Reports

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has completed this report, which addresses: (a) threats to computer-based attacks; and (b) the impact on the critical infrastructures they support. Addressing these threats depends on effective partnerships between the government and private-sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10628.pdf

A new American Red Cross survey shows 74 percent of web users turn to social media to seek help for themselves or others during emergencies – and they expect first responders to be listening. http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=6bb5a96d0a94a210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense and the National Institute of Health (NIH) Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases served as the conveners of a Task Force of the some of the nation’s leading influenza experts

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report which discusses the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies’ progress and challenging remaining regarding strengthening risk management, educing the risk of small-vessel threats, implementing foreign port assessments, and enhancing supply chain security. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10940t.pdf

Faced with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center’s warning of a 2010 hurricane season eerily similar to 2005, many state and local government officials are asking what they can do to keep their cities and states functioning during a major business disruption such as a hurricane.

CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has developed forms and toolkits – such as the Mortality Surveillance form, the Shelter Assessment Tool, the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) toolkit, and others – to assist the preparedness & response community after a disaster strikes. http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/surveillance/

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) provides a systematic, proactive approach guiding departments and agencies at all levels of government, the private sector, & nongovernmental organizations to work seamlessly to prepare for, prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents. Beginning in FY 2010, federal departments and

The Center for Disease Controls & Prevention (CDC) provides tips on how to protect yourself from the hazardous substances related to the oil spill. http://emergency.cdc.gov/chemical/2010gulfoilspill/Coastal_Residents_factsheet.pdf

The GAO (Government Accountability Office) released the report, which addresses: (1) the extent to which NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) developed effective strategic plans for its tsunami programs; and (2) the status of NOAA’s efforts to strengthen and expand the programs and move tsunami research to application. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10490.pdf

The GAO (Government Accountability Office) has released a report on the extent the Department of Defense has: (a) identified & addressed capability gaps for its civil support mission; (b) defined its roles, responsibilities, and relationships – and identified appropriate levels and types of personnel to assign to the FEMA regions;