Emergency Management

Interim Housing Following Disasters: The FEMA Temporary Housing Program The once-maligned Federal Emergency Management Agency displays determination as well as imagination in its innovative plans to provide temporary housing for those suddenly homeless in future times of disaster. read

Backups for Emergency Satellite Communications In today's fast-moving world comprehensive, rapid, & continuing communications are the key to business success - and, in times of conflict, success on the battlefield as well. But what happens if communications systems are destroyed or made inoperable? read

Credentialing of Private-Sector Disaster Support Personnel When disaster strikes U.S. government agencies often turn to the private sector for assistance. But incident commanders cannot always be sure if non-government volunteers who show up are who they claim to be and/or possess the skills/training needed. read

U.S. Businesses Respond to Community Needs Three Cheers for three retail giants - WalMart, Home Depot, and Lowe's, all of which stepped forward to provide urgently needed building materials and the mountains of other supplies required to help restore order in the aftermath of Hurricanes and Rita. read

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EMS

Plan Nationally, Respond Locally Flexibility, common sense, and operational efficiency are the hallmarks of the new National Response Framework, which builds on the solid but sometimes too rigid foundation of its predecessor doctrine, the National Response Plan. read

Fleet Decontamination During a Pandemic Decontamination, disinfection, and the use of liquid hand cleaners - all are among the most important "weapons" in the first-responder community's fight against a potential flu pandemic. And it's a battle to the death. Literally. read

WebEOC Fusion for Disasters and Everyday Use Flexibility, versatility, and a quantum upgrade in overall capabilities are the biggest selling points of ESi's newest WebEOC system, unveiled last month at the company's fourth annual User Conference in Boston. read

Resource-Typing Implications for EMS and Emergency Management Attention to detail is frequently the principal difference between the success, or failure, of any human endeavor. That is particularly true in times of sudden disaster, when "mere words" - precisely expressed - may have life-or-death implications. read

Force Protection - First, Protect the Protectors Not enough masks and/or medical supplies - those shortages can be overcome. But when there are not enough EMTs or paramedics, or if those who are available are among the early victims, there is no quick and easy way to find replacements. read

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Fire HAZMAT

Detection Equipment - An Ever Higher Technology Ceiling New state-of-the-art detection instruments of all types are now being deployed to determine the presence of and specifically identify a broad spectrum of chemical, biological, and radiological threats threatening the United States and American citizens. read

Incident Action Plans for Hazmat/WMD Incidents A quick but accurate analysis of unknown but potentially lethal agents detected by first responders at the scene of a mass-casualty incident can save many, many lives. That analysis requires skill, knowledge, and state-of-the-art analytical equipment. read

Incident Action Planning - A Step-by-Step Process The key to coping successfully with a mass-casualty incident or similar event is to plan ahead - as carefully and in as much detail as possible. It takes a lot of work, and all of it extremely tedious. But the end result is well worth the effort expended. read

Incident Action Planning: Staying the Course When and how do operating procedures become standard? Why are incident action plans so important? And what is the definition of an "expanding" incident? Anyone who cannot answer these questions will not meet the NIMS criteria for ICS-300. read

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Law Enforcement

GIS & GPS: Making 'Police Presence' More Precise The global positioning system & the geospatial information system - a technological marriage that has profound implications for law enforcement, national defense, & homeland security. But there are some potential pitfalls that also should be recognized. read

Crowd-Control Challenges in Pandemic Emergencies Despite much improved health care throughout the world, when (not if) the "next pandemic" strikes it would almost certainly spread rapidly - and could kill millions, cause global economic chaos, and create widespread political unrest. read

Real ID: No Impediment to Law-Enforcement Photo Sharing There are still some political hurdles ahead, but law-enforcement agencies throughout the country should soon be able to thwart terrorist acts and stop other crimes by the simple exchange of drivers-license photos from one state to another. read

TVA and Protection of the Critical Infrastructure The Tennessee Valley Authority is basically a huge and highly successful mega-corporation that has to deal with private-sector funding and operational realities while also adhering to federal, state, and local rules and regulations. read

Reducing the AN Threat: Congress Acts to Prevent Murrah Bombing Repeat A commonly used agricultural compound, ammonium nitrate (AN), was the principal ingredient in the homemade "weapon" used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. After years of debate and delay, AN is finally coming under much tighter government control. read

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