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EMERGENCY PARTNER POSTINGS Volume 3, No. 3 November 1998 |
| News for and about the Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP), an Internet-based forum for dialogue among all those with an interest in emergency management. Produced by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), formerly the National Coordinating Council on Emergency Management (NCCEM), with funding from FEMA. |
Inside this Issue:
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EIIP
Update
New Staff Member On Board - The EIIP is pleased to announce that Amy Sebring, EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator, is now able to devote regular work hours to the Partnership and Virtual Forum effort. Amy recently left her "day job" with the City of Corpus Christi, to pursue her interest in applying computer and Internet technologies to the field of Emergency Management. Amy has been responsible for the design, maintenance and enhancements to the EIIP Virtual Forum website, and we can look forward to substantial progress over the coming year. Amy is a true visionary and the EIIP is fortunate to have her on board! Exploring Online Communications! - The Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP) is investigating the feasibility of using low cost, Internet-based As a first step, we hope to bring a few interested individuals together to test the concept. If you are interested in participating, please contact Amy Sebring, aebring@emforum.org for further information about minimal system requirements, software, etc. We plan to attempt an initial test this month. EIIP WEBEX November 5 - All is in place for the WEBEX online hazmat exercise on November 5, 8:00 PM Eastern time --- this is the EIIP contribution to the Fall Virtual Fire & Rescue Expo, November 1-15, 1998, http://www.vfre.com. In response to a request for volunteers and nominations, the WEBEX currently has about 40 people committed to this online effort. Go to http://www.vfre.com/vfre_frame2.asp?pres=5 for background information on the exercise, plus biographical sketches and pictures of the players. Please view the EIIP Presents WEBEX video, and listen to a special audio segment about the functional exercise. Everyone is invited to the VFRE to observe this premiere EIIP online event! EIIP Cited as Exemplary Practice - The EIIP is pleased to have been selected for inclusion in this year's edition of FEMA's Partnerships in Preparedness Volume III: A Compendium of Exemplary Practices in Emergency Management. A downloadable version of the compendium is now available from http://www.fema.gov, Library, Preparedness Room. A chat session devoted to the compendium is planned for this month; see the November schedule below. EIIP Road Trip - The EIIP Virtual Forum was represented at the second meeting of the Earthquake Information Provider's (EqIP) Group in Amhearst, New York, October 4-6. EqIP is composed of key practitioners and information providers in the earthquake field; the group is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This meeting was primarily a strategic planning session to guide EqIP through the coming year. |
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EIIP
Welcomes New Partners!
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: Emergency Management Association of Tennessee (EMAT): Elizabeth Rucker-Reed, Webmaster (ematweb@aol.com) Mason County (WA) Department of Emergency Services: Joseph W Murray, Director The North American Center for Emergency Communications (NACEC): Edward E. Addy, Executive Director (eaddy@nacec.org) Tuscaloosa County (AL) Emergency Management Agency: Ron Hampel, Director; Don Harley, Planning & Warnings Officer (tuscoema@hotmail.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 |
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Virtual Fire & Rescue Exposition Underway
Dr. Denis Onieal, Superintendent of the U.S. Fire Administration's National Fire Academy, provides the keynote address for Virtual Fire & Rescue Expo Fall '98, Monday, November 2, 9:00 PM, EST. The free on-line conference, Nov. 1-15, 1998, is sponsored by EIIP partner, National Fire & Rescue Magazine, and may be accessed from http://www.vfre.com. Highlights of the VFRE Fall program also include a "virtual functional exercise," a live "Webcast" from the floor of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Fall Meeting in Atlanta, and an "After-Action Report" on Florida's record-breaking wildfires last summer. The complete VFRE/Fall 98 Interactive Workshop Schedule is posted at the website. Presenting Web-based educational workshops will be the NFPA; the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Fire Administration; the International Association of Fire Chiefs/Volunteer Chief Officers Section; the National Terrorism Preparedness Institute; the Florida State Fire Marshal's Office, the Florida Fire Chiefs Association and the Florida Division of State Forestry; the Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership (EIIP); and leaders from private agencies and public fire and rescue organizations from across the nation. Workshops cover a wide range of topics --- from preparedness for terrorism and the impact of the "Millennium Bug" on emergency response agencies to such daily challenges as leadership of volunteer departments, improving writing skills, flashover survival and planning and distribution of rural and wildland water supplies. In addition to 18 Web-based workshops available round-the-clock for two weeks during the conference, attendees will have an opportunity to get online in real time for follow up Q&A live chat sessions with VFRE presenters. Two major real-time events are also planned. From 8:00-11:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Thursday Nov. 5, the Emergency Information Infrastructure Partnership, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, conducts "WEBEX: A Virtual Functional Exercise." The exercise presents a train derailment scenario, and multiple chat rooms simulate on-scene incident command and Emergency Operations Center functions. Attendees may observe or participate in the discussion, as role-players make decisions to bring the incident under control. From 1:00-5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Nov. 15, VFRE presents "Web-cast" live in RealMedia at VFRE's Web site from the floor of the National Fire Protection Association's Fall Meeting at the Atlanta Omni Hotel. Tune in online for "The Internet: More than Fire Department E-mail," co-presented by Mike Callan, founder of hazmatcentral.com, and Pat West, National Fire & Rescue editor and VFRE cofounder. VFRE's Spring 1998 conference in May logged more than 500,000 hits and 22,000 user sessions with attendance from 62 nations. Attendance is free, but participants are encouraged to register so that traffic can be accommodated. Preregister now at http://www.vfre.com. Door prizes will be awarded to VFRE registrants on Friday, Nov. 13. Contacts: Pat C. West, VFRE Workshop Coordinator, (919) 872-5040 patwest@nfrmag.com or Al Frazier & Ed Richardson, VFRE Exhibits & Advertising (302) 422-8400 sales@nfrmag.com |
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U.S. Fire Administration Review Completed A Blue Ribbon Panel's review of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) --- initiated by FEMA Director James Lee Witt last spring --- has been posted in full on the FEMA and USFA Web sites. The report includes a review of the structure, mission and funding of the USFA, future policies, programmatic needs, course development and delivery, and the role of the USFA to reflect changes in the fire service. The report's 34 recommendations range from developing a more accurate mission statement for the National Fire Academy to increasing funding for research and development initiatives. The panel included 13 members of the U.S. fire community and was chaired by Stephen P. Austin, representing the International Association of Arson Investigators. Steven T. Edwards, Director of the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute, served as co-chair. After feedback is received from the USFA, the National Fire Academy, the fire service community, allied professions and other interested parties, FEMA will draft an implementation plan based on the panel's review. Send feedback to consultgr@aol.com . |
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Dialogue II: Mainstreaming Disaster Reduction in Development Second Meeting of the Inter-American Dialogue for Disaster Reduction As the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) draws to a close, the challenge ahead is to mainstream disaster reduction in the development context. The vulnerability of populations and their economic and social infrastructure, not disaster events in and of themselves, is emerging as the most critical link to development planning, financing, implementation and evaluation for the private and public sectors alike. The Second Meeting of the Inter-American Dialogue for Disaster Reduction (Dialogue II) is taking mainstreaming disaster reduction into development as its central theme. This meeting will take place in Washington, DC on December 15-16, 1998, and will be co-sponsored by the Organization of American States (OAS), the World Bank, and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO). There is no registration fee for Dialogue II. For registration form and meeting location, contact OAS Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment, 1889 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20006, fax: 202 458 3560, e-mail: natural-hazards-project@oas.org |
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Postel's Death a Loss for Net Domain Group
In 1969, John Postel was one of a few computer scientists who created the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET), precursor to the Internet. Before his unexpected death at age 55 on October 16, Postel ran the government-funded Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA). Plans were already in place to move the IANA functions from government to the private sector; according to official sources, there will be no delay in the movement to the nonprofit Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). |
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Proudly Announcing…
Call for Papers and Presentations: Central Iowa NWA Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference, 26-28 March 1999, University Park Holiday Inn, West Des Moines, Iowa. Registration details at http://www.ecity.net/~iowanwa/. Topics related to all aspects of severe weather and operational use of Doppler radar are encouraged. Special emphasis is placed on the implementation of Build 10 Nexrad Algorithms and their implication to NWS and Media Forecasters. Also seeking success stories on the use of EMWIN and other cooperative efforts involving media, emergency management and the NWS. Send a one paragraph description to John McLaughlin (johnmc49@ecity.net) or mail to: John McLaughlin, KCCI TV, 888 9th, Des Moines, IA 50309 Call 515-247-8888. "On The Line with Winn Schwartau": The dark side of the Internet: Tune in to this weekday radio show, 12:00 EST http://www.thecyberstation.com. Winn is with INFOWAR, a group involved with information security, information warfare, computer hacking, open source intelligence, etc. The Windows Media Player is required; if you don't have that on your desktop, you will be taken to the download site. Interested in a guest spot? Contact Betty G. O'Hearn, Assistant to Mr. Schwartau (betty@infowar.com). Joint Center for Crisis and Disaster Management and Mitigation: The George Washington University, home of the Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management, has joined forces with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to for a Joint Center for Crisis and Disaster Management and Mitigation. The new center represents a pooling of intellectual resources with respect to both natural and man-made hazards in the metro Washington and Northern Virginia area.. Both universities have faculty members with extensive hazards/disaster experience. The Joint Center plans to hold a monthly series of presentation on the third Thursday of each month. The first speaker was Dr. Alcira Kreimer of the World Bank. To indicate interest in these sessions or to get on the mailing list, call (703) 729-8271 or e-mail to <crisismgt@seas.gwu.edu>. |
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Millennium Madness Banking 2000: The Global 2000 Coordinating Group (180 banks, securities firms and insurance companies) has released a template designed as a standard way for banks to release assessments of Y2K programs Information will be posted on the firms' web sites and linked to the Global 2000 site at http://www.global2k.com. Tick…tick…tick…: In Paris, the Eiffel Tower displays a huge sign that reads "426 avant 2000" --- in English, "426 days before 2000." The sign is visible for miles and weighs 50 tons, contains 1,342 lights and is updated daily. Y2K Home Preparation Web Site: Ed Yourdon's web site http.www.readyfory2k.com is an online guide designed to help homeowners and other consumers plan for possible disruptions in food, electricity, water and other essential services. Stamp Out Y2K Problems: The week of October 15 was National Y2K Action Week; as part of the campaign, the administration unveiled a commemorative stamp to promote Y2K awareness. The cancellation stamp includes the government's Year 2000 logo alongside the ominous question: "Are you Y2K OK?" Y2K Catalog? Now we have Y2K Stuff, an online catalog of year 2000-related trinkets at http://www.y2kstuff.com. Developers claim the site supports Y2K professionals by offering golf shirts, stress balls, and things like a mouse pad with the phrase "The end of the world as we oo it" and mugs labeled "Uh ooh." |
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Web
Sites of Interest
http://www.disasternews.net/ http://www.fema.gov/library/y2k1002.htm http://www.disasterrecoverynet.net http://www.va.gov/pubaff/ptsdprtr.htm |
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Organizational
& Issue Updates from EIIP Partners
Claire Rubin & Associates Update: What Hazards and Disasters are Likely in the 21st Century - or Sooner? - Title of Claire Rubin's paper that is part of the VFRE Fall offering. Find out what new threats are emerging in our society, which is growing increasingly urban, complex, interconnected, and reliant on sophisticated technologies. This workshop summarizes the risks, outlines new ways of conceptualizing the problems, and offers insight into new approaches and organizational arrangements that will be necessary to deal with these new hazards. Claire is the speaker in a follow-up Live Chat 8-9 PM EST, Sunday, Nov. 8, 1998. * * * * Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI) Update: 11th Annual Fire and Emergency Services Dinner Set for April '99 - CFSI announces the 11th Annual Fire and Emergency Services Dinner will be held on April 21, 1999 at the Washington DC Hilton. Two thousand attendees will see and hear about Interfire VR and virtual reality fire investigation training program that will debut that day. Almost three years in the making, Interfire VR is a product of a unique public private partnership between ATF, NFPA, USFA and American Reinsurance Company. Project funding came from the President's Church Arson Initiative. For reservations, contact Mike Eversole at CFSI 202-371-1277. Roth to Chair Congressional Fire Service Caucus - Senator William Roth (DE) will chair the Congressional Fire Service Caucus during the 106th Congress that will convene in January 1999. The Caucus, the largest in Congress, has over 300 members from the House and Senate making it the largest caucus on the hill. * * * * Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Update: New Appointments Announced - Mike Walker has been confirmed by the Senate to be the Deputy Director of FEMA. Dale Shipley, former Director of the Ohio Emergency Community Family & Preparedness Workshop Report Available - The Spring CFP Workshop summary and full report is available for download from the EIIP Virtual Library -- go to Library, User Submitted Docs, Preparedness. EENET Presents Live Video Broadcast via Internet this Month - In addition to its regular satellite broadcast, EENET will present a program entitled "Wind Protective Design," live via streaming video over the Internet, November 10, 12:00PM - 2:00PM Eastern. Three additional videos are currently available for viewing via Internet, the October 15th broadcast of "Even the Smallest Communities Can Manage Fire Prevention," and two training videos, "Asking for Help," and "Recovering the Arts - Grand Forks, ND." The regular satellite "National Alert Broadcast" is scheduled for November 18, 2:00PM Eastern. See http://www.fema.gov/emi/eenet.htm for complete information. * * * * National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)Update: NEMA Testifies on Y2K - NEMA President Ellen Gordon (IA) presented testimony on October 2, 1998 before a Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Program, chaired by Senator Bennett (UT). FEMA, NGA, National Guard Bureau, NASIRE, and county officials also testified. The full text is also available on the NEMA website at http://www.nemaweb.org. Click on File Library and search for Y2K Testimony. The file can be downloaded for viewing. * * * * International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Update: IAEM Pre-Conference Writing Workshop Scheduled - In addition to the Strategic Planning workshop presented by FSU, Shari Coffin and Avagene Moore, CEM, will present a two-hour writing workshop on Saturday, November 7, 8:00-10:00 AM EST. See IAEM site http://www.emassociation.org or contact IAEM Headquarters (IAEM@aol.com) prior to IAEM's 46th Annual Conference & Exhibit (Nov 7-10) in Norfolk, Virginia. * * * * Kitsap County (WA) Emergency Management Update: County Plan Chosen as Model - Kitsap County's model school plan has been accepted as the Washington State Model School Plan. The plan is all-hazard, comes with both a planning guide and model plan along with a Word disk for the model plan; includes sample procedures for school lock-down, intruder on campus, just to name a few. Contact Phyllis Mann, CEM, Director, Kitsap County EMA (pmann@co.kitsap.wa.us) * * * * Pacific Grove (CA) Fire Department Update: Pacific Grove Fire Department Receives National Recognition - The Pacific Grove Fire Department's assistance to the Naval Postgraduate School's research program on counter-terrorism has received an award from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA has just published its "Compendium of Exemplary Practices in Emergency Management, Volume III, October 1998". The Pacific Grove Fire Department's 1998 entry, "Partnership for Preparedness Against Terrorism" was one of 50 exemplary practices in 23 states selected for the compendium after a nation-wide search. Pacific Grove Fire Department's 1997 entry, "Pacific Grove - A Model for Small City Disaster Preparedness" was one of 38 exemplary practices selected in 1997 for Volume II of the compendium. Contact Russell Coile, Ph.D., CEM Tel:(831) 648-3110 or (831) 649-8946. e-mail: russell@coile.com See entire text of Volumes I, II, and III on the Internet at FEMA's web site at: http://www.fema.gov/library/lib07.htm. * * * * SALEMDUG Update: Don't forget! SALEMDUG Conference - New Orleans, 8-10 February 1999 -- * * * * University of Pittsburgh Update: IISIS Project Receives Grant - The Interactive, Intelligent, Spatial Information System (IISIS) Project recently received a grant of $100,000 from The Buhl Foundation in Pittsburgh. The funds will be used to continue development of a working prototype for decision support in risk reduction and response. Project developers will use the University of Pittsburgh as the test bed, which will serve as a university model. They plan to extend this model to a regional model for water resources management, flood hazard reduction, and disaster management in Western Pennsylvania. Contact Dr. Louise Comfort for further information (lkc+@pitt.edu). |
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Upcoming
Events and Conferences
November 7-10, 1998: IAEM Annual Conference - Norfolk VA. Contact IAEM HQ (703)538-1795 or register online at http://www.emassociation.org December 4-5, 1998: EMWIN Users Workshop - Houston, Texas; sponsored by HCAD and the National Weather Service Southern Region. No charge for the Workshop but you must register by November 25th. Attendance limited to 100. Send name(s), email and mailing addresses, phone number, and number attending to chris.grant@AEA-noaa.gov or 405-366-6581 x 141. 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. December 9-12, 1998: TechnoVentions '98 From Laboratories into the Hands of Users - February 8-10 1999: Disaster Asia '99: Asia-Pacific Conference and Exhibition on Disaster Management - Hosted by: Philippine Futuristics Society in cooperation with the UN IDNDR Secretariat. Manila, Philippines: February 8-10, 1999. Abstracts are currently being accepted. Contact: Disaster Asia '99 e-mail: infinity@snap.portalinc.com. April 21-23, 1999: Embracing Continuity & All that Jazz! Continuity Planning & Management '99 - Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Oleans LA. Visit the CPM '99 web site for details http://www.ContingencyPlanExpo.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 |
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Just
for Fun!
Want to find an Old Friend or Sweetheart? Have you ever wanted to track down your high school prom date like Ben Stiller did in "Something About Mary?" Or see what happened to the class clown? With Peoplefinder, you can look up addresses and phone numbers for people all across the United States. It only takes seconds to satisfy your curiosity. http://Inside-Excite.com/c/000074002045954105 |
