Emergency Planning On The Internet

EMERGENCY PLANNING ON THE INTERNET
by Rick Tobin and Ryan Tobin

"Disasters both natural and manmade - can strike anytime or anywhere and are almost
a daily occurrence in the field of emergency planning and management.

"This book is a welcome new tool for those professionals who deal with such
emergencies - because finally there is a guide covering the wealth and variety of this
information on the Internet. It also provides a valuable "how to" approach for training others in
the daily professional use of the Internet. Over 300 sites, by topic categories, open up a
world
of unlimited disaster information, from research to live coverage of events.

"Highlights include:
- Tools of the trade -what hardware and software you need to get started
- The most useful Internet sites -a tour by topic of what's available and how to make the most
of it
- Training tools -for helping staff adapt to the Internet and adopt its use
- Practical exercises -real life challenges and scenarios to prepare your staff
- Developing your own Web site -tips and potential uses
- Glossary, References, and Index -to help you spend less time getting the information you
need.

"This new book is the one centralized source today that compiles, evaluates and
categorizes emergency planning information on the Internet!"

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Preface
About the Authors
Acknowledgments

CHAPTER ONE -So Much Information, So Little Time
A Brave New Tool
Assumptions
So What Is the Internet?
How It Grabbed Me
When I Knew It Was True

CHAPTER TWO -Tools of Choice
Treasure Hunting
The Buying Frenzy
The Need for Speed
Memory-the Place for Stuff
Modems
To Fax or Not to Fax
Cable Modems
Monitors
Other Hardware
Providers
Software
Phone Line Services
Security and Virus Protection
Costs
Minimums
Basic Research Tools
Training

CHAPTER THREE - Internet Emergency Web Sites
A Manager's Viewpoint
Topics in the Web Site List
The List
Animals
Asteroids/Comets
Avalanche
Business Recovery
Climate
Communications
Computer Recovery
Earthquake
Emergency Alert System
Emergency Management
Emergency Supplies
Environment
Fire
Flood
General Topics
Geology
Government
Hazardous Materials
Health/Medical
Hurricane
Insurance
Landslide
Law Enforcement
Laws/Regulations
Lightning
Maps
Mitigation
Mutual Aid
Nuclear
Preparedness
Recovery
Relief
Research
Risk Management
Satellite Information
Search and Rescue
Space Science
Stress
Terrorism
Tools
Tornado
Training
Transportation
Tsunami
Vendors
Volcano
Volunteers
Weather

CHAPTER FOUR -Mining the Emergency Site Listings
Diamonds Everywhere
Strategies for Using the List
Evaluating a Web Site at a Glance
Once at the Home Page
The Blue Print Description of Each Element
So What Else Can You Do at the Web Site?

CHAPTER FIVE -Making It Work for You
The Need for Horsepower
Planning and Preparedness
Response
Relief
Recovery
Mitigation
Reports (After Action Reports and Research)
Building Reference Libraries - Maps, Documents, Data, Graphics

CHAPTER SIX -How to Find More and More
The Best Kept Secrets
E-mail: Simple But Powerful
LISTSERV (e-mail groups on BITNET)
Newsgroups (e-mail groups on USENET)
Bulletin Board Services
Newsletters
Chat Areas
Conferences/Forums
Agency Updates
Search Engines
A Sample of Successful Search Engine Use
Master Lists of Emergency Management Sites
Push Technology and New Sites
A Final Note: Making Peace Through the World Wide Web

CHAPTER SEVEN - Helping Staff Adapt and Adopt
Cultural Change and the Internet
Day-to-Day Use
The PC Challenge: Generation X, Y, and Z
Training: The Final Frontier
Access Control
Security
Viruses
The Cycle of Change: Managing Technological Innovations

CHAPTER EIGHT - Exercises
Real Life Challenges
Scenarios
Answers

CHAPTER NINE - Building Your Own Web Site
The Good, The Bad, the . . .
Don't Start in a Vacuum
Basic Components
Cost
Maintenance
What Works Best for a Web Site
What to Avoid When Designing a Web Site
Normal vs. Disaster Operations
Bad Things Sometimes Happen
One Other Alternative for Carrying Out the Message

CHAPTER TEN -The Future of Emergency Management on the Internet
Not Just a Crystal Ball
If You Are Not Convinced
People, People Who Need People
Realizing Your Own Knowledge
Words to the Wise: An Acronym/Definition List
Software Advances
Communications: Is That All There Is?
Speed and Volume
New Concepts of Web Use
And Last, for the Way, Way Out
Acronyms
References
Index

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

"Rick Tobin, as owner of TAO Services in El Dorado, California, has provided
emergency planning consultation for local, state and federal agencies, as well as small
business and industry. His experience covers emergency planning including natural and
technological disasters and includes the development of plans and procedures, facilities
management, training and exercises. Tobin has been involved in the integration of
emergency management and computer technologies since 1983.

"Ryan Tobin, owner of California Coastal Computers in San Luis Obispo, has been
teaching others how to install and use Internet services. Founder of a large independent
public bulletin board service, his expertise in the field has been featured in newspapers and
television."

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1998, 272 pages Order #DR279, $67.50
SPECIAL ORDER ITEM.

4 Arapaho Rd.

Brookfield, CT 06804-3104 USA

1-888-ROTHSTEin; (888.768.4783)

Telephone: 203.740.7444; 888.768.4783

Fax: 203.740.7401

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