EMERGENCY PARTNER POSTINGS

Volume 3, No. 1

September 1998

Celebration of the Year! The big event in August was the online celebration of the First Year Anniversary of the EIIP Virtual Forum. Invitations were sent out by email and the USPO in conjunction with certificates of appreciation to 105 presenters who made our first year such a success. The online birthday party was a very festive scene with a special message provided by Philippe Boulle, Director of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), and special icons and graphics provided by Amy Sebring, EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator. Approximately 50 party attendees from around the world expressed their congratulations and best wishes for continued success of the Virtual Forum! (Transcript of the August 5, 1998 anniversary session is available --- see 'Transcripts" link on Virtual Forum home page. See the online version, http://www.emforum.org/vforum/lc980805.htm complete with graphics.)

EIIP Plans WEBEX for November - Planning meetings are underway for the EIIP portion of the Fall Virtual Fire & Rescue Expo, November 1-15, 1998 (see http://www.vfre.com). Various Partners and other interested parties are meeting online weekly to design a virtual hazmat exercise, WEBEX, as the EIIP contribution to the VFRE schedule. Watch for further details as the planning progresses --- summaries are available in the Virtual Forum - See Discussion Groups --- WEBEX.

Please Note:

• "Round Table" led by a Guest Host, Tuesdays at 1:00 PM Eastern Time
• "Mutual Aid" session, currently being used for WEBEX planning, Thursdays at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

September 1998 - Wednesdays - 12:00 Noon EDT

September 2: The Virtual Library hosts John C. Pine, Ed.D., Louisiana State University as he presents "An Assessment of the Transportation of Extremely Hazardous Substances for the Southern Mississippi River Corridor."

September 9: The Virtual Classroom features Dr. Mary Ann Rollans, University of Arkansas, and their Emergency Management Degree program.

September 16: The Virtual Forum is "Live! from" the Tenth International Disaster Recovery Symposium and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida (tentative)

September 23: The EIIP Panel Room features a panel discussion on Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams.

September 30: The Technology Arena presenter TBA upon confirmation.

The following submitted the agreement form to become formal Partners and are listed on the EIIP Virtual Forum web site, with links to Websites if available (see http://www.emforum.org/partners/partic.htm). Each Point of Contact (POC) has been welcomed to the EIIP and encouraged to become an active participant and worker in the Partnership:

Arizona Division of Emergency Management: POC: Jan Kimmell (kimmellj@dem.state.az.us)

Coventry University: POC: Hazel Hancock (cbx058@cov.ac.uk)

Durham County Emergency Management: POC: David Hancock, EM Coordinator (dobesar@mindspring.com)

J Square Marketing, Emergency Management Research: POC: Joseph R. Ashby, CEM (jjashby@aol.com).

Principal Financial Group: POC: John E. Neldeberg (neldeberg.john@principal.com)

Interested in joining the EIIP? New Partners are welcome; Partnership Criteria and Agreement Form may be found at the following URL: http://www.emforum.org/partners/criteria.htm

EIIP Logo Accessible to Partners

We continue to add new Partners to the EIIP. Part of the EIIP Memorandum of Agreement states that we will link to each other's web sites, if one exists. In response to a request of a new Partner for the EIIP logo, we have made the logo easily accessible and in an appropriate size for any of our Partners' use at: http://www.emforum.org/images/ic_forum.gif

Join the 1998 IDNDR Internet Conference! The IDNDR Secretariat is organizing its third Internet Conference on: "Natural Disaster Prevention begins with Information." The conference will run from 28 September-18 October 1998.

The rationale for the conference is that a sound strategy behind the formulation and communication of disaster prevention messages is necessary to reinforce and promote a worldwide culture of prevention. To gather disaster prevention information and communicate it is a complex process involving disaster managers and scientists for proper substance of the topic and communicators such as journalists and public information professionals to ensure the right messages reach the concerned audience. The challenge we face is to sell the validity of the disaster prevention message, to find the right communication tools, to formulate the right information at the right time in an appropriate language.

To make progress and share experiences on these issues, the IDNDR has launched the 1998 World Disaster Reduction Campaign "Natural Disaster Prevention begins with Information". The Internet Conference will be organized jointly between the IDNDR Secretariat and the Peruvian Non-Governmental Organization Quipunet, as in previous years. For further information, access information about the upcoming virtual conference and other IDNDR activities from the IDNDR '98 Quick Pick on the EIIP Virtual Forum home page, or use http://www.emforum.org/vforum/idndr98.htm.

October 19-23, 1998 --- dates for a "Virtual Conference on the Hemispheric Plan for Disaster Reduction in the Education Sector" hosted by the Organization of American States, http://www.oas.org, Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment, along with the United Nations International Decade of Natural Disaster Reduction Secretariat and the United Nations Development Program The objective of the conference is to promote the implementation of the "Hemispheric Action Plan for Vulnerability Reduction in the Education Sector to Socio-Natural Disasters." The EIIP Virtual Forum is assisting OAS with the virtual conference. For conference information or registration, contact the Natural Hazards Project, Unit of Sustainable Development and Environment, OAS, 889 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006; (natural-hazards-project@oas.org) (202)458-6295; fax: (202) 458-3560.

Rick Tobin, President of TAO Services, Emergency Planning Consulting, has formed a new non-profit organization in California. The following is an overview of the Landark Shelter Project :

Vision Statement: The Landark Shelter Project, Inc. will be the premier leader in North America for providing a hands-on training facility for planners, builders and community
leaders to learn alternative, low-tech building methods focused on low-cost disaster sheltering for the general public, the medically fragile and for animals.

Mission Statement: Landark Shelter Project, Inc. will promote its vision through the development of an active mass care and shelter facility and training site in Sacramento,
California. Landark will foster interests of community sustainability by establishing a training site. This training will help other communities learn how to make preparations for their community plan for disaster survival, and at a reasonable cost.

Goals:

• Build and operate the first future regional sheltering facility of its kind in North America.
• Set standards for shelter operations that address the needs of all populations including those noted in the Americans with Disabilities Act and under the California program for animals in disaster.
• Develop and operate an international training center for shelter operations of all kinds.
• Operate working shelters to support Sacramento County/City during times of disaster.
• Develop a construction firm to build low-cost shelters for communities throughout California.
• Establish a training program to help support the community needs for preparing Welfare-to-Work candidates.

The Landark Shelter Project is a fully certified non-profit organization. It will begin the work of developing funding, staffing, and site development as of September 1, with an official kick-off in October of 1998. The Project has a 13-year construction schedule with the eventual goal of housing up to 30,000 people after major catastrophic events.

Those interested in the Project and its operations are welcome to contact Rick Tobin at 530-622-2815, or e-mail at rtobin@foothill.net. A web site explaining the entire project will be online before the end of 1998.

If you think access to a telephone is an issue of the past, consider the photo on the North Spirit Lake First Nation (Ontario, Canada) site, http://www.knet.on.ca/nsl/cevents.html.
In many countries, fewer than 1% of rural people have access to a telephone --- globally, most rural people have never used a telephone. Many rural communities do not have basic telephone service, and many other communities are seeking ways to obtain services on par with their urban peers to gain access to the Internet and access telemedicine and distance learning applications. Advancing telecommunication for rural development has become a key priority for many nations around the world.

Organizations involved in advancing rural telecommunications, from Australia to Zambia are seeking to determine the best methods and techniques for selecting appropriate technology options for rural telecommunications, and the best methods of planning, implementing and sustaining rural telecommunication development programmes.

An upcoming October conference in Canada (See Upcoming Events and Conferences for details), "Partnerships and Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development: Exploring What Works and Why," focuses on learning more about the critical role played by creative partnerships between people in the private sector, government and civil society that enhance rural development through telecommunication applications.

Across history and around the world, creative partnerships are at the root of rural telecommunication services --- whether it be early farm community telephone systems and rural radio systems in North America, current rural telecommunication services in Africa, rural telemedicine applications in the outback of Australia, or high speed wireless rural data systems in Canada.

- How are these creative partnerships formed?
- What are the challenges to creating and sustaining partnerships?
- What roles to partners play? How do we measure social and economic
impacts to justify investments?

Through case studies, presentations and working group discussions conference participants will generate concrete statements of "best practice," key recommendations, and ideas for initiatives that will move forward the next generation of partnerships to enhance rural development through telecommunications

McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas (AFNS) -- Ten hazardous materials specialists from McConnell joined with Wichita firefighters August 18 in response to an anthrax threat downtown. An envelope labeled "anthrax" and containing a white powdery substance was found in mid-afternoon in the Finney State Office Building, resulting in a four-block evacuation of the surrounding area. The 10 McConnell firefighters joined with civilian counterparts as part of the base's mutual aid agreement with the city.

Authorities testing the material in the envelope determined that the powder is not anthrax or any other harmful substance. Before the test results were in, McConnell crews helped in a decontamination effort for almost 200 people in the state building where they could have come in contact with the powder. More information on the Internet at: http://www.wichitaeagle.com/news/local/crime-courts/docs/build0819_txt.htm

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) recently announced an unprecedented partnership to make Florida homes more resistive to hurricanes, wildfires and floods. IBHS and the DCA are establishing the Homeowners Incentives Team to develop a comprehensive set of public- and private-sector inducements for homeowners to make their homes less vulnerable before a hurricane or other disaster strikes. These incentives, which could come from banks, insurers, real estate agencies, energy companies, building materials manufacturers and resellers, local government and employers, will apply throughout the state for both new construction and retrofit projects for existing homes.

Team members will be drawn from key industries and agencies in Florida that have a stake in housing and community welfare. No similar program exists anywhere else in the country. The Homeowners Incentives Team is the latest in a series of initiatives established through the state of Florida's "Breaking the Cycle" program, a $21 million initiative that was launched in August 1997 to help Floridians strengthen their homes and communities against natural disasters.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety is an insurance industry initiative to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.

http://www.fbi.gov

The FBI home page now has a just-the-facts page more in tune with the subdued, even secretive demeanor often associated with the agency. The site runs the gamut from information on the most-wanted criminals to information on celebrities. Under the heading "Freedom of Information and Privacy Act", you will find links to declassified FBI files on deceased celebrities such as John Lennon, Mickey Mantle, Elvis Presley and John Wayne. Declassified files on unidentified flying objects and UFO crashes are also available.

http://www.defenselink.mil

DoD's Defense Link is a simple site with a variety of information about the military as well as the latest DoD news, highlights of investigations, and reports on the DoD reform initiative.

Arizona Division of Emergency Management Update:

Arizona Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) Partners with FEMA - Tempe, Arizona is one of 50 communities across America invited by FEMA Director James L. Witt to launch the agency's new initiative, Project Impact: Building a Disaster Resistant Community. "Tempe was selected as a Project Impact community because of its high risk for flash floods and severe weather," said Michael P. Austin, ADEM Director. "In addition, it was chosen for the actions already underway and to congratulate the community on its foresight, commitment and contribution to changing the way America deals with disasters."

Project Impact is a national effort developed in collaboration with federal/state/local governments, the business community, individuals and FEMA to change the way America deals with disasters by encouraging communities to assess their vulnerabilities to natural hazards and implement strategies to limit damage before disasters occur. Tempe is the only city in Arizona invited to participate in the first round of Project Impact communities. Arizona DEM will work with FEMA, Tempe, Motorola and other public and private partners to implement new strategies to reduce the impact of disasters.

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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Update:

FEMA Offers Hurricane Radio Announcements and PSA Scripts - FEMA's radio network has posted 30- and 60-second Public Service Announcements providing information for use before, during and after a hurricane. The spots highlight such things as the importance of correct preparations, safe ways to evacuate and what to watch for when returning to a
hurricane-damaged house. Areas cleaning up after Hurricane Bonnie and states that may be threatened by Hurricane Danielle could benefit.

The PSAs as well as radio actualities related to the current hurricane situation can be accessed by calling 1-800-323-5248. Scripts for the hurricane PSAs can also be downloaded from the FEMA Web site, at http://www.fema.gov/library/psa or obtained through the FEMA Fax-On-Demand system, at (202) 646-3362.

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National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)Update:

NEMA Y2K Survey of State Agencies - As result of a recent survey, NEMA will be able to determine how well prepared State Emergency Management Agencies EOCs are for the Year 2000 computer date change. Estimates of Y2K issues range from minor to catastrophic. Y2K problems become extremely complex when existing systems interface with other data systems. Automated devices, other than computers, may have "chips" that are not Y2K compliant. Data exchange and communications between different levels of government may be impacted. All State Directors were asked to promptly respond to the NEMA survey.

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National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue (NI/USR) Update:

XII First Planning Meeting for Phase Two Demonstration - On August 6 & 7, 1998, thirty-two folks turned out for the first Planning Meeting of the XII Phase Two demonstration. The tentative date, presently being coordinated among the many 'players' is October 13-23, 1998.

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National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Update:

National Firefighters Memorial Service Scheduled - The NVFC announces the National Firefighters Memorial Service will be held on October 4, 1998 at the National Fire Academy, Emmitsburg, MD. For further information, contact NFFF (Firehero@erols.com) or write to NFFF, PO Drawer 498, Emmitsburg, MD 21727.

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State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG) Update:

SALEMDUG Presents 1999 Conference In New Orleans - The Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness is hosting the Fourteenth Annual State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG) Conference. The conference will be held February 8-10, 1999 at the Holiday Inn Downtown - Superdome Hotel, New Orleans.

Fourteen years ago, SALEMDUG originated to develop awareness of technology and its potential uses in emergency management. The original purpose of the organization was to keep state and local emergency management personnel aware of technology in other States, communities and with FEMA. "With Every Ending, There is a New Beginning". After 1998, FEMA will no longer fund the SALEMDUG conferences. However, spring conference attendees in Virginia Beach unanimously voted that the organization continue on making up the difference in money by whatever means necessary. The SALEMDUG Executive Board is diligently coming up with ideas to generate needed funds.

A preview of the exciting events for the February '99 conference include:

• Complete training with 3 of the top Emergency Management softwares including NEMIS/HAZUS/TMS/EMERS mini-training and GPS. Participants will actually take a GP system out, record data, download and send it back to the conference area and return to map out the area
• A private tour of the Super-Dome "behind the walls" computerized emergency management system
• New vendors and new exhibits
• A "most unique" t-shirt day and a *.wav contest

Contact Sue Krogman, SALEMDUG President (Sue.Krogman@nema.state.ne.us) to receive more information about the 1999 New Orleans SALEMDUG Conference as it becomes available.

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September 7-11, 1998: UN International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) Conference on Early Warning Systems for the Reduction of Natural Disasters (EWC98) - Potsdam, Germany. To contact for further information, send email to: ewc98@gfz-potsdam.de or visit: http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/ewc98

September 9-11, 1998: Post-Emergency Response Issues Conference - Washington DC; sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Contact by email: EPAConference@scicomm.com.

September 9-12, 1998: National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) 1998 Annual Conference - Charleston, South Carolina. For further information, contact: Marcia Hensley, NEMA, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578-1910; (606) 244-8162.

September 12-15, 1998: Fire-Rescue International '98 - Louisville, KY; sponsored by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). Contact: IAFC (prodevelopment@iafc.org) or visit: http://www.iafc.org

September 13-16, 1998: Tenth International Disaster Recovery Symposium and Exhibition, Orlando, FL. Sponsored by the Disaster Recovery Journal and the Disaster Recovery Institute International. Contact (314) 894-0276 or http://www.drj.com for details.

September 14-15, 1998: Tsunami 1998 Hazard Mitigation Symposium (in conjunction with the Western States Seismic Policy Council Annual Conference September 15-18, 1998) -Pasadena, California. Contact WWSPC (wsspc@wsspc.org) or visit: http://www.wsspc.org

September 14-17, 1998: American Public Works Association (APWA) Annual
Congress and Exposition - Las Vegas, Nevada. This seminar includes sessions on emergency management. Contact APWA (apwa@mail.pubworks.org) or visit: http://www.pubworks.org

September 14-18, 1998: 19th Conference on Severe Local Storms in Minneapolis, MN includes a panel on "Communicating Information About Hazardous Weather." Sponsor: American Meteorological Society. For more information, contact: Harold E.
Brooks, Program Chairperson, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory (brooks@nssl.noaa.gov) or visit: http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/sls19/

September 16-18, 1998: Floodplain Management Association (FMA) Fall Conference: "After the Storm" in Sacramento, California. For more information, contact Northern California FMA at: 4145 Maybell Way, Palo Alto, CA; 94306. Phone: (650) 493-7198; or Southern California FMA at: P.O.Box 2972; Mission Viejo, CA 92692. Phone: (714) 766-8112; or visit website at: http://floodplain.org.

September 18-20, 1998: The 1998 Terrorism Responders Conference in Boise, ID is sponsored by: Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others. For more information, contact: Idaho Emergency Services Training, Division of Vocational Education, 650 West State Street, Boise, ID 83720; (208) 334-3216; or
http://www.adasheriff.org.

October 8-10, 1998: NVFC Fall Meeting, Warwick, Rhode Island; 1-888-ASK-NVFC (275-6832).

October 26-27, 1998: Partnerships & Participation in Telecommunications for Rural Development: Exploring What Works and Why - University of Guelph in Guelph,
Ontario, Canada. The conference focuses on telecommunications for participatory rural
development. It looks at how lessons-learned in Canada might be applied by people in other countries, and how lessons learned in other countries might be applied in Canada.
Note: Online Pre-conference - October 1 to 21 1998 : Free online pre-conference located at http://www.snowden.org provides opportunities to discuss past, present and future uses of communication technology in rural areas. The aim of the pre-conference process is to identify and explore key issues related to telecommunications for rural development across sectors.

November 6-8, 1998: North East Fire & Emergency Services Expo - Atlantic City Convention Center; Call (732)739-5395.

December 9-11, 1998: Fourth Annual Government, Business & Education Technology Conference and Exposition (GBET) - The Los Angeles conference opens with an earthquake response and recovery simulation. The purpose of the simulation is to show how technology tools can aid in the response and recovery of a disaster. The response to the simulated earthquake will closely resemble the community-wide communication efforts necessary after an actual disaster. Please call 1-800-474-3976 or visit the Web site http://www.gbet.com.

May 24-29, 1999: CAMEO99 - Crowne Plaza Phoenix Downtown, Phoenix AZ. Sponsored by EPA CEPPO, NOAA HAZMAT, AZSERC; see web site: http://www.nrt.org/nrt/cameo.nsf

Play Chess and Checkers

http://www.excite.com/games/online_games/

The Online Games channel has just added chess and checkers to its popular collection of word games and classic card games. Novices and experts, come play!

Top Ten Multi-Player Games Sites

http://www.excite.com/topten/archive/multiplay/

Do you dig Duke Nukem? Go bananas for Bingo? Challenge gamers throughout the world in the Top Ten Multi-Player Gaming Networks on the Web.

NFL Preseason Update

http://sports.excite.com/nfl

It's almost football season again, and the teams have broken camp. Check this NFL page over the next two weeks for preseason stats, trades, scores, and information on the latest
injuries.

"Emergency Partner Postings" is a monthly update on progress of the partnership, activities, and services available through Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP) Virtual Forum web site, other electronic sources of information, and articles of interest concerning awareness and use of information technology. The news will be posted on the web site the last week of each month.

We encourage readers to submit articles for this newsletter about use of the Internet for emergency management and other aspects of information technology. Deadline for contributions is the 20th of each month for that month's newsletter. Submit contributions to Ashley Streetman, (astreetman@emforum.org).

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