuation plans to include everyone, and highlights the needs, criteria, and minimum information required to incorporate appropriate planning strategies for people with disabilities into these plans....

FEMA Prepares for Hurricane Season 

Paulison's speech at a national hurricane conference focused on the internal and external reviews being conducted in partnership with states and localities to determine where reforms can make the biggest impact....

DHS Provides First Responders $34.6M in Equipment, Training 

The Department of Homeland Security will award $34.6 million in equipment and training to first responders across the nation as a part of the FY 2006 Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program. DHS awarded more than 2,000 direct assistance grants to ensure that law enforcement and emergency responders receive specialized equipment and training to meet their homeland security mission. ...

DHS Tests First Responder Credential Capabilities 

The Department of Homeland Security Office of National Capital Region Coordination and the Department of Defense Pentagon Force Protection Agency joined public and private sector participants last month in a demonstration to validate the functionality of the First Responder Authentication Credential. ...

Best Defense 

By Rick Salyers & Troy Lutrick

Arizona’s Terrorism Liaison Officers program gives the fire service a proactive role...

FEMA Stresses Evacuation Routes in Floods 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is recommending that residents in flood-prone areas take appropriate measures, including developing personal evacuation routes and communication plans. ...

$1.7 Billion Available for Local Homeland Security Programs 

The Department of Homeland Security has released FY 2007 grant guidance and application kits for five grant programs that will total roughly $1.7 billion in funding for state and local counterterrorism efforts. With this funding, the department will have invested nearly $20 billion in local planning, organization, equipment, training and exercises. ...

NOFD Planning Report Available 

Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, the City of New Orleans Fire Department initiated a strategic planning process to recover and reconstitute fire and emergency services delivery to the city. A report detailing that planning process, which was accomplished with assistance from the U.S. Fire Administration and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, is now available...

Future Force 

By Ken Burris

Creating a five-year strategic plan for a single fire and emergency services organization is difficult at best; forecasting the entire fire and emergency...

Impetus for Change 

By Azarang Mirkhah

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program has provided $2.4 billion to fire departments and first...

Atomic Numbers 

By Mark L. Maiello, Ph.D.

In an incident involving radioactive materials, both the public and emergency responders will need to be assessed for exposure. To understand the hazards...

First Responders Need Special Gear for Special Tasks 

Erin Lang, RAE Systems

First responders deal with an almost unimaginably wide range of hazardous environments, and radiation detection technologies have been developed to better...

NIMS Seeks Comment on Fire, Hazmat Credentials  

FEMA’s National Incident Management System’s Integration Center has released initial minimum criteria for fire and hazmat personnel to be deployed using a national credentialing system....