The Department of Defense (DoD) cyber strategy guides the development of DoD's cyber forces and seeks to strengthen its cyber defense and cyber deterrence posture. It focuses on building cyber capabilities and organizations for DoD's three primary cyber missions.
The devastating tornado that destroyed thousands of homes in Joplin, Missouri, in May 2011 is a key example of successful preexisting collaboration and after-action team building among city officials, business and community leaders, and residents. Resilient communities: (a) define and nurture collaborative environments; (b) identify collaborative enablers and barriers; and (c) understand the people and factors behind collaboration efforts.
Pandemic influenza, an aerosolized anthrax attack, a nuclear detonation, chemical or radiological exposure, and other known and emerging threats and disasters are all potential threats to the United States. To combat these, one enterprise - comprising many collaborating federal agencies - is preparing to provide the necessary medical products when and where they are needed.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allocated $7.4 million in Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funds to Virginia for fiscal year 2015. These grants are provided to strengthen the commonwealths ability to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.
The first installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) examines how to modernize the nation's energy infrastructure to promote economic competitiveness, energy security, and environmental responsibility. It focuses on: energy transmission, storage, and distribution; and the networks and facilities that form the backbone of the nation's energy system. The QER identifies vulnerabilities and proposes policy recommendations and investments.
In March 2014, the Committee on Homeland Security completed its investigation of the Boston Marathon bombing, which occurred on 15 April 2013, and released a report detailing four areas needing improvement and it's recommendations. In this follow-up report, the Committee explores some of those changes, and details areas where further improvements can and should be made.
Smartphones and other personal electronic devices could, in regions where they are in widespread use, function as early warning systems for large earthquakes according to newly reported research. This technology could serve regions of the world that cannot afford higher quality, but more expensive, conventional earthquake early warning systems, or could contribute to those systems.
The emergency medical services (EMS) community faces many challenges in providing patient care while maintaining the safety of their patients and themselves. This research report summarizes best practice information received and consolidates it in an appendix for consideration by the EMS community.
This report highlights the research and development projects the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) launched in fiscal years 2008 through 2013. It examines the extent to which DNDO's project planning and selection process aligns investments with gaps in its global nuclear detection architecture, as well as DNDO's steps to evaluate the outcomes of projects in which it invests.
During a disaster, private sector companies may not have access to valuable public sector resources and information. Some government agencies, though, are building online portals that provide businesses with situational awareness, such as real-time weather forecasts, road closures, and emergency alerts, as well as a chat room to increase public-private collaboration and private sector resilience.
A man runs into an evacuation zone to rescue his dog. A woman refuses to leave her home in the face of danger because she cannot find her cat. A family is turned away from a shelter because they do not want to leave their pets behind. In all of these cases, people are willing to sacrifice themselves and, in some cases, endanger responders for the good of their pets, so related emergency plans must be in place.
FLIR Systems Inc. has received the second full-rate production order under a U.S. Department of Defense contract to support the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Dismounted Reconnaissance Sets, Kits, and Outfits (DR SKO) program. The contract is for FLIR's integrated chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives threat response system and related spares and services.
A Memorandum of Cooperation recently signed by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, M.B. Ch.B., chairperson of the African Union Commission, formalizes collaboration between the African Union Commission and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in creating the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (African CDC).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched a new feature to its free app that enables users to receive National Weather Service alerts for up to five U.S. locations. In addition, the app also provides a customizable checklist of emergency supplies, maps of open shelters and disaster recovery centers, and tips on how to survive natural and manmade disasters.
The After Action Report for the Response to the 2013 Boston marathon bombings reflects the after action review findings of response and recovery activities performed by public safety, public health, and medical personnel following the April 15 bombings, the care and support of those impacted by the events in the following days, and the search and apprehension of the bombing suspects.
The World Health Organization's new registration system will enable it to: (a) build a global roster of foreign medical response teams ready to deploy for emergencies; (b) set minimum standards for international healthcare workers; and (c) allow teams to clearly outline the services and skills that facilitate a more effective response and better coordination between aid providers and recipients.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) selected the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the lead institution for a new DHS Coastal Resilience Center of Excellence (COE), which will address the challenges facing communities across the United States that are vulnerable to coastal hazards, including hurricanes and floods.
The National Institutes of Health has been saving the lives of patients diagnosed with Ebola virus. At the same time, Walter Reed Army Institute has been developing and testing a new Ebola vaccine. Montgomery County, Maryland, is home to these world-renowned facilities as well as a leading healthcare coalition that continually prepares for emerging public health threats.
With people regularly attending services each week at faith-based organizations around the world, these organizations must have plans in place to provide safe egress of large crowds of attendees from their buildings on a regular basis. Much can be learned from and implemented into such organizations to provide greater community resilience.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded more than $11 million in first-year funding for nine research projects supporting enhanced diagnostics to rapidly detect antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The awardee institutions will develop tools to identify certain pathogens that frequently cause infections in health care settings.
Once a public health outbreak occurs, it is too late to prepare. In 2014, Ebola highlighted gaps in the nation's preparedness for an unexpected viral threat that gained worldwide attention. Having supplies on hand or knowing how and where to get them when needed is the best way to protect public healthcare workers. The Strategic National Stockpile bridges these public health response gaps.
Following the award-winning international success of their widely recognized line of panoramic infrared search and track cameras, HGH Infrared Systems is proud to announce the launch of their latest Spynel model, the Spynel-M. The Spynel-M continuously captures full panoramic, high-resolution infrared images every second to provide real-time security against conventional and asymmetrical.
The emergence of drug resistance in bacteria is reversing the miracles of the past 80 years of antibiotics, with drug choices for the treatment of many bacterial infections becoming increasingly limited, expensive, and, in some cases, nonexistent. This report provides a roadmap to guide the nation in rising to this challenge.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and public health partners have investigated several recent clusters of shigellosis in Massachusetts, California and Pennsylvania and found that nearly 90 percent of the cases tested were resistant to ciprofloxacin (Cipro), the first choice to treat shigellosis among adults in the United States.
This report examines the various legal issues that arise with respect to the sharing of cybersecurity intelligence, with a special focus on two distinct concepts: (a) sharing of cyber- information within the government's possession; and (b) sharing of cyber information within the possession of the private sector.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced $73 million to be invested this year to rehabilitate and assess dams across the nation to ensure this critical infrastructure is protecting Americans from harm, securing public health, and expanding water supplies in drought-affected areas. About 150 projects and assessments in 23 states will be funded.
Since 1998, a growing number of residential and community safe rooms designed and constructed using guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) publications have already saved lives in actual events. There has not been a single reported failure of any safe room constructed to FEMA's criteria.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently announced the transition of the Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS), a full-time emergency response capability, to the Worldwide Incident Command Services Corporation (WICS).
This report is a reference tool on Superstorm Sandy recovery and rebuilding efforts to date. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure continuously engages in Hurricane Sandy oversight through regular agency briefings and updates, hearings, requests for information, and staff visits to affected areas to observe project progress firsthand.
Culture profoundly affects human behavior. Disasters also profoundly affect human behavior. From the beginning stages of a crisis situation - planning and preparations through execution of operations - emergency management decision makers from government agencies and private sector organizations must be able to view their jurisdictions through various cultural lenses.
A superstorm, a Navy yard shooting, and a major transit incident are just three examples where a breakdown in communications, incomplete common operating picture, ineffective coordination, and/or lack of situational awareness negatively affected response efforts. Multiagency collaboration and real-time, critical information are needed in both life-threatening and nonemergency situations.
Tallysman Wireless Inc., a leading provider of high-performance, high-quality radio frequency and Global Navigation Satellite Systems components, and Telematics solutions for two-way radio systems, recently released a hosted data service for its TruFleet AVL (Automatic Vehicle Location) system, which runs on MOTOTRBO digital two-way radio networks.
Emergency preparedness is not boring - it is fun, interactive, and educational! In Illinois, preparing for a disaster involves games, parks, and day camps for children. With collaborative efforts and partnerships with a variety of community organizations, these valuable teaching opportunities instill family preparedness practices that last for generations.
The intended use of the State Mitigation Plan Review Guide is to facilitate consistent evaluation and approval of state mitigation plans as well as state compliance with the mitigation planning requirements when updating plans. The mitigation planning process identifies risks and vulnerabilities associated with natural disasters and establishes a long-term strategy for protecting people and property in future hazards events.
The Department of Energys National Nuclear Security Administration led a three-day meeting with U.S. and Japanese emergency preparedness and response experts to exchange ideas on enhancing nuclear emergency preparedness and response capabilities. The meeting is a cooperative effort as part of the U.S.-Japan Bilateral Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to share data on pesticides and toxic substances. This will allow the agencies to share information that will better inform their assessments of risks to the public and to the environment.
CNA Corporation Board of Trustees has selected Katherine A. W. McGrady, Ph.D., now serving as Acting President of the Center for Naval Analyses, as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the CNA Corporation. McGrady will replace Robert J. Murray, who announced his intent to retire after serving CNA for 25 years.
George Mason University's 2015 Summer Program in International Security is divided into three weeks, each of which focuses on a different "big" topic in the dynamic world of international security. This year's focus areas are: global health security; terrorism; and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons.
Everbridge, a leader in unified critical communications, has partnered with Federal Signal Corporation, a leader in environmental and safety solutions, to integrate emergency alerting hardware devices with automated personal messaging. The relationship enables Federal Signal to leverage Everbridge's robust cloud-based platform as part of its SmartMsg Mass Notification Solution.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) recently awarded approximately $12 million to BioCryst Pharmaceuticals of Durham, North Carolina, for the advanced development of a promising experimental drug for Ebola, including preparation for large-scale manufacturing of the drug.
As testimony continues in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing case, memories of that day are still fresh in many people's minds - especially for the 16 people who lost limbs on that tragic day. By law, every jurisdiction must have plans and partnerships in place to ensure that those with existing or newly acquired disabilities are properly cared for in any emergency.
NextgenID, the industry leader in trusted identity credentialing, automated smart card enrollment, issuance, and managed identification enterprise lifecycle services, recently announced that Michael Garcia has joined the company as senior vice president of sales and marketing.
There continues to be a rise in emerging infectious disease threats, as well as diseases that are reemerging due to globalization, drug resistance, and declining participation in vaccination programs. The outbreak of Ebola proved that, although the United States had plans in place, much of the nation was still surprised by the effects of this deadly virus. To address this topic, Ellen Carlin, D.V.M., led a discussion with subject matter experts at the Texas State Capital. That discussion and results from a nationwide survey provided content for this report.
When hundreds of people fall ill from a mysterious biological agent, public health and law enforcement agencies work seamlessly to implement the established policies and enforce any necessary quarantine procedures that they have planned and trained for well in advance of the current threat. At least, that is what should happen.
