Craig Fugate, Director

Weekly Report for the Second Week of March, 2009

2009-03-11T17:05:00.001-04:00

Dry Season Wildfire Threat Briefing by the Florida Division of Forestry

Flash Report Feb 24, 2009

2009-02-25T12:52:00.001-05:00

Ben's updated on the Wildfire threat in Florida

US Seasonal Drought Outlook

2009-02-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

PDF Version of Seasonal Drought Outlook Graphic

Latest Seasonal Assessment - Heavy rain and snow during mid-February raised river levels and boosted snow pack in drought-affected areas of California, but major reservoirs remained well below normal. The seasonal drought outlook indicates improving conditions for northern and central parts of the state due to expected above-normal rain and snow into early March. However, it is highly unlikely that water shortages will end before the dry season sets in, given the long-term deficits that have accumulated over nearly three years. Much more precipitation is needed to get the critical snow water content levels up to normal by April, when snow pack typically peaks. Water storage in mid-February ranged from 44 to 83 percent of normal in the largest reservoirs, suggesting that California has a long way to go to see relief from its hydrologic drought. In the southern Plains, moderate to exceptional drought is forecast to continue in Texas and parts of Oklahoma due to forecast below-normal rainfall during March through May. The same dry forecasts also lead to the continued outlook for drought development in southwestern Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Below-normal rainfall expected for March-May also results in a forecast for drought to persist or expand across the Florida Peninsula and into southeastern Georgia and southern South Carolina. Drought affecting parts of Louisiana, Alabama, and North Carolina should also continue. The lingering drought in the southern Appalachians should see improvement toward the northwest in the eastern Tennessee area, but less improvement toward the southeast in the western Carolinas. Areas of drought in Montana and northern Wisconsin are forecast to improve. Lingering drought in parts of Hawaii should also ease.

Forecaster: D. Le Comte

Next Outlook issued: March 5, 2009 at 8:30 AM EDT

StateRecovery.org - A Service of The Council of State Governments for Economic Recovery | State Recovery

2009-02-24T11:37:00.000-05:00

StateRecovery.org - A Service of The Council of State Governments for Economic Recovery State Recovery:

"Welcome to STATERECOVERY

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides over $300 billion in potential funding for states and state-related programs. In order to deliver the services their citizens need, while also addressing an unprecedented fiscal crisis, states need to access, utilize, and account for stimulus funding as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, the sheer enormity and complexity of the legislation makes this a daunting challenge. STATERECOVERY.org is a service of The Council of State Governments (CSG) designed to help states: 1) rapidly decipher potential funding opportunities; and 2) share best practices by tracking how the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government are responding to and impacted by this historic legislation"

National Governors' Association workforce planning in preparation for pandemic influenz

2009-02-20T11:14:00.000-05:00

The National Governors' Association Center for Best Practices has issued a new brief for State Executives on workforce planning in preparation for pandemic influenza. A link to the report is provided below. The recommendations in the brief are a result of regional workshops conducted by NGA in 2007 and 2008.

http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0902PANDEMICWORKFORCEPLAN.PDF

Florida's Wildfire Season 2009

2009-02-19T09:24:00.004-05:00

Drought + Weather + Humans = Florida's Spring Wildfire Threat.

Not until summer will lightning overtake humans as the primary cause of wildfire starts.

Key Web Sites for Florida's Emergency Managers to monitor the wildfire threat are

Drought - www.drought.gov

Florida Keetch-Byram Drought Index Map from the Florida Division of Forestry

Storm Prediction Center's Fire Weather Forecast

National Weather Service Fire Weather Page

your local National Weather Service will have the latest fire weather products for their county warning area. www.weather.gov

For more information

www.floridadisaster.org

and

www.firewise.org

2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season Animation

2009-02-16T15:59:00.000-05:00

From the National Hurricane Center

NOAA's Environmental Visualization Program is offering a high-resolution satellite animation of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season. You may click the link below to download the file. If you encounter trouble, right-click the link and save file to your computer.

High resolution 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season Animation (very large 110MB file in .mp4 format)

Nextgov - Feds and YouTube close to reaching a deal to post video

2009-02-11T07:05:00.000-05:00

Nextgov - Feds and YouTube close to reaching a deal to post video:

"Feds and YouTube close to reaching a deal to post video
By Gautham Nagesh 02/10/2009

The federal government is on the verge of reaching an agreement with YouTube that would allow agencies to make official use of the popular video-sharing service." more...

Nextgov - Agencies used social media to manage salmonella outbreak

2009-02-10T15:55:00.000-05:00

Nextgov - Agencies used social media to manage salmonella outbreak:

"Agencies used social media to manage salmonella outbreak
By Gautham Nagesh 02/09/2009

Federal health agencies relied heavily on social media to inform the public about the recent outbreak of salmonella tainted peanut butter, possibly reducing the number of death and injuries caused by the illness, according to federal health officials.

Officials with Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said social media helped them spread the word that peanut butter recall. The agencies used widgets, blogs, Twitter, podcasts, mobile alerts and online videos to warn the public that peanut butter manufactured by Peanut Corp. of America for institutional use and for additives in other products such as snacks may be tainted with salmonella. Eight people died and 500 were sickened by the infected peanut butter.
'The response has been really amazing,' said Janice Nall, director of the division of eHealth marketing at CDC, on the public's reaction to her agency's social media campaign. 'We look at social media as additional channels to reach people where they are.'"

more

EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO)

2009-02-05T13:25:00.000-05:00

Climate Prediction Center: ENSO Diagnostic Discussion:

"EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION"

issued by

CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/NCEP
5 February 2009

ENSO Alert System Status: La Niña Advisory

Synopsis: La Niña is expected to continue into Northern Hemisphere Spring 2009.

more...

How GIS Aids Local Government and First Responders in Crises

2009-02-02T15:27:00.000-05:00

Public Technology Institute:

"How GIS Aids Local Government and First Responders in Crises"

A new case-study guide illustrates how local government and utility first responders are using geospatial information in large-scale emergencies.
Published by PTI and the Geospatial Information & Technology Association (GITA), Geospatial Systems That Support Emergency and Disaster Operations: A Case Study Guide for Local Government and Utility First Responders is available until February 28, 2009 at no charge. After that date, the publication will be sold through the PTI Store.

Click for more...

Weekly Report from the Florida Division of Emergency Management

2009-01-29T10:53:00.001-05:00

Kids Weather Survival Week Feb 2009

more from the Florida Division of Emergency Management at
http://www.youtube.com/FloridaSERT

OASIS approves emergency data exchange standards -- Government Computer News

2009-01-28T07:07:00.000-05:00

OASIS approves emergency data exchange standards -- Government Computer News: "OASIS approves emergency data exchange standards
By Rutrell Yasin
Jan 08, 2009

The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS), the international open standards consortium, has approved two emergency data exchange languages as OASIS standards, members of the organization said today." more...

KidsGetAPlan.com

2009-01-26T11:28:00.000-05:00

Sneak Preview - http://www.kidsgetaplan.com/ - still a work in progess. Not all links and functions work, but it will give you the general idea of what we are trying to do.

craig

Florida - preliminary response to the question asked in the statewide survey

2009-01-23T12:42:00.000-05:00

Florida - preliminary response to the question asked in the statewide survey:

QUESTION: If your home was destroyed by a major hurricane, which of the following choices would best describe what you would do?

Would you:

64% - Look to remain in your home community and live in temporary housing or with family or friends while your home was rebuilt.

11% - Relocate to another part of Florida while your home was rebuilt.

7% - Relocate outside of Florida until your home was rebuilt.

8% - Not rebuild, but would relocate to another part of Florida.

8% - Not rebuild and would relocate outside the state of Florida.

2% - Not sure

Coast Guard flag officers brief new DHS secretary - Defense News

2009-01-23T11:16:00.000-05:00

Coast Guard flag officers brief new DHS secretary - Defense News: "Coast Guard flag officers brief new DHS secretary
By AMY MCCULLOUGH
Published: 22 Jan 21:00 EST (02:00 GMT)

One day after being sworn in as the third Homeland Security secretary, Janet Napolitano was briefed by Washington, D.C.-based Coast Guard flag officers about the service's global presence as well as its involvement in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, drug interdiction efforts, and the role the private sector plays in securing the nation's border." more...

FEMA: National Disaster Housing Strategy Released

2009-01-22T13:46:00.000-05:00

FEMA: National Disaster Housing Strategy Released:

"National Disaster Housing Strategy Released
Release Date: January 16, 2009
Release Number: FNF-09-001

National Disaster Housing Strategy Base Document (PDF 2.1MB)
National Disaster Housing Strategy Annexes (PDF 2.1MB)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced the release of the National Disaster Housing Strategy. The Strategy summarizes, for the first time in a single document, the many sheltering and housing capabilities, principles, and policies that guide and inform the disaster housing process. The Strategy also charts the new direction that our disaster housing efforts must take to better meet the disaster housing needs of individuals and communities moving forward."

Thunderbolt Exercise - Solar Storm

2009-01-16T14:40:00.001-05:00

The first thunderbolt exercise of 2009. What is a thunderbolt exercise - a no notice exercise for the State emergency Response Team.

Blogging General Reaches Out to Troops, Blows Off Security Fears | Danger Room from Wired.com

2009-01-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Blogging General Reaches Out to Troops, Blows Off Security Fears Danger Room from Wired.com:

"Blogging General Reaches Out to Troops, Blows Off Security Fears
By Noah Shachtman January 16, 2009

While most of the Army is still wringing its hands trying to figure out what to do about blogs and other social media, the two-star general overseeing 19,000 U.S. soldiers scattered across 17,000 square miles of southern and central Iraq has decided to start blogging himself and holding online chats with his troops."

Climate Prediction Center: ENSO Diagnostic Discussion

2009-01-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

Climate Prediction Center: ENSO Diagnostic Discussion:

"EL NIÑO/SOUTHERN OSCILLATION (ENSO) DIAGNOSTIC DISCUSSION"

issued byCLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER/NCEP
8 January 2009

Synopsis: Developing La Niña conditions are likely to continue into Northern Hemisphere Spring 2009.

Cold Weather Preparedness Tips from FDEM

2009-01-14T16:37:00.001-05:00

Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) - YouTube Public Service Announcement - Cold Weather Preparedness

Thunderbolt Exercises Helped Florida React During Blackout - Government Technology

2009-01-14T13:27:00.000-05:00

Thunderbolt Exercises Helped Florida React During Blackout - Government Technology

Jan 14, 2009, By Jim Reilly

The cascading power outages that took place in Florida on Feb. 26, 2008 -- the Florida Blackout -- resulted in power losses from Miami to Daytona to Tampa. As the investigation continued into how an apparently isolated event produced such wide-scale outages, this much is clear: Once the outages took place, the performance of the response systems -- both electric reliability coordination and emergency management -- was admirable. The outages were extensive throughout the state, so extensive that many thought that what had occurred was similar to the New York blackout of August 2003.

more

Twitter: A Primer for Public CIOs - Government Technology

2009-01-12T12:28:00.000-05:00

Twitter: A Primer for Public CIOs - Government Technology: "Jan 12, 2009, By Emma Newcombe
With the growing abundance of Web 2.0 applications and services, it can be difficult for CIOs to decide which technologies are worth exploring. One tool that has begun to take the public sector by storm is Twitter, a free social networking and micro-blogging service launched in March 2006.
Once a small side project developed in San Francisco, Twitter has become a worldwide service that connects more than 4 million users. Although it was created primarily to keep friends, family and co-workers connected, agencies within the public sector have begun to use Twitter for everything from announcing traffic alerts to holding virtual press conferences.

Bush, Obama reps to have disaster drill (1/9/09) -- www.GovernmentExecutive.com

2009-01-12T07:32:00.000-05:00

Bush, Obama reps to have disaster drill (1/9/09) -- www.GovernmentExecutive.com

Thunderbolt Exercise - Solar Storm

2009-01-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

Tallahassee, Fl
1/9/2009

Day 4 - Solar Storm Exercise

Scenes from the State Emergency Operations Center

This is an Exercise

More photos from the Thunderbolt Exercise

2009-01-08T16:59:00.001-05:00

Tallahassee, Fl
1/8/2009

Thunderbolt Exercise - Solar Storm

Scenes from the State Watch Center today as more reports came in from the Space Weather Prepdiction Center http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities

2009-01-08T11:22:00.000-05:00

National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities

http://www.diversitypreparedness.org/

Mission
The mission of the National Resource Center is to serve as a central clearinghouse of resources and an information exchange portal to facilitate communication, networking and collaboration to improve preparedness, build resilience and eliminate disparities for culturally diverse communities across all phases of an emergency.

Thunderbolt Exercise - Solar Storm

2009-01-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Tallahassee, Fl
1/6/2009

State Emergency Operations Center

Governments use Twitter for Emergency Alerts, Traffic Notices and More - Government Technology

2009-01-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

Governments use Twitter for Emergency Alerts, Traffic Notices and More - Government Technology

Air Force Releases 'Counter-Blog' Marching Orders

2009-01-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

By Noah Shachtman January 06, 2009 | 4:00:00 PM

Bloggers: If you suddenly find Air Force officers leaving barbed comments after one of your posts, don't be surprised. They're just following the service's new "counter-blogging" flow chart. In a twelve-point plan, put together by the emerging technology division of the Air Force's public affairs arm, airmen are given guidance on how to handle "trolls," "ragers" -- and even well-informed online writers, too. It's all part of an Air Force push to "counter the people out there in the blogosphere who have negative opinions about the U.S. government and the Air Force," Captain David Faggard says. more...

1859 Solar Storm

2009-01-07T07:41:00.003-05:00

The Great Storm: Solar Tempest of 1859 Revealed
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 27 October 2003

A pair of strong solar storms that hit Earth late last week were squalls compared to the torrent of electrons that rained down in the "perfect space storm" of 1859. And sooner or later, experts warn, the Sun will again conspire again send earthlings a truly destructive bout of space weather.

more: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mystery_monday_031027.html

------------------------------------------------------------
Visit http://www.SPACE.com - Something Amazing Every Day

HOW TO: Track the Israel Gaza Conflict Using Social Media

2009-01-05T07:27:00.000-05:00

HOW TO: Track the Israel Gaza Conflict Using Social Media

same tools can be used to track a disaster and provide two way communications with the survivors.

craig

DisasterAssistance.gov

2009-01-05T07:15:00.000-05:00

http://www.disasterassistance.gov/

ABOUT DISASTERASSISTANCE.GOV

DisasterAssistance.gov is an easy to use website that consolidates disaster information in one place. Currently, 17 U.S. Government agencies, which sponsor more than 40 forms of disaster assistance, contribute to the website. You can apply for many forms of assistance with a single, online application. Your application information is shared only with those agencies that you identify and is protected by the highest levels of security. Ultimately, DisasterAssistance.gov will speed the application process and allow you to check the progress of your application online.

Homeland Security forecasts 5-year threat picture (12/26/08) -- www.GovernmentExecutive.com

2008-12-31T09:29:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security forecasts 5-year threat picture (12/26/08) -- www.GovernmentExecutive.com

Web-based Mass Evacuation Transportation Planning Model

2008-12-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

A model to help federal, state, and local emergency planners estimate the vehicles, drivers, road capacity and other resources they will need to evacuate patients and others from health care facilities in disaster areas was released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The Web-based Mass Evacuation Transportation Planning Model is designed to be used prior to an emergency to help answer such questions as:

How long will it take to move patients from one facility to another?
How many transport vehicles, such as ambulances, wheelchair vans and buses, are required to complete the evacuation within a certain time period?
How might the location and other attributes of the evacuating and receiving facilities affect evacuation plans?
Emergency planners can enter into the model any number of evacuating and receiving facilities and specific conditions that could affect transportation plans. The model will estimate the resources and hours needed to move patients from evacuating facilities to receiving facilities, based on assumptions that the planner specifies. The model was pilot tested in New York City and Los Angeles and is available for use at http://massevacmodel.ahrq.gov/ (if the URL does not work, please copy and paste it into a browser window).

Development of the model was led by AHRQ and the Department of Defense with funding from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. The model helps communities move one step closer to an integrated emergency response system that can track, move and regulate patients and evacuees during a mass casualty or evacuation.

More than 60 Public Health Emergency Preparedness tools and resources are available on the AHRQ Web site at: http://www.ahrq.gov/prep/.

New York City Now Officially Looks Awesome in Google Earth

2008-12-19T07:50:00.000-05:00

New York City Now Officially Looks Awesome in Google Earth

The Future of the Internet III

2008-12-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

Here are the key findings in a new report -- The Future of the Internet III --- based on the survey of experts by the Pew Internet & American Life Project that asked respondents to assess predictions about technology and its roles in the year 2020:

The mobile device will be the primary connection tool to the Internet for most people in the world in 2020.

The transparency of people and organizations will increase, but that will not necessarily yield more personal integrity, social tolerance or forgiveness.

Voice recognition and touch user-interfaces with the Internet will be more prevalent and accepted by 2020.

Those working to enforce intellectual property law and copyright protection will remain in a continuing "arms race," with the "crackers" who will find ways to copy and share content without payment.

The divisions between personal time and work time and between physical and virtual reality will be further erased for everyone who is connected, and the results will be mixed in their impact on basic social relations.

"Next-generation" engineering of the network to improve the current Internet architecture is more likely than an effort to rebuild the architecture from scratch.

more...

"Death map" shows heat a big hazard to Americans

2008-12-17T07:43:00.000-05:00

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Heat is more likely to kill an American than an earthquake, and thunderstorms kill more than hurricanes do, according to a "death map" published on Tuesday.

Researchers who compiled the county-by-county look at what natural disasters kill Americans said they hope their study will help emergency preparedness officials plan better.

more...

Twitter, Facebook, Digg: Can You Join Too Many Networks?

2008-12-17T07:08:00.000-05:00

Twitter, Facebook, Digg: Can You Join Too Many Networks?

a good read about building and maintaining a brand - in this case, they are talking about the individual - but it carries our to building a bread for an agency or program.

craig

FEMA looks ahead on emergency warning system

2008-12-15T21:10:00.000-05:00

FEMA looks ahead on emergency warning system

Forecasting the future of hurricanes : Nature News

2008-12-12T16:47:00.000-05:00

Forecasting the future of hurricanes : Nature News: "Forecasting the future of hurricanes"

Near-Earth Asteroids - Spaceweather.com

2008-12-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

All Hazards

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs ) are space rocks larger than approximately 100m that can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU. None of the known PHAs is on a collision course with our planet, although astronomers are finding new ones all the time. http://www.spaceweather.com/

On December 12, 2008 there were 1010 potentially hazardous asteroids.

for more information on Near Earth Objects - http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo/

EXTENDED RANGE FORECAST OF ATLANTIC SEASONAL HURRICANE ACTIVITY AND U.S. LANDFALL STRIKE PROBABILITY FOR 2009

2008-12-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

We foresee a somewhat above-average Atlantic basin tropical cyclone season in 2009. We anticipate an above-average probability of United States major hurricane landfall.

(as of 10 December 2008)

By Philip J. Klotzbach1 and William M. Gray

more...

Gartner Says HR Organizations Must Adopt and Exploit Social Networking - Government Technology

2008-12-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

Gartner Says HR Organizations Must Adopt and Exploit Social Networking - Government Technology

Florida's 5P's of cold weather preparedness

2008-12-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

Florida's 5P's of cold weather preparedness -

protect

People,
Pets,
Plants,
exPosed pipes,
and Practice fire safety

Hidden travels of the atomic bomb - CNET News

2008-12-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

Hidden travels of the atomic bomb - CNET News

By William Broad
The New York Times

In 1945, after the atomic destruction of two Japanese cities, J. Robert Oppenheimer expressed foreboding about the spread of nuclear arms.

"They are not too hard to make," he told his colleagues on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, N.M. "They will be universal if people wish to make them universal."

That sensibility, born where the atomic bomb itself was born, grew into a theory of technological inevitability. Because the laws of physics are universal, the theory went, it was just a matter of time before other bright minds and determined states joined the club. A corollary was that trying to stop proliferation was quite difficult if not futile.

But nothing, it seems, could be further from the truth. In the six decades since Oppenheimer's warning, the nuclear club has grown to only nine members. What accounts for the slow spread? Can anything be done to reduce it further? Is there a chance for an atomic future that is brighter than the one Oppenheimer foresaw?

more...

The Associated Press: Obama's homeland chief to tackle disaster housing

2008-12-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press: Obama's homeland chief to tackle disaster housing: "

Obama's homeland chief to tackle disaster housing

By EILEEN SULLIVAN – 20 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — As homeland security head, Janet Napolitano wants to establish a long-term plan for housing disaster victims, said a senator who spoke with the Arizona governor.

Such housing is an important issue for Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Louisiana Democrat whose state was battered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Landrieu said Wednesday she spoke with Napolitano for 15 minutes by telephone last Friday and was pleased to hear that President-elect Barack Obama's nominee also backs a strong housing plan."

more...

Ready or Not? 2007 Florida Press Release

2008-12-10T16:50:00.000-05:00

Ready or Not? 2007 Florida Press Release:

"New Report: Florida Earns Grade of 5 out of 10 on Disaster Preparedness

Economic Crisis Hurting U.S. Preparedness for Health Emergencies; More Than Half of States Score 7 or Lower out of 10 in Readiness Rankings

Washington, D.C., December 9, 2008 - Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) today released the sixth annual Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report, which finds that progress made to better protect the country from disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and bioterrorism is now at risk, due to budget cuts and the economic crisis. In addition, the report concludes that major gaps remain in many critical areas of preparedness, including surge capacity, rapid disease detection, and food safety.

Florida achieved 5 out of 10 possible indicators for health emergency preparedness capabilities. More than half of states and D.C. achieved a score of seven or less out of 10 key indicators. Louisiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin scored highest with 10 out of 10. Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Montana, and Nebraska tied for the lowest score with five out of 10."

more...

Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System

2008-12-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System provides near real-time alerts about natural disasters around the world and tools to facilitate response coordination, including media monitoring, map catalogues and Virtual On-Site Operations Coordination Centre.

http://www.gdacs.org/

Mumbai Attackers, Taliban Used VOIP Phones | Danger Room from Wired.com

2008-12-09T11:10:00.001-05:00

Mumbai Attackers, Taliban Used VOIP Phones Danger Room from Wired.com

By Noah Shachtman
December 09, 2008 10:44:00

The New York Times makes it sound like something brand new, because the Mumbai terrorists did it. But for years, bad actors have been using Skype, Vonage, and other Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services to keep their communications private.

more

FireLocator demos geospatial public outreach

2008-12-09T07:31:00.000-05:00

FireLocator demos geospatial public outreach

By Patrick Marshall

Pitney Bowes Software Inc., the maker of MapInfo, has launched a beta version of a new Web application that alerts visitors with up-to-the-minute information about wildfires. FireLocator – which can be accessed at www.firelocator.net – was built using MapInfo analytic tools and Microsoft Silverlight on top of Microsoft Virtual Earth. The application doesn’t support data analysis. Instead, it is designed for information delivery. Users can enter an address to search for or can pan, zoom in and zoom out on the Virtual Earth globe. You can also turn the provided data layers on and off.

Current data layers include:

Fire boundaries from Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (GeoMAC).
NASA thermal satellite data.
California wildfire risk zones.
U.S. Department of Agriculture aerial thermal images.
Data from the Incident Information System.
Local news from the San Bernardino Sun.
Citizen provided information from Flikr.

FireLocator allows site visitors to enter a location such as a street address, neighborhood or even area of interest and view on the map any data about nearby wildfires. With wildfire data from Pitney Bowes’ Insurance Risk Data Suite, FireLocator creates a thematic map that rates areas of California as low, medium or high for potential wildfire risk. Users can get information about specific current or previous fires, including amount of containment and causes, if known.

Empowering DHS

2008-12-08T14:20:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security Today - news and analysis - Empowering DHS:

"by Phil Leggiere

Monday, 08 December 2008

Panel outlines blueprint for more prominent role for homeland security in the national security structure.

A blue ribbon bipartisan panel of foreign policy experts last week issued a study proposing sweeping changes in the organization of the US national security system which it says “would constitute the most far-reaching governmental design innovation in national security since the passage of the National Security Act in 1947.”

The changes outlined by the Project on National Security Reform in their mammoth 843 page report titled Forging a New Shield include a far more prominent role for homeland security in national security strategy formation, decision making and execution, putting the Department of Homeland Security on a more coequal footing with the Departments of Defense and State.

Specifically the report recommends replacing the current National Security Council (NSC) and Homeland Security Council (HSC) and merging the two into a new entity called President‘s Security Council (PSC)."

more...

NOAA NASA award contract for next generation of weather satellites

2008-12-07T08:57:00.000-05:00

NOAA NASA award contract for next generation of weather satellites:

"The next generation of weather observation satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. of Denver. A separate contract for the ground system that will distribute data to users on Earth is expected to be announced in 2009.

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) will produce up to 50 times as much data on weather and climate in the Western Hemisphere than the current generation of GOES-N satellites scheduled for replacement beginning in 2015. The data will be gathered, processed and distributed directly to other NOAA systems, including the National Weather Service’s Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS)."

Emergency Preparedness Tips for Those with Functional Needs

2008-12-05T11:45:00.001-05:00

from ready.illinois.gov

While being prepared for disasters and emergencies is important for all individuals, it is even more critical for those with functional needs who may need assistance during an emergency. The following information provides emergency preparedness tips for individuals with functional needs and their caregivers.

Download a complete copy of Emergency Preparedness Tips for Those with Functional Needs

Emergency Managers' Roles Need Revision - Government Technology

2008-12-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

Emergency Managers' Roles Need Revision - Government Technology:
"Dec 1, 2008, By Scot Phelps

By definition, emergency managers serve as the coordination focal point during disasters and catastrophes and engage in the four phases of disaster management: preparation, response, recovery and mitigation.

But given the rarity of disasters, particularly catastrophes, government cannot justify expending significant effort on the preparation phase, except in environments where disaster-scale events occur with reasonable frequency, such as hurricanes in Florida.

As a result, emergency managers are usually isolated with no real authority to direct significant funding for preparedness projects; have no real role in coordinating response; don't manage global aspects of community recovery; and have a limited ability to secure funding for large-scale mitigation projects."

more..

GovTwit Directory « New Thinking

2008-12-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

GovTwit Directory « New Thinking

Sorting Fact From Fiction in Mumbai Attacks | Danger Room from Wired.com#more

2008-12-03T06:53:00.000-05:00

Sorting Fact From Fiction in Mumbai Attacks Danger Room from Wired.com

Bruce Schneier is making sense, as usual. First, he draws some early lessons from the Mumbai attacks.

Here's one:

Low-tech is very effective. Movie-plot threats -- terrorists with crop dusters, terrorists with biological agents, terrorists targeting our water supplies -- might be what people worry about, but a bunch of trained (we don't really know yet what sort of training they had, but it's clear that they had some) men with guns and grenades is all they needed. [Well, plus some Radio Shack tech -- ed.]

Then, Schneier slaps sense into worrywarts who complain that all the talk on Twitter somehow helped the Mumbai terrorists.

This fear is exactly backwards. During a terrorist attack -- during any crisis situation, actually -- the one thing people can do is exchange information. It helps people, calms people, and actually reduces the thing the terrorists are trying to achieve: terror. Yes, there are specific movie-plot scenarios where certain public pronouncements might help the terrorists, but those are rare. I would much rather err on the side of more information, more openness, and more communication.

more

Study: Tornadoes deadlier during night | TimesDaily.com | The Times Daily | Florence, AL

2008-12-03T06:44:00.000-05:00

Study: Tornadoes deadlier during night TimesDaily.com The Times Daily Florence, AL

Biological terror attack likely by 2013, panel says - CNN.com

2008-12-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

Biological terror attack likely by 2013, panel says - CNN.com

State Department unveils social networking site

2008-12-02T08:22:00.001-05:00

By Kellie Lunney klunney@govexec.com

December 1, 2008

The State Department has launched a social networking site to promote international exchanges and enhance the United States' image abroad, particularly among young people.

ExchangesConnect, administered by the department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, includes blog postings, photos and videos from users across the world interested in trading information on culture, language and global education programs. A newly designed Web site, exchanges.state.gov, is a portal to the social network and the agency's Facebook page. ExchangesConnect is free, but requires users to fill out a brief online registration. more...

How Gadgets Helped Mumbai Attackers | Danger Room from Wired.com

2008-12-01T13:58:00.000-05:00

How Gadgets Helped Mumbai Attackers Danger Room from Wired.com

AAPD Partners with CEPIN to Create Emergency Management Web Training - MarketWatch

2008-11-26T08:08:00.000-05:00

AAPD Partners with CEPIN to Create Emergency Management Web Training - MarketWatch

People with Disabilities Will Benefit

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is pleased to partner with the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) to develop an emergency management web-based training program. AAPD, the largest cross-disability membership organization in the U.S., will provide technical assistance to CEPIN on content and usability for the training program.

Government Interoperability: Center for Technology in Government Releases Two White Papers - Government Technology

2008-11-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

Government Interoperability: Center for Technology in Government Releases Two White Papers - Government Technology

The Center for Technology in Government (CTG) at the University at Albany-SUNY recently released two white papers on government interoperability. Interoperability is a key component of government reform and requires investments that involve complex policy, management, and technology changes that government leaders are often hesitant or unprepared to undertake.

Both papers, Government Worth Having and Improving Government Interoperability, address these issues and propose a new framework to help governments identify and then start building the capabilities needed to improve interoperability. The two papers were written with support from Microsoft Corp.

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook Calls for Variability

2008-11-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - NOAA’s U.S. Winter Outlook Calls for Variability

In announcing the 2008-2009 U.S. Winter Outlook for meteorological winter from December through February, forecasters at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center are calling for warmer-than-normal temperatures for much of the central part of the nation, and a continuation of drier-than-normal conditions across the Southeast.

With the absence of La Niña and El Niño in the equatorial Pacific Ocean this season (climate patterns that give forecasters clues about potential weather events months in advance), predicting weather patterns on seasonal timescales becomes increasingly challenging. Instead, other climate patterns over the Arctic and North Atlantic regions may play a significant role in influencing U.S. winter weather.

“These patterns are only predictable a week or two in advance and could persist for weeks at a time,” said Michael Halpert, deputy director, Climate Prediction Center. “Therefore, we expect variability, or substantial changes in temperature and precipitation across much of the country.”

Boom years: How not to act your age at work - Nov. 20, 2008

2008-11-20T16:50:00.001-05:00

Boom years: How not to act your age at work - Nov. 20, २००८

Do you twitter? Built a wiki lately? To avoid looking old at the office, maybe it's time you started.

Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon - NYTimes.com

2008-11-20T10:11:00.000-05:00

Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon - NYTimes.com

Well - back to another real world issue

Government 2.0: Rename Me, Please

2008-11-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

Government 2.0: Rename Me, Please

So if Web 2.0 or Gov 2.0 are stale , what would you name it, go the article above and try your luck

Securing the Bomb

2008-11-19T18:01:00.000-05:00

Back in the Real World

Securing the Bomb: : "Securing the Bomb 2008, commissioned by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, finds that the world still faces a 'very real' risk that terrorists could get a nuclear bomb. The Obama Administration must make reducing that risk a top priority of U.S. security policy and diplomacy, according to the report, which is accompanied by a paper offering a specific agenda for the presidential transition and the opening weeks of the new administration."

State Emergency Operations Center

2008-11-19T14:09:00.007-05:00

State Emergency Operations Center

2555 Shumard Oak Blvd

Tallahassee, Fl 32399-2100

Live Shot http://207.156.43.197/home/homeJ.html

Alachua County, Fl

2008-11-19T13:05:00.001-05:00

Alachua County, Florida

County Seat - Gainesville, Fl 32601

This is a Test of a Beta

http://www.mapmypage.com/

MapMyPage - add Google Maps to your website or blog

Social Networks Will Change Government, Says Gartner - Government Technology

2008-11-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

Social Networks Will Change Government, Says Gartner - Government Technology

Governing in the Age of Web 2.0 - Government Technology

2008-11-18T11:22:00.000-05:00

Governing in the Age of Web 2.0 - Government Technology

older article, but relevant to the current thread of Government 2.0 examples with applications to emergency management

YouTube - FloridaSERT's Channel

2008-11-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

YouTube - FloridaSERT's Channel

Emergency notification 1 0

2008-11-17T17:06:00.000-05:00

Emergency notification 1 0

When it comes to being alerted about an impending or recent disaster — such as a hurricane or terrorist strike — most Americans still get their government information from early 20th-century technologies. Only about 11 percent of the population get word of national emergencies through new technologies such as Web sites or text messages. Meanwhile, 82 percent get the news from either TV or radio, according to a recent survey CDW Government conducted of 1,448 citizens in the top 20 metro areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency should take note: Fewer people are watching TV — 2.5 million fewer in 2007 than in 2006, according to Nielsen Media Research. And there are now more than 250 million wireless subscribers in the country, according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. Eventually, text messaging might prove to be the most effective way to reach those mobile citizens.
Question: In an emergency situation, what information source do you turn to first for gathering information and instructions from authorities?

TV: 64%
Radio: 18%
Friends and family: 5%
Local media Web sites: 5%
National media Web sites: 2%
E-mail alerts: 2%
Local government Web sites: 1%
Text message alerts: 1%
Other channels: 2%

More news on related topics: Communications / Networks, Homeland Security

Maps Of Fires In Southern California: November 2008 Edition

2008-11-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

Maps Of Fires In Southern California: November 2008 Edition

Homeland Security Today - news and analysis - A Transition Timetable

2008-11-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

Homeland Security Today - news and analysis - A Transition Timetable

Transition project outlines action plan for Obama team on homeland security.

The Homeland Security Transition Initiative (HSTI), a joint project of Washington DC think tanks Third Way and the Center for American Progress, has publically released Protecting the Homeland From Day One: A Transition Plan, a set of recommendations and timetable for the president-elect’s homeland security transition team.

Though not an official document of the Obama transition team, the report was based on contributions from several prominent Democrats like Gary Hart, Jamie Gorelick, a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr and a member of the 9/11 Commission, PJ Crowley and Barack Obama’s transition chief John Podesta, former Chief of Staff under Bill Clinton.

Next Government Portals to Offer More Mobility, Personalization and Simplicity - Government Technology

2008-11-10T17:12:00.000-05:00

Next Government Portals to Offer More Mobility, Personalization and Simplicity - Government Technology

HOW TO: Build Community on Twitter

2008-11-10T17:10:00.001-05:00

HOW TO: Build Community on Twitter

Posted using ShareThis

Natural Hazards Observer | Natural Hazards Center

2008-11-10T16:59:00.000-05:00

Natural Hazards Observer Natural Hazards Center: "Social Media and the Democratic Convention"

What happens when Web 2.0 meets the “official version?”

The world has gone a-Twitter. And a-Flickr. And you- Tube’n.

Micromedia, new social media, Web 2.0 – call it what you like. Peer-to-peer information and communication technologies are changing the way information is shared in a disaster. These new technologies, both online and mobile, include such things as social networks ike Facebook and MySpace, photo sharing through Flickr, video sharing through YouTube, and microblogging with Twitter. In this article, we discuss how new social media have been used in recent crises and disasters, and the ways that public information officers monitored information online during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. more

Red Cross uses Web 2.0 to update disaster victims, relief workers

2008-11-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

Red Cross uses Web 2.0 to update disaster victims, relief workers
Tools provide updates on shelters, food and distribution centers and other critical data

YouTube - Use Qik to provide situational awareness in emergencies

2008-11-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Use Qik to provide situational awareness in emergencies

more Web 2.0 in Disasters

YouTube - CG Adm. Thad Allen introduces social media initiative

2008-11-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

YouTube - CG Adm. Thad Allen introduces social media initiative: "CG Adm. Thad Allen introduces social media initiative" Web 2.0

Web 2.0 - The Next Frontier!

2008-11-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

Web 2.0 - The Next Frontier!

Web 2.0 - The Next Frontier! By Dagne Fulcher Monday, November 3, 2008 5:54 PM
From last month’s pronouncement by Commandant Thad Allen, Coast Guard, that Coasties need to get with it and embrace Facebook, YouTube and other social networking tools, to this week’s discussion at the Executive Leadership Conference, Web 2.0 is here and now, front and center - an important set of tools to move forward to encourage and enhance and discussion with the public.

GovExe Twitter feed

2008-11-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

GovExec.com on Twitter

Looking for GovExec.com on microblogging site Twitter? Now, you can follow the GovExec.com Twitter feed. Get up-to-the-minute news, story information and links via our Twitter feed. Updated regularly, the feed is available here.

Second Life Hosts Web 2.0 Government Discussion Group - Government Technology

2008-11-04T12:40:00.000-05:00

Second Life Hosts Web 2.0 Government Discussion Group - Government Technology: "Second Life Hosts Web 2.0 Government Discussion Group"

Government 2.0: The Presidential Transition

2008-11-03T13:49:00.001-05:00

Government 2.0: The Presidential Transition

Posted using ShareThis

Twitter is a Continuity of Operations Tool, State Agency Discovers

2008-11-03T13:20:00.000-05:00

Twitter is a Continuity of Operations Tool, State Agency Discovers

Oct 22, 2008, By Matt Williams, Assistant Editor

Twitter messages are used for everything from traffic alerts to ferry route changes
Government is slowly finding real-world purposes for Twitter, a free short messaging service that allows users to post updates (or "tweets") to twitter.com subscribers via Web browsers, mobile phones and instant messaging clients. more

Buzz of the Week: A lively social networking circuit

2008-10-31T11:10:00.000-04:00

FCW Buzz of the Week: A lively social networking circuit

Published on October 25, 2008

Slowly but surely Web 2.0 is moving from fun and games to serious business in the federal government. The government’s still in the experimental stages, but the experiments are getting more interesting. more

State Emergency Managers Underutilize Internet

2008-10-30T09:11:00.000-04:00

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/545871/

Newswise — Despite post-Hurricane Katrina calls for improved communication, state emergency management agencies across the United States have been slow to adopt Internet-based resources to reach the public during emergencies, a new University of Kansas study concludes.

According to Untapped Potential: Evaluating State Emergency Management Web Sites 2008, state emergency management agency Web sites appear to place greater emphasis on reaching first responders than they do citizens of their state or the news outlets. The study urges state emergency planners to recognize that Internet and emerging social media are important public outreach tools.

Funded by KU’s Transportation Research Institute, the study analyzed 51 state emergency management agency Web sites (including the District of Columbia) and results of an online survey of state public information officers. The report outlined 13 findings of the research and made six recommendations to the nation’s emergency managers.

“I hope this report will spark serious discussions nationwide about the role of Internet communication before, during and following crisis situations,” said David W. Guth, associate professor of journalism, who wrote the study. “The purpose of this research is not so much to criticize state EMA officials as it is to shed light upon practices that can help them fulfill the public safety mission to which they have dedicated themselves.”

Local, state and federal emergency managers came under intense criticism for their flawed response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A February 2006 White House report found a need to “develop an integrated public communications plan to better inform, guide and reassure the American public before, during and after a catastrophe.” In March 2006, a U.S. House of Representatives select bipartisan committee investigation of the Katrina response said, “The preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina show we are still an analog government in a digital age. We must recognize that we are woefully incapable of storing, moving, and accessing information — especially in times of crisis.”

Although 80 percent of online survey respondents indicated that residents of their state were the primary audiences of emergency management agency Web sites, the most-frequently found feature on their Web sites was first responder/emergency manager training information. According to Untapped Potential, less than half of the Web sites provided the identity of the agency’s public information officer and his/her direct telephone number or direct e-mail address.

The report said Web site designers appear to have more influence on their content than do the emergency managers who supervise them. While survey respondents said they see moderate value in using the Internet during emergencies, they also said they do not see the Internet as the equal to more traditional communications media, such as radio and television.

“The implications of these and other findings of this study are that our nation’s emergency managers do not fully appreciate the potential of the Internet and emerging social media,” Guth said. “In an era when mass communications channels are becoming more and more diffused with passage of time, the need to reach the public through media they prefer will continue to play a vital role in the future.

“While traditional mass communication media will continue to play a vital role in the near future, the evidence suggests that emergency planners should place the Internet and emerging social media on an equal footing.”

Guth, associate dean of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, has been a KU faculty member since 1991. His professional experience includes broadcast journalism and government public relations. In the latter role, he served seven years as a member of North Carolina’s State Emergency Response Team.

Government 2.0: An Insider’s Perspective

2008-10-28T15:21:00.000-04:00

Government 2.0: An Inside Perspective

This is the first of two posts written by Dr. Mark Drapeau about government 2.0.

Government 2.0: A Theory of Social Government

2008-10-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

Government 2.0: A Theory of Social Government

"In June 2008, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’ investigative arm, released a report stating that, “more than 4 years after September 11, the nation still lacked the government-wide policies and processes called for in law to provide a framework for guiding and integrating a myriad of ongoing efforts to share terrorism-related information critical to protecting our homeland.”

This Disaster Will Be Twitterized

2008-10-28T15:14:00.000-04:00

This Disaster Will Be Twitterized

A good read on social networks and disaster response

interactiveNWS

2008-10-28T14:45:00.000-04:00

New from the National Weather Service

iNWS is the home of the new mobile and desktop innovations of the National Weather Service.

http://inws.wrh.noaa.gov/

By having a interactiveNWS account, it gives you up-to-the-minute access to NWS products over both the web and mobile phone designed specifically for you.

Blogging again

2008-10-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

Back to Blogging - old school in the age of twitter, facebook, and other social networking tools. But then again, I'm getting old and blogs work for posting relevant news, ideas, and resources.

craig