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IAEM
IAEM has retained the services of Chandra Fox, CEM, to serve as technical expert on its Spontaneous Volunteer Study, part of the Whole Community contract awarded to IAEM by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Ms. Fox is well-qualified for the role: she lives in the epicenter of the Cascadia Subduction zone, which is a focus area for FEMA with this study; she has expertise with CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and volunteer management; and her analytical, writing, and presentation skills are needed for the study. Plans for other tasks under this contract: CEM® Exam and Prep Course content will be reviewed next year, and IAEM will work throughout the year to help FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division with some of their outreach and promotion efforts. Questions should be directed to IAEM Whole Community Project Manager Chelsea Firth.
dna
It is no surprise that India was caught fully unaware and unprepared when major disasters such as floods in Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and the most recent one in Chennai stuck the country. What's more, the disaster management authorities are likely to display the same unpreparedness if high-magnitude earthquake hits Delhi or Mumbai, both of which are high risk zones. The parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has found that the National Disaster Management Authority's ambitious communication project of setting up a National Disaster Communication Network is still at a preparation stage despite a lapse of more than four years.
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The Japan News
The government will later this month begin developing a new communications service to facilitate the transportation of patients to core hospitals in times of disaster, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
The move comes after it was found that many core disaster medical centers were not equipped with satellite data communications systems, which would cause a number of problems if they had to accept patients after a major disaster occurs.
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PreventionWeb
More than 3 years after its creation, the Department of Science and Technology's Project Noah, the country's leading program for disaster prevention and mitigation, introduces its new and improved website reports the Rappler.
The improved website has a new look, allows more features on the platform, and is more user-friendly. Local government units can better approximate and plan. Project Noah also introduced the newest version of its mobile app, Arko. In an instant, the app can generate flood hazard maps within a 2.5-kilometer radius from one's location.
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The Telegraph
Government spending cuts must not be allowed to affect vital flood defense work, MPs have warned.
The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said that with more than 5.5 million properties in England and Wales at risk of flooding, it was essential that spending on defenses was prioritized.
But with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs facing cuts of 15 percent in day-to-day spending over the next four years, the committee expressed concern that such programs could lose out.
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FLIR’s belt-wearable identiFINDER R200 is fully compliant with both ANSI N42.32 PRD and ANSI N42.48 SPRD standards, offering nuclide identification for front-line missions. Click here to get a first look online.
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| | IAEM-INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL NEWS |
AllAfrica
The provincial command of the Civil Protection and Fire Service will suppress some deficits in response service to floods with the Scorecard Workshop on Resilience to Disasters in Luanda, said its spokesman, Faustino Minguêns.
"Today we have faced the situation of floods in Luanda which has been a problem and very often we recognize that there is a deficit in terms of response, but with this Workshop, with the new knowledge, we will overcome the difficulties", he said.
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IAEM
IAEM-USA is conducting its ninth annual survey seeking information from U.S. local and tribal government emergency management offices about Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding. If you are a U.S. local government or tribal government emergency manager, we need your participation. IAEM is seeking input from local jurisdictions, while the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) seeks state-only input from state directors. A joint IAEM-NEMA report will be written and provided to Congress. Significant progress has been made in recent years in educating members of Congress on the importance of building and maintaining strong emergency management programs at the local level, as well as the role of funding, particularly EMPG funding, in building such programs. The narrative questions at the end of the survey are of particular importance. Those help paint the picture. Go to the IAEM-USA Government Affairs web page for details and the online survey link. Deadline to participate is Dec. 31, 2015.
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IAEM
The National Emergency Management Association and IAEM on Dec. 15 sent joint letters to House and Senate leadership opposing provisions being discussed as part of the Omnibus to fund fire suppression on public lands from Disaster Relief Fund or by complicated changes to the Stafford Act. These letters are updates on the joint letters we sent in July and September on the Resilient Forest Act, HR 2647. The provision opposed by IAEM and NEMA was not included in the Omnibus . IAEM and NEMA are pleased to see that an additional $520 million was included in an account set up by the FLAME Act for the U.S. Forest Service designated for firefighting. This brings the total for firefighting on public lands for FY 2017 to $1.6 billion. Downloads: IAEM-NEMA letter to House leaders; IAEM-NEMA letter to Senate leaders.
NBC News
The Department of Homeland Security will soon begin issuing public advisories to provide information about developments in the terrorist threat, including suggestions about what people should do in response.
"We are in a new phase of global terrorist threats," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told reporters on Wednesday during a press conference about the new public advisory system.
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Stay safe with the Gorman-Redlich CRW-S NOAA Weather Radio receiver, which includes SAME decoding and interfaces with digital signage, emergency lighting, PA systems and more. MORE
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The Times-Picayune
Hailed as the largest single down payment for infrastructure repairs ever delivered to an American city, the federal government has agreed to pay New Orleans $2 billion to fix its crumbling streets and cracking water pipes.
It came as welcome news to a city where the potholes and water leaks outnumber the beignets and Sazeracs.
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New York Daily News
Three years after Hurricane Sandy stranded 80,000 public housing tenants, the Housing Authority is "woefully unprepared" for the next disaster, Controller Scott Stringer charged Tuesday.
Stringer's auditors discovered project managers did not have accurate emergency information regarding 80% of tenants who use wheelchairs or need oxygen tanks.
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IAEM
FEMA Region 9’s El Niño Task Force on Dec. 9 released its Severe El Niño Disaster Response plan and convened a Regional Interagency Steering Committee (RISC) meeting in Northern California to exercise the plan. The Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) exercise allowed the task force to exercise the response plan and its flood decision support tools. During this exercise, participants identified issues, gaps, and shortfalls that could enhance the plan. The task force leveraged best available data from predictive modeling and other analytical tools to keep senior decision makers informed throughout potential El Niño events. Members of the media were invited to attend portions of the ROC and participate in a virtual press conference, including Q&A session with Region 9 Administrator Robert Fenton. More than 200 reporters requested copies of the task force’s report or took part in media opportunities. FEMA’s website has more information about El Niño, including current information and resources needed to be ready for this weather event.
IAEM
FEMA’s National Continuity Programs’ Continuity of Operations (COOP) Division and DHS’ National Protection and Programs Directorate’s Office of Infrastructure Protection’s Emergency Services Sector (ESS) recently partnered to form a working group that will collaborate to better assist local governments and industries in developing effective continuity plans and programs. The COOP/ESS working group, comprised of Government Coordinating Council and Sector Coordinating Council partners, will begin in January 2016. The working group’s goal is to further COOP and ESS continuity outreach through one-pagers, hosting/presenting at various conferences, hands-on teaching, and webinars. Email for more information.
IAEM
A memo providing highlights of the Department of Homeland Security provisions in the Omnibus funding bill has been developed by IAEM’s Policy Advisor Martha Braddock. Download it now.
IAEM
The IAEM Global Student Council (IAEM-GSC) is accepting applications through Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, at 17:00 EST, for its program to sponsor five (5) IAEM student members in good standing to obtain their Associate Emergency Manager (AEM®) certification. This program will fully cover the costs of obtaining an AEM® certification, provided the candidate can complete all requirements within one year. Download the call for applications here. Information on eligibility and required material for application packages is posted on the IAEM Student Council News page. Completed application packages are to be submitted by email to the IAEM-GSC at iaemgsc@gmail.com. Interested applicants are asked to refer to additional details by referring to the Frequently Asked Questions or by contacting IAEM-GSC Special Projects Committee Chair Peter Schalk at peter.schalk0@gmail.com.
The Associated Press via The Washington Post
Though 2015 featured some memorable thunderstorms — the EF-4 tornado west of Chicago in April, and the nighttime tornado outbreak in the Texas Panhandle — it seems all but certain to go down as the least deadly year for tornadoes on record. Amazingly, there have only been 10 tornado fatalities this year.
Using statistics that go back to 1875, Weather Underground's Bob Henson shows how low this year's tornado deaths have actually been. "If this number holds through the end of the year, it will beat the 12 deaths reported in 1910 to become the lowest annual total on record," Henson says.
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Bloomberg
It's been a record year for powerful hurricanes and typhoons in the Pacific Ocean, and they just keep coming.
Typhoon Melor, which peaked at Category 4 strength on the U.S. Saffir-Simpson scale, weakened as it moved through the Philippines, but chances are it will have company before it finally fades away.
"There is another feature already developing south of Guam," said Dan Kottlowski, a meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. "In a few days, we will probably have another tropical storm or typhoon."
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Gizmodo Australia
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. We all know that the quake in March 2011 devastated the coast of the Tohoku area. But the nation's savvy disaster preparedness likely saved thousands of lives.
The U.S. and other countries are also prone to earthquakes, but are not nearly as prepared or conscientious. And the Big One could be just right around the corner. Let’s take a look at what Japan does right, and how the rest of us can improve.
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Domestic Preparedness
Despite ongoing political controversy about climate change, one leading organization released a position statement that supports scientific research on weather extremes, which are some of the visible indicators of a changing climate. Changes in weather and habitats need to be addressed to mitigate the potential negative consequences to health and critical resources.
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Entrepreneur
In April, mere hours after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, humanitarian and filmmaker David Darg found himself on a flight to Kathmandu. Along for the ride were six GoPro cameras, a tripod and a 3-D-printed camera rig — all the gear he would need to shoot a virtual-reality film.
The resulting production, The Nepal Quake Project — released within two weeks and narrated by Susan Sarandon — was the first VR film shot in a disaster zone, giving viewers a 360-degree look at rescue efforts amid the ruins.
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Smithsonian
Stanford seismologist Gregory Beroza was out shopping one day when he heard a song he didn't recognize. So he pulled out his smartphone and used the popular app Shazam to identify the tune.
Shazam uses an algorithm to find the "acoustic fingerprint" for a song—the part of a song that makes it unique—and compares it to its song database.
What if, Beroza wondered, he could use a similar technique to identify earthquakes?
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BostInno
It can be pretty rough being a college kid these days. With greater visibility into crime on campus — from mass shootings to sexual assaults — safety concerns are understandably on the rise. So what's a student to do to keep safe nowadays?
Well, the easiest answer is to turn to innovation for help. Just look at these seven tech options that fit naturally into college students' lives — all while enabling people to dodge risky situations whether they're on and off campus.
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IAEM
It’s time to get certified! Make plans to join us for a CEM®/AEM® Prep Course in early 2016. Registration is open for the following courses.
Feb. 9 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb. 24 – Baltimore, Maryland
Learn more and register today. A minimum of 10 registrants are required for each prep course to proceed.
IAEM
The Rand Corporation recently released a report titled "Improving Department of Defense (DoD) Support to FEMA's All-Hazards Plans,” by Michael J. McNerney, Christopher M. Schnaubelt, Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Martina Melliand, and Bill Gelfeld. The report can be downloaded here. The research paper reviews and analyzes how DoD and FEMA work together to plan and execute disaster response activities, and recommends areas for improvement. The objective of the study was to identify ways that DoD can better support FEMA. To achieve this objective, the study team (1) analyzed FEMA plans and DoD policies for Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA); (2) analyzed how DoD provides DSCA support to FEMA, including key stakeholder perceptions, in order to identify potential capability gaps that DoD could fill; and (3) developed recommendations for how DoD can improve. The research was sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security. It was conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center.
IAEM
IAEM-Global Student Council Vice President Lourinda Willey, Ph.D., CEM, has been featured as the subject of a cover story in the December 2015 Women of Distinction Magazine, a national publication and community of professional women whose mission is to provide a platform where women can grow, inspire, empower, educate, and encourage one another, from any industry, by sharing stories of courage and success. The profile notes that Lourinda’s “career was one built on a foundation of continued education and expanded experiences in her industry. By allowing her skills to expand with the needs of her organization, Lourinda R. Willey, LLC (Frisco, Texas), she is making great strides as both a business owner and as a consultant in the oil and gas construction field. Centered in Texas and operating throughout the United States, she is focusing on empowering workers and organizations to be the best informed leaders in safety, environment, health, quality, and security.”
IAEM
Past IAEM-USA President Bruce Lockwood, emergency manager, East Hartford Fire Department, East Hartford, Connecticut, recently was thanked by Fire Chief John Oates for sharing his personal story in support of the "Wash Your Hood Sunday" program. Due to recent studies that have begun to quantify the effects of dirty personal protective clothing and its role in the increased likelihood of contracting cancer, fire personnel have been issued an additional hood, along with instructions about washing protective clothing such as hoods to cut down on cancer risks, and a washer and dryer have been installed at each fire station. Bruce wrote a letter about his ongoing experience in the past several years with thyroid cancer, noting "It was during this time that I found I was not alone. Just in the greater Hartford area, there is a cluster of firefighters with the same cancer in a very short period of time ... I hope this [letter] encourages you to use the tools/equipment provided to better take care of yourself and your family."
IAEM
The IAEM-USA Emerging Technology Caucus is sponsoring an IAEM webinar on “How FirstNet Could Benefit Emergency Managers at the Super Bowl,” scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016, 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST. After recent attacks in the United States and around the world, there is a heightened state of awareness about the need to protect public gatherings, such as stadiums and parades, which often can serve as targets. The Super Bowl, along with its related events, is an example of a huge responsibility for which emergency managers must prepare, and reliable communication between all agencies and personnel involved is critical. The webinar will highlight: public safety/governmental participation; the need for wide area data capabilities; the aggregation of data to create a common operating picture; and the challenges faced during public safety operations for Super Bowl XLIX, which was held in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area. Speakers will include: Kevin Kalkbrenner, Assistant Chief, City of Phoenix Emergency Manager; Amanda Hilliard, Director of Outreach, FirstNet; and Mike Worrell, Senior Fire Services Advisor, FirstNet (Former Division Chief, Phoenix Fire). Learn more about FirstNet. Online registration will be available soon. IAEM members have free access to IAEM webinars, but must register using their member password. Non-members can attend by registering and paying a $59 fee; after the event, non-members can use the $59 as a credit toward IAEM membership (credit is good for one year). All registrants, both members and non-members, will receive a link via email to set up their access to the webinar. Space in IAEM webinars is limited, so register early.
IAEM
The IAEM-USA Emerging Technology Caucus is sponsoring an IAEM webinar on “Drought Mitigation and Emergency Management,” scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016, 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST. This webinar will examine long onset disaster mitigation, with a focus on drought hazards. It will include updates from the National Drought Mitigation Center, the Extension Disaster Emergency Network (EDEN) Pilot Project/Socorro County New Mexico Drought Task Force, and information regarding how emergency managers can work with their local EDEN representatives. Presenters will include: Dr. Tsegay Tadessee, climatologist, National Drought Mitigation Center, University of Nebraska; Tom Dean, Southwest District department head and co-director, Southwest Border Food Protection and Emergency Preparedness Sector; Fred Hollis, Socorro County Emergency Management; and Steve Cain, EDEN Homeland Security project director, Purdue University. Online registration will be available soon. IAEM members have free access to IAEM webinars, but must register using their member password. Non-members can attend by registering and paying a $59 fee; after the event, non-members can use the $59 as a credit toward IAEM membership (credit is good for one year). All registrants, both members and non-members, will receive a link via email to set up their access to the webinar. Space in IAEM webinars is limited, so register early.
IAEM
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) will offer a virtual tabletop exercise (VTTX) on Jan. 26-28, 2016, involving a chlorine contamination scenario. The exercise will be focuses on public health, addressing contamination recognition response and recovery efforts to help affected communities. Participating communities will share public health details regarding protective zones, protective actions, personal protective equipment, hospital triage, latent effects, decontamination issues pertaining to patients, environmental concerns, and re-entry. The exercise will use a teleconference platform for a group of 10 or more state and local emergency management. To participate in a VTTX, email a request to Doug Kahn, with a courtesy copy email to FEMA-EMI-IEMB@fema.dhs.gov. The deadline for applying to a VTTX is four weeks prior to the start date. Additional information is available online.
IAEM
The National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO) invites emergency management professionals to attend its webinar, “Trafficking and Exploitation of Children in the United States,” set for Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2016, 3:00-4:00 p.m. EST. The session will address the interrelated issues of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and domestic trafficking in the United States. It will outline the magnitude of the problem and define risk factors that make trafficking victims vulnerable to exploitation as well as provide information on free educational resources available to the EMS community. Register online.
The Associated Press via USA Today
About 725,000 people fled their homes and communities braced for heavy rain and coastal floods of up to 13 feet as Typhoon Melor slammed into the eastern Philippines, officials said. Classes, flights and ferry trips were suspended.
The government's weather bureau said the typhoon was packing winds of 95 mph with gusts of up to 115 mph, and heavy to intense rain within its 185-mile diameter. It made landfall on tiny Batag Island in the eastern Philippines, and a second landfall was expected in Sorsogon province.
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KOMO-TV
Alaskans are certainly used to taking the worst that Mother Nature can dish out, but she tried her best Saturday evening.
A massive 928 mb (good luck finding that on your barometer) storm churning in the Northern Pacific just off the Aleutian Islands is bringing not just any hurricane-force winds to the region, but what would qualify as Category 3 hurricane force winds had the storm been an actual hurricane.
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The Associated Press via NBC News
At least 50 homes were damaged by a tornado in northeast Texas , according to reports, with chances of more twisters.
Forecasters were still trying to determine the strength of the tornado that touched down in Lindale, about 90 miles southeast of Dallas. No injuries were reported, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, but mayor Robert Nelson issued a disaster declaration.
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Reuters
A rare tornado hit Sydney with destructive winds above 200 km an hour (125 mph) and cricket ball-sized hail, bringing down trees and power lines, sheering off roofs and walls and causing flash flooding in Australia's largest city.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued the rare tornado warning around midday as the dangerous storm swept up the coast from Sydney's south, forcing some international and domestic flights to be diverted to other cities.
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Agence France-Presse via Yahoo News
housands of Nepalis still living in tents months after a massive earthquake are facing a desperate winter, because of a fuel crisis and bickering politicians' failure to spend a $4.1 billion reconstruction fund.
Eight months after a 7.8-magnitude quake killed almost 8,900 people and destroyed some half a million homes, thousands of survivors are bracing for the Himalayan winter without proper clothes, bedding or shelter.
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