19 June 2015 Higher Education Program News
EM NEWS UK expert warns of disaster if lessons are not learned from Ebola outbreak
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EM NEWS UK expert warns of disaster if lessons are not learned from Ebola outbreak The Guardian Failure to learn the lessons of the Ebola outbreak will have unthinkable consequences when the next global health emergency erupts, the former head of the U.K.'s Ebola taskforce in Sierra Leone has warned. Donal Brown, who led British efforts to tackle the disease in the west African country, said the outbreak had exposed serious technical and collaborative failings in the international community's response mechanisms. MERS is a health crisis with political and economic costs* NPR In South Korea, schools are starting to reopen and hundreds are coming out of quarantine as the Asian MERS outbreak appears to slow down. Middle East respiratory syndrome has infected 150 and killed 16 people in South Korea since mid-May. And as it has become clear, this health crisis is coming with political and economic costs. CIA declassifies inspector general's report on 9/11 shortcomings* CNN Ten years after the CIA's Office of the Inspector General completed its investigation into intelligence failures prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the agency declassified its report. The nearly-500 page documented — redacted in parts — elaborates on a list of "systemic problems" the inspector general found that contributed to missed warnings of Osama bin Laden's plot to hijack planes and use them as weapons. CEM® UPDATE Act now to receive your certification diploma at the IAEM Annual Conference IAEM CEM®/AEM candidates in the Class of 2015 who are interested in receiving their diploma at the IAEM-USA Annual Conference during the awards ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada, must have their initial CEM®/AEM credential application approved no later than the September 2015 online review meeting AND must take and return their completed exam to IAEM Headquarters by Oct. 12, 2015, as well as receive a passing grade. No supplemental reviews will occur prior to the scheduled November/December 2015 online review meeting. NEW INSIGHTS Global risks: Pool knowledge to stem losses from disasters Nature In April and May, two massive earthquakes in Nepal killed more than 8,400 people, injured 20,000 and reduced 300,000 houses to rubble. In March, Cyclone Pam destroyed homes, schools, infrastructure and livelihoods on the Pacific island of Vanuatu, affecting half the population, including 82,000 children. Both nations will take years to recover. The number and severity of disasters is increasing. Improved disaster-risk management and resilience is essential for sustainable societies. But the science of natural hazards is too fragmented to influence policy effectively. Social media should play greater role in disaster communication* Phys.Org When Typhoon Haiyan slammed into the Philippines in 2013, thousands of people were killed, in part because they didn't know it was coming or didn't know how to protect themselves. Could an increased use of social media, particularly on the part of the nation's government, have made a difference? While that question remains open, it is clear that social media should play a larger role in emergency preparedness, says Bruno Takahashi, a Michigan State University assistant professor of journalism who studies the issue. EM RESOURCES FEMA launches new data visualization tool IAEM As reported six months ago in the Jan. 8, 2015 issue of the IAEM Dispatch, FEMA released via soft launch its new data visualization tool for beta testing. On June 11, the tool was officially released and is accessible now at fema.gov/data-visualization, allowing users to view and interact with a wide array of FEMA data. Through an interactive platform, users can view the history of disaster declarations by hazard type or year; confirm the financial support provided to states, tribes and territories; and access public datasets for further research and analysis. The site provides compelling visual representations of federal grant data as it relates to fire, preparedness, mitigation, individual assistance and public assistance. The OpenFEMA data used in the visualization are from the publicly available datasets on fema.gov and data.gov. FEMA is committed to updating these existing datasets in a timely manner and as feasible, to provide new datasets for external partners to manipulate and use. FEMA will continue to develop additional visualizations based on feedback and the availability of public data. FEMA launches innovative national volunteer program to enhance disaster response and recovery efforts nationwide IAEM On June 17, 2015, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with seven technology organizations to provide state, local, tribal and territorial governments with technology resources during a disaster to expedite response and recovery. The companies have joined FEMA's new Tech Corps program — a nationwide network of skilled, trained technology volunteers who can address critical technology gaps during a disaster. Already, Tech Corps partners have been active on their own during national and global technology disaster response efforts, including providing support during Hurricane Sandy and the earthquakes in Nepal and Haiti. This initiative signifies a greater level of coordination between volunteers and the emergency management community through FEMA. View FEMA's press release. HHS launches information and resource exchange portal IAEM The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has launched its Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (ASPR TRACIE). You can browse Technical Resources and review Topic Collections, visit the Assistance Center and submit a request, and apply to join the password-protected Information Exchange. You also can subscribe to the ASPR TRACIE listserv and apply to join its cadre of subject matter experts. Learn more by watching this short demonstration on how to navigate through the ASPR TRACIE website. NACCHO and CDC release new radiation legal preparedness report IAEM CDC's Public Health Law Program recently published Public Health Preparedness: Examination of Legal Language Authorizing Responses to Radiological Incidents, an assessment of state and local laws that authorize restriction of movement and decontamination of people during a radiological event. The assessment is the result of a partnership between CDC's Public Health Law Program, CDC's National Center Environmental Health, Radiation Studies Branch, and the National Association of County and City Health Officials. Mobile application for reporting disaster events* ReliefWeb ICIMOD and Kathmandu University, Nepal, launched "Disaster Reporting," an android application that enables users to report disaster events along with essential information, such as impact and immediate relief requirements. The application allows the user to select the type of disaster event (e.g., building damage, fire, landslide or public utility damage) and provides an option to include information on the extent of damage, number of people injured, people who perished and were displaced, along with current need in the field. DISASTER TECHNOLOGY NEWS Research lab generates cyclone conditions in a tank to learn more about real storms Techly June 1 was the official opening of Atlantic hurricane season, and scientists at the University of Miami are more prepared than ever, with a new research lab dedicated to the meteorological phenomenon that has devastated coastal towns time and time again. In the new lab at UMiami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, researchers can artificially generate completely controlled tropical storm conditions in order to analyze any number of hurricane aspects. Scientists fly drones to map sagebrush for wildfire strategy The Associated Press via ABC News Scientists have deployed drones over western Idaho to map a little-known landscape as part of an effort to reduce wildfire risks and protect sage grouse and other wildlife across the West. They say they have to learn more about what grows in the region so that when charred areas are restored, land managers don't plant a type of sagebrush that sage grouse won't eat. The football-sized bird found in 11 states is being considered for federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. Earthquake detection system will prepare Dubai buildings for every eventuality The National The Burj Khalifa and Dubai World Trade Centre have joined a growing list of UAE buildings to adopt an earthquake-detection system to help determine when to evacuate highly populated areas. The Online Alerting of Structural Integrity and Safety is to be used by Dubai Municipality so emergency services will know when an action plan will have to be issued in the event of an earthquake. The Rapid Evaluation and Assessment Programme will then be used to detect when a building is safe to re-enter. Twitter could shape flood disaster response Climate Central First the rains came. Then the floods. Then the tweets. In late January 2014, Jakarta was inundated with heavy rain. So much rain fell that the region saw 16 inches more rainfall than normal for the month. Rivers rose and punctured their banks, spilling onto the streets of the Indonesian capital. Flood waters reached over 6 feet in some areas and affected nearly 135,000 residents. Those with smartphones and a Twitter account rushed to relay information about the extreme rise of waters to family, friends and follower alike. California company wants to 'hover' buildings, protecting against earthquakes* Fox News The company that made Marty McFly's hoverboard a reality is eyeing an even more ambitious technology that aims to "hover" buildings. Los Gatos, Calif.-based Arx Pax is touting the technology a way to protect people and structures in natural disasters such as earthquakes. The firm is testing what it describes as "isolation of structures from unwanted movement" and has patented a three-part foundation system, which it says will "decouple" an object or building from the earth before disaster strikes. Tweet this, Google that: — managing 9-1-1 in the digital age* 9-1-1 Magazine, Barry Furey writes: While the implementation of true Next Generation 9-1-1 may not be around the very next corner, we've taken several steps to at least cautiously move in that direction. An increasing number of Public Safety Answering Points have added the ability to receive text messages, while others plan on switching from analog trunks to digital nets. Of course, all of this has its roots in the consumer electronics revolution, which has changed the face of how we do business. EM CALENDAR Happening today: DHS First Responders Group Capacity Building Webinar Series: 'Innovating with Disaster Drills and Exercises' IAEM Register to attend here to attend today's webinar at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and use the same link to view the webinar recording. This webinar will feature: Carla Boyce, director, National Exercise Division, FEMA; Douglas Kahn, manager, Virtual Table Top Exercise Program, EMI/FEMA; Boyce Wilson, homeland security planner, Heart of Texas Council of Governments; and Kim Stephens, consultant, iDisaster.wordpress.com. Learn to: understand opportunities to innovate within the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program process; explain how virtual exercises can efficiently and effectively meet your objectives; identify best practices and innovative approaches to design, conduct and evaluate exercises; and incorporate social media into exercises. Webinar: 'Updates in Action Plan to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security' to be held June 19, 2015, 1:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern Time IAEM The Chemical Safety and Security Working Group, formed by Presidential Executive Order 13650, released a status report in June 2014, Actions to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security — a Shared Commitment, which summarized actions, lessons learned, challenges, and action plans. Since the report was released, the working group has been implementing priority actions identified in the action plan, an effort that will be completed over time and requires the collective efforts of everyone with a stake in chemical facility safety and security: communities, first responders and industry, alongside federal, state and local governments. A recent fact sheet provides an overview of the progress made. The webinar will provide an update on the actions taken, and as time permits, participants will be able to ask questions on a first-come, first-served basis. To register: email your contact information (first name, last name, company, title), and you will receive an email with webinar connection and call-in instructions. There is no fee to register. IAEM-USA Climate, Water & Weather Caucus and National Weather Service will present a joint Webinar on June 22, 2015, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time IAEM The IAEM-USA Climate, Water & Weather Caucus has scheduled a webinar on the topic of "Update on the National Weather Service Hazards Simplification Project." The presenter will be Eli Jacks, acting chief of the National Weather Service Forecast Services Division. Register online here or call in at 888-603-8939, security code 35521# Resilience armchair discussion to be held June 23 in Washington, DC IAEM Trends over the last several decades show that weather-related disasters and other extreme events are happening more frequently and resulting in greater losses, costs and damages. Environmental Intelligence creates opportunities for communities to look ahead and become more societally, economically and ecologically resilient. But what does "resilience" mean to communities, and what kinds of information, tools and data do communities need to make decisions that will increase their resilience and minimize their risks? On June 23, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan, administrator, NOAA, The Honorable Samuel Adams, former mayor of Portland Oregon and current director of the U.S. Climate Initiative at the World Resources Institute, and Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone, president, National Academy of Sciences, will start to answer these questions when they sit down for an armchair discussion about building resilience through science. Mr. Joseph Witte, climate communicator at NASA Goddard, will moderate the conversation. The Resilience Armchair Discussion is co-hosted by the National Academy of Sciences' Resilient America Roundtable and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC. Please plan to join us via webcast. Register for webcast. Attendance in person is limited. Register for the in-person event. IAEM webinar helps everyone create better presentations IAEM This is your opportunity to learn how to create presentations that complement and engage. Join the IAEM-USA Conference Committee, along with seasoned presenter Nathaniel Forbes, on Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time for a webinar on tips for giving a "knock it out of the park" presentation. You will learn how to engage the audience with three simple steps. As the old saying goes, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then illustrating a slide presentation with great visuals is priceless. Register today for this webinar and get a sneak peak at the pre-conference training course "Persuade! A course on presenting for emergency managers" by Nat Forbes. The full course will be held on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, at the IAEM 63rd Annual Conference & EMEX in Clark County, Nevada. IAEM offers member webinar: 'An Overview of the United Nations Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities' on June 20, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time IAEM This presentation will review the UNISDR's City Disaster Resilience Scorecard — how it came about, what it is, how a city can access and use it (it's free), and the information and insight the city might expect to gain by doing so. The speakers will be Peter Williams of IBM and Allan Klindworth of AECOM. The United Nations Disaster Resilience scorecard provides a set of assessments that will allow cities to understand how resilient they are to natural disasters. It is based on the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction's (UNISDR) draft revised "Ten Essentials" of disaster management. Reserve your space in this webinar. AROUND THE WORLD Fast-growing Alaska wildfires force evacuations Al Jazeera America Fire crews are battling two serious wildfires in Alaska that are threatening hundreds of residences and have forced numerous evacuations. The most recent fire erupted and burned six structures and prompted hundreds of residents to flee homes on the Kenai Peninsula, roughly 150 miles south of major wildfire that started a day earlier near Willow in the heart of the state's sled-dog community. Tropical Storm Bill pours more rain on drenched Texas NPR Flood watches have been issued for areas of central and northern Texas, since Tropical Storm Bill came ashore and makes its way up the state. Rainfall of 4-8 inches is forecast in a band stretching from Texas up to Missouri, with some areas receiving up to 12 inches, according to the National Weather Service. "These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods," the service's forecasters say. Bill is rated as a tropical depression. Hurricane Carlos weakening, but Pacific coastal towns in southwestern Mexico stay on alert Fox News Some coastal towns closed their schools and small boats were ordered off the sea near the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta as a weakening Hurricane Carlos swirled up Mexico's southwestern coast. Carlos lost power, with its sustained winds barely strong enough to make it a Category 1 hurricane, but officials kept alerts in place as a precaution. Harsh drought in central Vietnam blamed on El Nino VietNamNet The drought is being blamed on the El Nino phenomenon. In a number of areas in the region, the prolonged drought could cause a red alert to be issued, the NCHMF said. Eighteen months after the start of the drought, the central coastal province of Ninh Thuan declared a state of emergency, for the first time in its history, becoming the first province to have so declared. Agencies have described this as the most severe drought in more than two decades. Monsoon rains hit India The Wall Street Journal The monsoon finally hit India's southwest coast, a few days after the country's weather department lowered its forecast for the rains that usually last from June through September. The southwest monsoon advanced to the western state of Maharashtra over the weekend. *Article contributed by the Emergency Manager's Weekly Report. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here -- it's free!
The National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH) is pleased to invite you to our June webinar, “Poster Winners from Learning in Disaster Health 2014 - Elderly in Disasters: An Integrated Review.” This webinar will be presented by Heather L. Johnson, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP and Catherine G. Ling PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP. Both presenters are affiliated with the Daniel K. Inouye Graduate School of Nursing at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The presenters will be discussing the content of their poster, which won an outstanding poster award at NCDMPH’s annual Learning in Disaster Health Workshop. Date: June 23rd, 2015 1:00 PM EDT Access: http://ncdmph.adobeconnect.com/r72x5v80yxb/ All National Center webinars are free and feature live captioning.
New or Updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports:
Brookings Institution
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
Congress. House. Homeland Security Committee
Congress. Senate. Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee
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