February 2018

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Tribal Ham Radio Operators Cut Through the Storm

In September 2017, the National Tribal Amateur Radio Association (NTARA) – in conjunction with the Fresno Amateur Radio Emergency Services Group and Tulare County Amateur Radio Club – set up

Passenger Egress – A Priority for Metro Rail Lines

Underground rail transit systems in the United States can be dangerous places. Not only for their riders and employees, but also for emergency responders, who may be called to help evacuate people from the area safely or to stop a blaze. The confined spaces, tight stairwells, and potential for the emergency evacuation of hundreds – if not thousands – of riders means that a project must be well-designed, thought-out, and constructed of materials that do not burn.

Evolving Needs: Interoperable Communications

During complex and large-scale incidents, first responders in the multi-jurisdictional National Capital Region (NCR) must be able to deploy and integrate with other public safety agencies in a timely and efficient manner. The NCR, for the purposes of this document, is defined as the District of Columbia and surrounding Virginia and Maryland metropolitan areas. Successful integration is contingent on first responders’ ability to communicate seamlessly outside the normal coverage area of their home radio systems.

Explosives & Handheld Trace Detection

The threat of homemade explosives (HMEs) is not new. From the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, to the “shoe bomber,” London underground bombings, “underwear bomber,” and attacks in Paris and Brussels in the 2000s, the threat is ever changing. Not only do post-incident crime scenes present danger to responders until secondary devices have been ruled out, but also makeshift laboratories where the bombs are made. Handheld explosives trace detection (ETD) equipment can help responders quickly determine on-scene threats, like Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) and react appropriately and expediently.

Hurricane Recovery – The Price of Paradise

On the morning of 10 September 2017, Irma made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 hurricane. Mandatory evacuation pushed tens of thousands of people onto a two-lane road. Returning to the area following the storm introduced additional challenges, for example: fuel trucks having trouble entering, housing shortages, landlord issues, builder contract concerns, vulnerable populations, and other reasons for delayed entry. With surrounding areas also being affected by the storm, prioritization and allocation of essential services and shared assets, as well as warehousing of donations proved to be difficult. However, out-of-state workers and resources such as the Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMATs) have played critical roles during the ongoing recovery phase.

2017 Inauguration & Women’s March – Planning & Outcomes

Washington, D.C., hosts thousands of special events each year, ranging in size and complexity. For such events, the District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) serves as the lead agency for transportation management and support. Although many of these events are planned activities for which the district and its local, regional, and federal stakeholder partners have advance notice for planning purposes, the nation’s capital is also home to many unplanned First Amendment events, which provide less notice and are less defined with respect to the planning and support required. The 2017 presidential inauguration and subsequent Women’s March highlight the differences in planning efforts and outcomes for these two types of events.

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