EMERGENCY PARTNER POSTINGS

Volume 3, No. 12

August 1999

The EIIP Virtual Forum Needs You! Pledge Drive Launched:
The EIIP celebrates the second anniversary of the Virtual Forum by launching a pledge drive today, asking those of you who find this service valuable not to donate money, but to support this effort with your active participation.

The EIIP Virtual Forum is the only place you can go twice a week for live presentations of timely issues and information, and interact directly with a wide variety of professionals who, like you, are concerned about improving the way we deal with disasters. The EIIP Virtual Forum needs YOU there in person to make these sessions truly beneficial to all. We are asking you to MAKE the time -- whatever you can afford.

The EIIP Virtual Forum offers 100 sessions per year, two per week, 1 hour each. We ask you to pledge the number of sessions per month you can/will attend for professional development and as a contribution to the field. Please send in your pledge by using the "Pledge" link on the EIIP Virtual Forum homepage ( http://www.emforum.org ) . Our goal for the year is 100 pledges.

The Pledge form requires your name, affiliation, email address, and the number of sessions you commit to in any given month. It's simple --- review the published schedule of events each month, select the topics that appeal to you, and mark them on your personal calendar. Those who complete their pledges over the coming year will receive special recognition at our annual birthday party during August 2000.

EIIP Celebrates Second Birthday!
Speaking of birthday parties, you are cordially invited to attend the celebration. The date is Wednesday August 18, 12 Noon EDT, in the EIIP Virtual Forum. Dress is casual. BYOB. Circle August 18 on your calendar -- come to the EIIP Virtual Forum birthday bash! We only have room for fifty guests this year, so come early and reserve your place. Enjoy the fun as we celebrate this special event! If you would like to send the EIIP a birthday card, please email to asebring@emforum.org and we will display as many as possible.

EIIP Server Struck by Lighting!
The EIIP knows first-hand how devastating lightning can be. The server used by the EIIP Virtual Forum was hit by lightning recently. The EIIP lost the backup as well as other data on the drive. The EIIP Virtual Forum is back in business after a lot of work and the weekly Tuesday and Wednesday 12 Noon EDT sessions are back online. With the help and understanding of our supporters, the word about this unfortunate event has been circulated. Everyone is asked to resubscribe to our newly condensed mail lists; see site status at http://www.emforum.org/status.htm. Please note: For the time being, User Accounts and Passwords have been disabled for Virtual Forum chats. Participants are asked to login by first and last names at: http://www.emforum.org. The EIIP appreciates your patience and continued support.

EIIP Road Trip:
The previous unfortunate event took place while Technical Projects Coordinator, Amy Sebring was out of town. She was representing the EIIP at the 24th Annual Hazards Research and Application Workshop, in Boulder, Colorado during July. This was an opportunity for Amy to meet many of our previous speakers and participants in person, and to be on the lookout for future session topics. Amy represented the EIIP at a meeting of EqIP, the Earthquake Information Providers group, and also participated in one of the workshop panels entitled Information Technology for Crisis Management, where her remarks were well received. For further information about the workshop, see the transcript for the July 20th Round Table session.

RRBDIN Update:
The Red River Basin Disaster Information Network conducted a July 29 online workshop on "Issues in Professional Floodplain Management and The Association of State Floodplain Managers." Featured speakers were Larry Larson, Executive Director, ASFPM; John Linc Stine, Administrator for Permits and Land Use, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Waters; and Jeff Klein, North Dakota State Coordinator for the National Flood Insurance Program, North Dakota State Water Commission. The workshop was an opportunity for RRBDIN members to learn about the ASFPM, its role in supporting the professionalism of floodplain managers and national policy-making, and highlights of its recent annual conference.

The RRBDIN is sponsored by the International Joint Commission, the Global Disaster Information Network, and the Red River Basin Board with support by the EIIP. Workshop transcripts and related materials are available via the Web site. http://www.emforum.org/redriver/

The Round Tables are Partner-led discussions. Currently SALEMDUG, the Community & Family Preparedness Program of FEMA, the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and the Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI) are committed to a Round Table discussion each month. Please support their efforts each Tuesday at 12:00 Noon Eastern as well as our formal sessions each Wednesday at 12:00 Noon ET.

August 1999 Round Tables - Tuesdays - 12:00 Noon EDT:
August 3: State and Local Emergency Management Data Users Group (SALEMDUG)
August 10: FEMA Community & Family Preparedness (CFP)
August 17: Congressional Fire Service Institute (CFSI)
August 24: International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
August 31: Central United State Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC)

August 1999 Formal Sessions - Wednesdays - 12:00 Noon EDT:
August 4: Virtual Library - Communication Between Researchers and Practitioners
August11: Virtual Classroom - Jim McGinty, Bomb Threat Management
August 18: EIIP Virtual Forum 2nd Anniversary Celebration!
August 25: Technology Arena - Database Applications for Persons with Special Needs

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:

ABS Group Inc. Risk & Reliability Division: Myron L Casada, Manager, PSM/RMP Services mcasadda@abs-group.com

International Emergency Management Student Association (IEMSA): Dan Robeson, Vice President danrobeson@yahoo.com

Universidad de Piura (Peru): M. Antonio Ramirez V. aramirez@udep.edu.pe

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

The House recently agreed to a one-year moratorium on the Internet dissemination of information about potential hazards at some 66,000 facilities using or making toxic chemicals. The House measure, approved without opposition, addresses law enforcement concerns that the information, aimed at helping communities prepare for worst case accident scenarios, could be used by terrorists. The Senate approved a similar bill last month.

The 1990 Clean Air Act required plants dealing with toxic chemicals provide to the Environmental Protection Agency by June 21 a Risk Management Plan including a worst case scenario for accidents. The EPA originally wanted to make much of that information public. But the FBI, the Justice Department and some members of Congress argued that detailing on the Internet possible disaster scenarios for each chemical plant or user poses a national security threat.

The legislation requires that local safety officials still have access to the information. The administration would have a year to find ways to put the information on the Internet so that public interests are protected without giving terrorists a road map to potential targets. Environmentalist groups opposed the moratorium, arguing that the potential danger to 85 million people living within five miles of a chemical facility outweigh the terrorist threat.

Reports from the IDNDR Programme Forum

The closing event of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), the "IDNDR Programme Forum," was held July 5-9 in Geneva, Switzerland. Persons interested in the IDNDR --- particularly its continuation into the next millennium --- should consult the documents from that meeting. At least three major statements were produced: The Geneva Mandate On Disaster Reduction, General Conclusions: A Brief Summary of 40 Sessions, and Strategy for a Safer World in the 21st Century: Disaster and Risk Reduction. See http://www.idndr.org for these and other reports. For additional information, contact the UN IDNDR Secretariat, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; tel: (41 22) 917 9711; fax: (41 22) 91790 98/99; e-mail: idndr@dha.unicc.org

EENet Schedule for August '99:

August 4, 2:00-3:00 PM EDT: Learning Again - "Church Arson Prevention"

August 11, 2:00-4:00 PM EDT: Living with Grief: At Work, At School, At Home; Hospice Foundation National Bereavement Teleconference Series #6. (Copyrighted)

August 18, 2:00-3:30 PM EDT: National Alert Broadcast --- FEMA's monthly Video magazine --- watch the EENET web page for topics.

August 25 & 26, 1:00-4:00 PM EDT: USDA Emergency Preparedness Satellite Seminar -- Objective is to alert emergency management professionals to animal and human health issues. NOTE: Broadcast in English and Spanish.

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

The Public Entity Risk Institute: Internet Symposium

The Public Entity Risk Institute is sponsoring an Internet symposium, October 4-8, 1999, on what communities can do to better prepare for and recover from disasters. "Dealing with Disaster," is intended to inform smaller public entities, nonprofit organizations, and businesses on ways they can work together to prepare for disasters. Free and open to all interested persons, the symposium will be conducted in the "Symposium Center" on the institute's Web site: http://www.riskinstitute.org.

The symposium will be based, in part, on the recently released National Science Foundation study, "Disasters by Design: A Reassessment of Natural Hazards in the United States" (see DR #290), which outlines a comprehensive approach to dealing with disasters on a long-term, sustainable basis. Each day, the meeting will open with a thought-provoking paper that will serve as a basis for discussion. Papers will be transmitted ahead of time to persons who pre-register. Registration is available at the PERI Web site listed above.

Y2K on CD-ROM: Microsoft has compiled all its fixes and information about Y2K readiness of its software products for Windows 9x and Windows NT 4.0 in a free Year 2000 Resource CD, available by calling 888-673-8925. You don't even have to pay shipping and handling. The CD bundles everything posted on Microsoft's Year 2000 Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/y2k; a system diagnostic tool, a status list for product compliance, plus updates for Office and Works suites and the Internet Explorer browser. Microsoft plans to issue more such CDs this year and at least once next year. (From Government Computer News, Technology Report, p. 24, July 5, 1999.)

BellSouth Users Can Check Y2K: BellSouth recently launched its year 2000 Web site http://www.bellsouth.com/year2000. One new feature lets customers check the Y2K readiness of their area by typing in area code and first three digits of phone number.

Popular Y2K Course Now Available Online: Washington, July 2, 1999 -- FEMA's popular Y2K course for local and state emergency managers, Getting Ready for Y2K, can now be completed online. The course consists of five lessons:
* Understanding the Y2K Challenge
* Assessing Y2K Readiness
* Developing Y2K Contingency Plans
* Promoting Y2K Public Awareness
* Exercising Y2K Plans
The course includes a toolkit with actual documents to be used in Y2K preparedness activities, links to other Y2K resources, and a glossary of terms. The course is also available from FEMA's Publications Distribution Facility by calling 1-800-480-2520 or can be downloaded from link at the bottom of http://www.fema.gov/y2k/y2k701.htm.

Survey Finds Most Cities Will Have Critical Systems Ready for Y2K: In a survey of 400 cities, 92 percent report computers that run essential public services are ready to make the Y2K transition. http://www.civic.com/news/1999/july/civ-y2ksurvey-7-12-99.html

New Y2K Technology Tools Available to Smaller Localities: Smaller cities, towns and counties have new Year 2000 inventory tools at their disposal through a program from Public Technology Inc. PTI is the technology arm of the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties and the International City/County Management Association. http://www.civic.com/news/1999/july/civ-y2ktools-7-12-99.html

http://www.safetyonline.com/storefronts/aiche.html
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a nonprofit organization providing leadership to the chemical engineering profession. Representing 58,000 members in industry, academia, and government, AIChE provides forums to advance the theory and practice of the profession, upholds high professional standards and ethics, and supports excellence in education

http://www.seniors.gov
Access America opens a full-service site for seniors. The effort is spearheaded by SSA and provides links to 15 agencies and their services.

International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Update:

IAEM Conference to Explore Significant Issues: Emergency management professionals convene for IAEM's 47th Annual Conference & Exhibition November 13-16, 1999 in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the premier opportunities for learning and sharing information on issues critical to emergency management today. See IAEM Web site for details of the program (http://www.iaem.com). For registration brochure or exhibitor prospectus, contact IAEM at 703-538-1795. Registration fee is $325 for IAEM members and $360 for non-members, with additional fees for optional training sessions.

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International Emergency Management Student Association (IEMSA) Update:

New EIIP Partner: International Emergency Management Student Association
(http:///campus.fortunecity.com/davidson/190) objectives are:

• Promote community awareness through practical education and the dissemination of information on the field of Emergency Management.
• Engage students in volunteer positions that will benefit the students and prepare them for a career in the field of Emergency Management.
• Serve as a student faculty interface.
• Develop a networking resource for students and alumni.
• Increase professionalism within the field of Emergency Management.

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ABS Group Inc. Risk & Reliability Division Update:

New EIIP Partner, ABS Group Inc. Risk & Reliability Division: (formerly JBF Associates, Inc.) specializes in reliability, system safety, environmental engineering, process safety management, risk management planning and communication, and quantitative risk assessment. Industries served are chemical, petrochemical, oil and gas, nuclear, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, hazardous waste, manufacturing, pulp and paper, mining, exploration, utilities, defense, and aerospace; U.S. Coast Guard; DOE, DOD, NRC facilities. http://www.jbfa.com

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University of Piura (Peru) Update:

New EIIP Partner, The University of Piura: (http://www.udep.edu.pe) promotes and explores scientific investigation in all areas of human knowledge. The University of Piura began 1969 and initiates/supports representatives of business, industry, agriculture, journalism, and the population in general, acting by and for the people.

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Strohl Systems Update:

Pat Moore Named to CPM Hall of Fame: Pat Moore, Vice President of Strohl Systems Education Division, was recently named to the Contingency Planning & Management Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New Orleans. Moore was chosen from seven nominees in the category Practitioner Group 1: those practitioners employed by business continuity product or service providers who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of business continuity. Nominees were announced in the January,1999 issue of Contingency Planning & Management magazine and voting by CPM readers was conducted via the Internet until March 1, 1999.

The CPM Hall of Fame was instituted in 1998 to recognize the contributions of individuals and businesses that have raised the bar for contingency planners everywhere. Election to the Hall of Fame is done by peer vote; there is no higher honor.

Pat became Strohl System's Vice President of Education in November 1994 and spends about 90 percent of her time on the road, carrying the message of organization-wide continuity planning to a global audience. Pat has impressive credentials, and is published and quoted extensively in many national and international periodicals.

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August 11-16, 1999: 1999 Annual National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Conference - Des Moines, Iowa, http://www.nemaweb.org.

August 27-31, 1999: Fire-Rescue International '99, Kansas City, MO (703) 273-9815 x338.

September 14-17, 1999: The American Nuclear Society's 7th Topical Meeting on Emergency Preparedness and Response, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

September 26-29, 1999: International City/County Management Association Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. Contact Felicia Logan at (202)962-3626.

October 12-14, 1999: IDER/IEPC '99, 2nd International Disaster & Emergency Readiness (IDER) and 5th International Emergency Planning Conference, The Hague, Netherlands. See web site for further information: http://www.andrich.com/ider/

October 21-24, 1999: National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) Fall Meeting, Chattanooga, Tennessee. Call 888-ASK-NVFC(275-6832).

November 13-16, 1999: International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 47th Annual Conference & Exhibit, Hyatt Regency, Louisville, KY. Deadline for room reservations October 10; call 1(800)233-1234. See http://www.emassociation.org/conference.html. Email: iaem@aol.com

November 30-December 4, 1999: National League of Cities Annual Conference, Los Angeles, California. Contact NLC Conference Planning and Management at (202) 626-3105.

Here's How to Find It: http://www.libraryspot.com
Library Spot is organized along the lines of a regular library, the sites offers quick access to encyclopedias, maps, phone books, business information, statistics, and a range of specialized information. You can even use the site to download classical music into your home computer. If nothing else, check out the Acronym Finder.

Garden Info Web Source: http://www.gardening.com
The site offers monthly to-do lists, region by region, for gardeners throughout the country. Includes a special calculator that helps estimate cost for a landscaping project based on plot size, tips for coping with diseases and pests, and descriptions and information about thousands of plants. Also includes useful database of addresses of hundreds of other garden-related Web sites.

"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 Lori Wieber, lwieber@emforum.org.

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