L.A. Nuclear Drill Tests Countywide HAZMAT System


Representatives from the largest operational area in the third largest U.S. state gathered Wednesday, July 28, 2010 to participate in the mock detonation of a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device.

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The Emergency Manager’s Dilemma: Should You Take Your BlackBerry on Vacation?


You’re packing for vacation and your spouse turns to you and says, “You’re not taking your BlackBerry with you — are you?” How should you respond?

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Inside AT&T’s National Disaster Recovery Bunker: Who AT&T Calls When The Death Star Explodes


When the World Trade Center collapsed, it took out a critical AT&T switch, crippling service. It was restored in 52 hours – including the time to drive a caravan of 18-wheelers from Atlanta to a lot in Jersey City. Read the rest of this entry »

SHELDUS™ Spatial Hazard Events and Losses Database for the United States


SHELDUS™ is a county-level hazard data set for the U.S. for 18 different natural hazard events types such thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tornados.

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Closing the loop between planning and action: Using the After Action Review


Contemporary emergency response agencies pose what, on first blush, might seem to be an intriguing organizational conundrum. Fire and EMS organizations, for example, are enterprises that are strongly and very visibly accountable for preparedness respecting the big, the bad and the ugly, those major incidents that can subject a community and its leadership to truly undesirable variations on Andy Warhol’s famed 15 minutes.

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More Than “How To” Response Plans Needed: Policies and Procedures Play Large Role in Recovery


All risk managers/business continuity practitioners put a lot of time and effort into developing programs and plans to avoid or mitigate risks.

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Emergency management planning: What business continuity professionals need to know


How can business continuity (BC) professionals be more actively involved in emergency management planning for their organizations? How important are emergency management planning activities and emergency management standards?

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Glitch shows how much US military relies on GPS


Between 8,000 at 10,000 GPS receivers could have been affected by a problem that happened when new software was installed. How would your business handle a GPS outage?

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Getting the Word Out Through Notifications, Alerts and Warnings


While emergency managers grapple with tight budgets and never-ending threats, they face another significant challenge: The people they’re responsible for protecting and collaborating with are changing the way they communicate — frequently and dramatically.

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Iceland Volcano photos


Can you say Eyjafjallajokull?  Here are some unbelievable photos from the volcano.

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MSc degree program launched in how to take command in a major emergency


A distance-learning MSc in health incident command at ­Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) is the first degree-level course specifically for those in the health services who will necessarily during their career find themselves in ultimate charge of decisions that affect how many people live and how many die

Though there is basic training for all emergency services staff in how to deal with the initial stages of a disaster on the ground, the subsequent hours of decision-making in the strategic and tactical management of catastrophes that erupt, by definition, out of nowhere, can make an enormous difference to the scale of the tragedy that ensues.

The course has been designed so academic rigor is informed by students’ personal experience. “We’re looking to tease out the reasoning behind people’s decision-making, both in preparing for a major incident and when one hits,” says Dave Whitmore, tutor on this new program.

Decisions made at the scene can greatly affect the scale of a tragedy. Photograph: Jaime Turner /Rex

See MSc launched in how to take command in a major emergency, by Louise Tickle for The Guardian.