EMERGENCY PARTNER POSTINGS

Volume 3, No. 7

March 1999

Red River Basin Interactive Disaster Information Network Launched: On Friday February 19, the International Joint Commission (IJC) Red River Basin Task Force and the Red River Basin Board, with support from the EIIP and the Global Disaster Information Infrastructure (GDIN) Transition Team, announced the launch of the Red River Basin Disaster Information Network. The network hosted its first "virtual forum" on February 25 for sharing information with registered network users and stakeholders on the results of Information User Needs workshops held last July. The RRBDIN web site, http://www.emforum.org/redriver/, is the focal point of the network.

The purpose of the network is to provide an opportunity for sharing disaster-related information among persons and agencies responsible for flood mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in the region. Interested persons are encouraged to become members of this group; an e-mail address is all that is required for membership, however, Internet access and browser software are recommended for full participation. Contacts are IJC Task Force Database Subgroup Co-leaders: Terry Birkenstock (651) 290-5271
terry.j.birkenstock@mvp02.usace.army.mil -or- Dr. Slobodan Simonovic (204) 474-8375 simon@ce.umanitoba.ca

EIIP Road Trip: The EIIP was represented in Atlanta, Georgia, February 10, at the Open GIS Consortium (OGC) Conference specifically to meet with the OGC Disaster Management Special Interest Group (DM SIG). Look for the OGC in the Tech Arena on March 24.

EIIP Mail Lists Have New Moderators/Hosts: Last month, a request went out to Partners for volunteers to take responsibility for the EIIP Mail Lists. To date, all but two Mail Lists are active with stimulating discussion thanks to the following folks who have taken the challenge of managing one or more of the lists:

• Ryc Lyden, Professional Mail List
• Bill Newman, Preparedness and Response Mail Lists
• Ken L. Patterson, Academia, Recovery and Volunteers Mail Lists
• Janice Rogala, Mitigation Mail List
• David Wolfe, Technology Mail List

March Round Tables, Tuesdays, 1:00 PM Eastern: Please support the Partner-led Round Table discussions as well as the formal Wednesday sessions; details will be announced prior to scheduled session.

• Mar 2: Organization of American States, Unit for sustainable Development and Environment
• Mar 9: Contingency Management Consultants
• Mar 16: Presponse System Integration, Ltd.
• Mar 23: International Association of Emergency Managers (hosts monthly)
• Mar 30: State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG)

March 1999 - Wednesdays - 12:00 Noon EST

Mar 3, Classroom: Year 2000 with Bob Dykes and Tom Roche, EQE International.

Mar 10, Library: "The FireNet Story: Information Technology Use at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Fire Department," with Ann Willis, George Washington University, and Kevin Farrell, Aberdeen Proving Grounds.

Mar 17, Panel: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HGMP) Panel composed of NEMA Mitigation Committee Chair, Jerry Uhlmann, State of Missouri, and Committee members.

Mar 24, Tech Arena: Open GIS Consortium (OGC) Disaster Management Special Interest Group with speakers, Lance McKee and Jim Farley.

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:

Contingency Management Consultants: John E. Laye, Managing Partner
(johnlaye@pacbell.net)

Presponse System Integration, Ltd: Ryc Lyden (psi@websitelogic.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

A revised NFPA 1600 Disaster/Emergency Management Standard is available for public comment. Draft document is available at http://www.nfpa.org/procom/pdfs/1600-p.pdf.
The deadline for comment is April 2, 1999.

Partnership for Natural Disaster Reduction HomeSaver Project

On average, hurricanes, tornadoes, and cyclones take 350 lives every year in the US. Property losses due to severe winds of various kinds have increased dramatically this decade amounting to billions of dollars. The Partnership for Natural Disaster Reduction and its principle undertaking -- the HomeSaver Project, supported by FEMA and the US Department of Energy -- represent one effort to deal with these losses.

The partnership is a cooperative effort among government, universities, and industry. The aim of the HomeSaver Project is to discover proven, affordable, hazard-resistant remedies to make homes and businesses safer in hazardous areas, including higher-risk ocean or inland coastal regions. To achieve this goal, the partnership has completed the conceptual design for a national test facility, the Windstorm Center at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) to determine what construction practices and retrofit options can work to keep homes safer in severe windstorms. In the second phase of the project, two-story buildings will be tested in gusts up to 200 mph. The first hurricane test for the HomeSaver Project is planned for 2003. Contact: Cheryl O'Brien, Program Manager, Partnership for Natural Disaster Reduction, INEEL (cco@inel.gov) http://http://www.inel.gov/homesaver.

EENet Schedule for February '99:

March 3, 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST: Classroom Connection - Communication Skills and Conflict Resolution.

March 10, 2:00 - 4:00 PM EST: "Gems from EENET" --- "Valuable Lessons Learned Regarding Anhydrous Ammonia." (Note: "Unified Command: Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Focus", previously scheduled for 3/10/99, will be aired April 14.)

March 17, 2:00 - 3:00 PM EST: National Alert Broadcast - FEMA's monthly Video magazine on emergency management activities and issues.

March 24, 2:00 - 4:00 PM EST: Disaster Resistant Homes - Featuring Homewatch Specials on: "Wind"; "Earthquake"; Focus on Floods"; and "Wildfires".

March 31, 2:00-3:00 PM EST: Virginia Beach Fire Department Hazardous Materials Series - New series that will be broadcast four times this year.

See http://www.fema.gov/home/EMI/eenet.htm for further info.

World Bank Establishes Disaster Management Facility: The mission of the World Bank is to reduce poverty and improve living standards through sustainable growth and investment in people, and the agency believes that to do this, disaster prevention and mitigation must become integral parts of development planning. Thus, on July 13, 1998, the World Bank created a Disaster Management Facility (DMF) to provide operation support, promote capacity building, and establish partnerships with both the international and scientific communities to work on disaster issues. Contact Alcira Kreimer, Disaster Management Facility, World Bank, e-mail: akreimer@worldbank.org; or Margaret Arnold marnold@worldbank.org. See http://www.worldbank.org

IDNDR Secretariat Launches 1999 Campaign: The United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR) Secretariat announced its 1999 World Disaster Reduction Campaign with the slogan "Prevention Pays." To celebrate the theme of the final year of the IDNDR, the secretariat is inviting all partners to share examples of successful disaster prevention practices at the international, national, and local level. Among other activities, the secretariat is organizing an international photo contest with entries illustrating effective disaster prevention. The campaign will culminate on October 13 with World Disaster Reduction Day. See: http://www.idndr.org/ or e-mail: madeleine.moulin-acevedo@dha.unicc.org;

Distance Learning from Southern Cross: Southern Cross University in Australia is developing an emergency management postgraduate program that will be available only on-line. The program will use an IBM product called "Learning Space" - highly interactive software that provides chat areas, resource areas, teaching areas, media, and communication. This graduate program is concerned with community development rather than response and is aimed at planners and policy makers and senior emergency management or community development personnel. It will be offered internationally and will use educational materials from multiple sites, including FEMA Higher Education Program (see http://www.fema.gov/EMI/edu). For more information, contact Stewart Hase, e-mail: shase@scu.edu.au.

• FEMA Y2K Planning Document for State and Local Emergency Planners -- Contingency and Consequence Management Planning for Year 2000 Conversion: A Guide for State and Local Emergency Managers. Available in PDF format from http://www.fema.gov/y2k/ccmp.htm.
  
  
• Bankers Issue Y2K Warning -- The Swiss Bankers Association advised members not to handle any payment orders, including stock exchange transactions, over the four days that straddle the dawn of the year 2000. The recommendation wouldn't affect automated cash machine withdrawals or credit-card transactions.
  
  
• Poised for Disruptions --- Sterlingmoore Publishing Co., Abilene, Texas, has published a training program aimed at helping employees prepared for business disruptions caused by the year 2000 date change. Information is available at http://www.y2kpersonal.com.
  
  
• Nuclear Power Plants & Y2K -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is auditing nuclear power plants' progress on Y2K remediation/contingency planning. Audit reports of 12 plants are posted on the NRC Web site http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/NEWS/year2000.
  
  
• Y2K Down Under -- New Zealand's Y2K Readiness Commission is launching its first awareness campaign by sending out 302,000 information packets to businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The companies, 80% of New Zealand's businesses, will receive a survival guide and brochure. The materials are available at http://www.y2k.govt.nz/.
  
  
• Will not Pay for Y2K -- A number of insurance carriers have mailed letters to policyholders (homeowners), warning that if their domiciles or anything in them suffers damage as a result of the year 2000 problem, the policyholders won't receive any compensation for their losses. Learn about the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act and products and appliances that might not be Y2K compliant at
  http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/990222/nycu/22y2k.htm.
  
  
• Kid Stuff -- The General Services Administration has posted a children's web site on the Year 2000 computer problem. http://www.itpolicy.gsa.gov/mks/yr2000/kidsy2k.htm
  
  
• Divine Intervention? The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that several churches in the state recently organized Y2K prayer gatherings. They are praying that officials deal promptly with the bug, that truthfulness will reign and the elderly won't suffer or be abandoned in the event of wide-spread problems.
  
  
• 11 Nations Form Alliance Group to Tackle Y2K -- Representatives from 11 countries have created the International Y2K Cooperation Center. The center grew out of a December meeting at the United Nations, where delegates from 120 countries requested such a coordinating group to aid international cooperation on year 2000 fixes. The Washington-based center will operate on voluntary donations to the World Bank. Nations are asked to contribute expert year 200 advisors to the center as well. The US has pledged $12 million to the World Bank for the center, the only financial support so far. Nations in the alliance are Bulgaria, Chile, Iceland, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

http://www.oas.org/en/prog/nhp
The Natural Hazards Project (NHP) of the Unit for sustainable Development and Environment (USDE), Organization of American States (OAS) is pleased to announce its web page. The page contains information about various natural hazard mitigation activities in Spanish and English. In response to Hurricanes Georges and Mitch, the Natural Hazards Project is developing a school building construction and maintenance resource web page within the education section of the NHP site. The objective of the resource page is to provide information that will facilitate the rebuilding of schools so that they will be resistant to future natural events.

http://www.nemishome.fema.gov
FEMA has made NEMIS information available in an online overview.

http://www.disasternews.net/tennessee/
Website disseminates Tennessee disaster news.

http://www.dir.ucar.edu/esig/HP_roger/sourcebook
National Center for Atmospheric Research web site, "The Extreme Weather Sourcebook," reports economic costs of extreme weather (hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes) in the United States.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Update:

Policy with Native American Governments - American Indian and Alaska tribal governments hold a unique status in the U.S., having many of the rights and benefits of sovereign nations. Recently, in a final policy statement contained in the January 12 issue of the "Federal Register" (Vol. 64, No. 7, pp. 2095-2097), James Lee Witt, FEMA Director, announced FEMA's commitment to working with native American nations on emergency management issues. Witt designated the Preparedness Directorate to serve as liaison between FEMA and sovereign tribes on policy issues. See Federal Register at http://www.access.gpo.gov or contact Kyle W. Blackman, kyle.blackman@fema.gov.

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National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)Update:

Changes in State Directors and NEMA Committees - Dave Liebersbach is now Director of the Alaska Division of Emergency Services. Mike Chamness is the new Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency effective February 16. Major Tom Davies leaves New Jersey to join FEMA's Super FCO Cadre March 1. Dave Rodham retired from public service and is now a FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer. Dick Andrews joined EQE International as Vice President of their Risk Management Division.

Two committee chairmanships changed during the NEMA Mid-Year Conference. Joe Myers (FL) moved from Mitigation Committee Chair to Legislative Chair. Jerry Uhlmann (MO) moved from Mitigation Vice Chair to full Committee Chair.

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Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) Update:

IESMA Redesigns its Web Site -- The Illinois Emergency Services Management Association (IESMA) is proud to announce the redesign of its web site at http://www.iesma.org. Anyone with an interesting emergency management related web site that would be of interest to the IESMA membership is encouraged to submit a link request through the web site.

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Organization of American States (OAS) Unit for Sustainable Development
and Environment (USDE) Update:

The OAS Invites Comments --- OAS requests support for its web page at http://www.oas.org/en/prog/nhp:

• If you have a web page, please create a link to the Natural Hazards Project web page.
• Please announce the site through your networks, email distribution lists, mailing lists, or by word of mouth.
• OAS is open to suggestions of information that should be added to the site.
  1. Need technical documents in electronic form about school building reconstruction, retrofitting, site selection, or related materials; will post accepted documents on the web site.
  2. Alert OAS to relevant web sites that should be included.
  3. Will post names/contact information of individuals, organizations or networks that are or might potentially become involved in school reconstruction.

OAS is interested in feedback about the accessibility, format, content and relevance of the site. Contact Stephen O. Bender natural-hazards-project@oas.org .

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March 7-10, 1999: Annual Texas Emergency Management Conference - Omni Hotel, San Antonio. For more information call: DEM 512-424-2138.

March 13-16, 1999: IAEM Mid-year Committee Retreat - Emmitsburg, Maryland.

March 22-24, 1999: Disaster Recovery Journal Spring Conference - San Diego, CA http://www.drj.com.

March 30-April 1, 1999: TEMA/EMAT Spring Conference- Regal Maxwell House Hotel, Nashville, TN

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.

April 21-25, 1999: Celebrating the Many Facets of Crisis & Disaster-Stress, Trauma & Coping in the Emergency Services Professions Management - Baltimore, MD by International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. (ICISF). See http://www.icisf.org.

May 12-14, 1999: 1999 HMAC Annual Conference & Hazardous Materials Transportation Exposition - Sponsored by the Hazardous Materials Advisory Council; contact HMAC, 1101 Vermont Avenue, Ste 301, Washington DC, http://www.hmac.org

May 12-15, 1999: Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) Conference - Mexico City; sponsored by the Mexican government in partnership with the US Government and the World Bank, http://www.state.gov/www/issues/relief/gdin99.html.

May 23-28, 1999: Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) Annual Conference - Portland, Oregon ( asfpm@floods.org ).

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

June 3-6, 1999: International Hazardous Materials Response Teams - IAFC, Towson Maryland.

June 16-19, 1999: Response '99 - National Association of Search & Rescue, Orlando, Florida.

September 20-23, 1999: EPA Region III Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Conference - Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel, Washington, DC. For more information, call (877) 804-CEPP toll free or visit http://www.epacepp.com.

BowieNet (http://www.davidbowie.com): Starting his fourth decade in the limelight, musician and philosopher/trendsetter David Bowie is no stranger to technology. Since the mid 1980s, Bowie has used his computer to create lithographs and write lyrics. Now, at age 51, he's into the Internet. BowieNet is his latest project, a portal at which Bowie keeps a personal journal and chats every day with fans. (He also lurks in chat rooms under a handful of assumed names to observe.)

"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 Jennifer Suter, jsuter@emforum.org.

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