EMERGENCY PARTNER POSTINGS

Volume 4, No. 3

November 1999

EIIP Virtual Forum Expands Licenses for Chat:
The EIIP upgraded its eShare Technologies interactive software in July with a capacity of 50 people in the Forum at one time. We are proud to announce that we can now accommodate 150 people due to an increase in our license status.

EIIP Hosts Virtual Fire & Rescue Exposition:
The Virtual Forum is expecting a few visitors from November 22 - December 6. We are pleased to host this year's Virtual Fire & Rescue Exposition (http://www.vfre.com) workshop chat sessions, being sponsored jointly by National Fire and Rescue Magazine and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). WEBEX II will be a featured event the evening of December 3. Watch for additional information, coming soon.

Pledge Drive Nears Goal:
With less than 20 pledges to go, we are nearing our goal of 100, and hope to wrap it up by Christmas. For a list of Friends of the EIIP who have made the pledge to attend 1 or more sessions per month, or to make a pledge, see http://www.emforum.org/eiip/pledge.htm.

EIIP Road Trips:
The EIIP was represented in the IAEM Delegation to Italy, September 30-October 6 as well as in the IDER/IEPC '99 Conference in The Hague, Netherlands, October 12-14. Two papers related to information technology were presented to an audience that represented 18 countries. A copy of the paper RRBDIN: An Experiment in Using Internet Technologies to Enhance Regional Coordination by Amy Sebring, and the conference PowerPoint presentation are available for download from the User Docs section of the Virtual Library.

The EIIP Virtual Forum was the focus of a presentation for the Emergency Management Association of Tennessee (EMAT) during their fall conference in Murfreesboro, TN, on October 21, and the EIIP participated in the Advisory Committee of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on October 27.

RRBDIN Update:
October was a very active month in the RRBDIN. Two workshops were held for the RRB membership. The first was on October 21st - International Flood Mitigation Initiative (IFMI) Update plus "A Process for Developing an International Watershed Board." Brad Crabtree, Program Coordinator of the North Dakota Consensus Council, and Christina Edwards formerly, Cornell University Graduate Student, currently, Environmental Engineer First Environment, Inc, were the presenters.

"Sharing the Challenge: Floodplain Management and the IJC in the Twenty-first Century" was the topic of October 28 workshop with Gerald E. Galloway, Jr., P.E., Ph.D., Secretary, United States Section, International Joint Commission. The session provided opportunities to discuss improving management of the floodplain and reduction of flood losses through use of all the tools available to those living and working in hazard areas; and increasing coordination among the public and governmental agencies at all levels to promote an ecosystem approach to basin management.

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. We commend the following organizations for their participation in the Partnership. Please support their efforts each Tuesday at 12:00 Noon Eastern as well as our formal sessions each Wednesday at 12:00 Noon ET.

November 1999 Round Tables - Tuesdays - 12:00 Noon EDT:
November 2: IAEM, follow-up session on delegation to Italy. Observations, experiences, and photos with IAEM members who traveled to Italy recently for a 6-day exchange program with Italian counterparts.

November 9: Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), Emergency Management in the School Setting -- Georgia Style, presented by Karen Franklin, GEMA State School Safety Coordinator.

November 16: TBA

November 23: Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue (GPSAR), with Steven Labov.

November 30: Lake County (IN) LEPC and US Department of Energy, POPEYE exercise where the LEPC was in a leadership role in partnership with DOE Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP).

November 1999 Formal Sessions - Wednesdays - 12:00 Noon EDT:
November 3: Virtual Library: The Debris Management Cycle: An Overview by author, Robert C. Swan, Debris Management Consultant, Dewberry & Davis.

November 10: Virtual Forum: Impact of Emergencies and Disasters on the African-American Community. Speakers: Kay Goss, CEM, Associate Director, FEMA Preparedness Directorate, and Dr. Oliver Jones, Professor of Political Science, Florida A & M University.

November 17: Virtual Classroom: (Hazard Series) Dam Safety, with Rita Henry, FEMA Mitigation Directorate, Dam Safety Program.

November 24: Tech Arena: Amy Sebring, EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator, Virtual Communities with TeamWave Workplace.

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:

Cheatham County (TN) EMA: POC: Charles Sullivan, Assistant Director, email: ces7429@mindspring.com

Commander, Navy Region Hawaii: POC: Larry P. Teasley, Regional EM Manager, CET, email: teaslelp@hawaii.navy.mil

Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue: POC: Chief Steven L. Labov, ICS. MSO, email: StevenL@prodigy.net

Rutherford County (TN) EMA: POC: Libbi Rucker-Reed, email: ema603@aol.com

City of St John's (NF, CA): Richard A. Mease, Program Coordinator, email: rmease@city.st_johns.nf.ca

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 Federal Trade Commission has always helped consumers with complaints about false advertising, Internet scams and many other issues. Now they provide an email address for anyone within the US who has a complaint about spam (unsolicited commercial email.) The email address is uce@ftc.gov. Can the FTC server handle the huge amount of response they will surely get?

Still Resisting Getting Online?

The diversity of sites and services are growing rapidly to accommodate the explosive growth of users worldwide. Perhaps the following examples will finally convince any stragglers that the Internet is the wave of the future.

• The Federal Election Commission will require House of Representative candidates to file campaign finance reports electronically by 2001.
  
  
• Eastman Chemical Company is moving into e-commerce and pulling its customers online. Recently, the $4.5 billion Kingsport, Tennessee, company launched http://www.eastman.com as an online service on which its US-based customers can place and track orders electronically.
  
  
• The Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded a grant to enhance a Web site (http://www.transweb.org) that provides background information about organ donation and recruits and registers organ donors. More information about the organ donor program is available at http://www.organdonor.gov.
  
  
• The United Parcel Service of America, Inc. distributed 4,500 beta CDs of Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5.0 Web browser with UPS branding and dial-up access to http://www.ups.com via an 800 number. Unlike an Internet service provider (ISP), users are restricted to UPS Web pages. This free service will be formally launched in January. UPS officials state online shipment status queries cost only 10 cents while it costs $2 per call for customer service representatives to handle requests.
  
  
• The US Postal Service recently authorized private vendors to provide digital postage software. Customers need a PC, Internet access and a printer. Postage can be stored on the customer's computer. Customers must establish a connection with one of the PC Postage vendors' Internet sites. Payments are made through electronic funds transfer or by credit card on the site to the USPS automated clearinghouse.

New Domain Names in the Works

It is becoming increasingly tough to get the exact domain name new web sites may want, particularly if some group wants a .com domain. There are currently about 250 top-level domain names but all but a handful are country-specific. However, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is adding new domain names. In addition to .com, .org, .net, and .edu, the following are under consideration:

• .store - for merchants
• .web - for sites emphasizing Web activities
• .arts - for arts and culture sites
• .rec - for recreation/entertainment sources
• .per and .nom - for personal sites
• .info - for information services
• .sex - for pornographic sites

OPS Public Meeting to Discuss Need for Pipeline Safety Regs

The Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) is conducting a public meeting on November 18 and 19,
1999 to consider the need for additional safety and environmental regulations for gas transmission lines and hazardous liquid pipelines in high population density areas, areas unusually sensitive to environmental damage, and waters where a substantial likelihood of commercial navigation exists. OPS intends to incorporate a process into its regulations to validate pipe integrity in these high consequence areas.

The purpose of this meeting is to determine the extent to which operators now have integrity management programs, to explore effective ways to promote their development and implementation by all operators, and to discuss mechanisms by which OPS could confirm the existence and adequacy of such operator-developed programs. The meeting will discuss a practical definition of high consequence areas, as well as the need for, if any, increased inspection, enhanced damage prevention, improved emergency response, and other measures to prevent and mitigate pipeline leaks and ruptures in these areas.

Additional information about the topics to be discussed at this meeting can be found in the Federal Register Notice, Vol. 64, No. 203, published on October 21, 1999. This Notice can be reached via the Internet at the following link: http://ops.dot.gov/EPHCA.htm

The meeting will begin at 9:00 am on November 18 and conclude at noon on November 19. It will be held at the Hyatt Dulles Hotel, 23 Dulles Corner Boulevard, Herndon, Virginia 20171. (703) 713-1234. Room availability at the Hyatt Dulles Hotel is limited. Hence, out-of-town participants may need to check for lodging with other hotels in the Herndon and Reston, Virginia area.

November '99 EENet Schedule:
November 3: 2:00-3:00 PM ET, Introduction to Emergency Preparedness USA (IS-2)
November 10: 2:00 - 4:00 PM ET, Y2K: Exercising and Family Preparations
November 17: 2:00 - 3:30PM ET, National Alert Broadcast - FEMA Video Magazine
November 24: 2:00-4:00 PM ET, Pennsylvania Y2K Electronic Town Meeting

For a description of each of these programs and broadcast information,
visit the EENet Web site: http://www.fema.gov/home/emi/eenet.htm .

Louisiana State University Initiates Credit Program:
LSU recently established a Hurricane Center with plans to initiate a credit program (most likely graduate) in natural hazards (hurricanes). According to Dr. John Pine, "A team from the center will be meeting this fall to shape this program; I believe the program will allow a student to obtain a minor or area of specialization in natural hazards. Course descriptions are being put together at this time." The Acting Director of the Hurricane Center is Marc Levitan.

Available for Download from Disaster Research Center:
The Project Impact Executive Summary: Disaster Resistant Communities Initiative: Evaluation of the Pilot PhaseYear1 is now available for download at http://www.udel.edu/DRC/whatsnew.html.
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New Videos Available:
Moving Water: Adventure or Danger? (18 minutes VHS) Send $3.50 check payable to NOAA/NWS to the NWS Office Hydrology, SSMC-2, Room 8115, 1325 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/tt/xwater/index.shtml

Two Videos for the Price of One -- Secrets of the Tornado, and Supplement One: Tornado Video Classics; see http://www.tornadoproject.com for how to order.

Natural Disaster Awareness and Action Speaker's Kit --- Includes 3-minute video, a 9-page outline, and 15 slides. Limited number of free copies are available from the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) http://www.ibhs.org.

Call for Abstracts:
The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) is seeking papers relevant to the theme of the ASFPM 24th Annual Conference, "FPM 2000 and Beyond: A New Beginning in a New Millennium." One-page abstracts are due no later than November 15, 1999. Submit abstracts by email to sedelman@hsmm.com. The submittal form and instructions are available on the ASFPM Web page at http://www.floods.org/conf-aus.htm. Authors will be notified of acceptance of papers for presentation by January 31, 2000. The ASFPM Conference will be June 18-23, 2000, in Austin, Texas.

Call for Poster Presentation Abstracts - Scientific Papers on Disaster Planning and Response:
Disaster 2000 -- 21st Annual Disaster Management Conference, April 27-30, 2000, is for all persons and agencies involved in emergency preparedness, management and response. The submission deadline is January 10, 2000. To request abstract submission guidelines, contact Florida Emergency Medicine Foundation (800)766-6335 or email info@fcep.org.

Minor Date Code Glitches on October 1:
The Department of Energy, Department of Justice, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Science Foundation had minor problems as the federal fiscal calendar changed at the beginning of the month, according to the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.

Y2K Lockdowns Planned by Many Users:
A recent study by Cutter Consortium, research firm in Arlington, Massachusetts, states that 50% of 96 companies surveyed will impose enterprise-wide lockdowns that will carry through the end of the year. The purpose is to keep corporate computer environments Y2K-ready by not introducing changes to existing software code or hardware.

Y2K Report Available:
See the 288-page report of the US Senate's Special Committee on the Year 2000 Problem at http://www.senate.gov/~y2k/documents/100dayrpt/ .

Global Y2K Infrastructure Risks:
http://www.humanitarian.net/y2keconomic.html

Come Midnight December 31:
Point your browser to http://www.iy2kcc.org. The International Y2K Cooperation Center is going to try to post a real-time map of the world showing year 2000 disruptions across the globe. From trains in Tokyo to banks in Buenos Aires, reports from 170 countries will come in and, hopefully, appear on the site. The group, founded by the United Nations, aims to be a central clearinghouse for year 2000 information. The map is expected to go live sometime around December 28. The site already contains many valuable 2000-related links and a calendar of events.

http://www.ts.nist.gov/ca
The new National Institute of Standards and Technology page shows how standards are set and helps citizens understand what conformity assessment is and how it impacts their lives.

http://www.osti.gov/pubsci
PubScience Web site, launched by the Department of Energy Office of Science, helps researchers access peer-reviewed articles online. Approximately 500 scientific and technical journals are searchable from the PubScience site.

http://www.students.gov
Access America for Students serves as a central site where students find information on federal educational services, career services and benefits. The site will be expanded and become more interactive with plans that enable students to conduct business transactions, reserve campsites at national parks, file taxes or submit applications electronically for federal programs.

http://www.ralabs.com/webradio/
This URL provides a method to copy HF radio via the Internet. For those who are not hams or for hams away from their stations, you can access this site and tune in SATERN nets or other HF activity.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Update:

FEMA Unveils New Web Page For The Media: A new section "For the Media" is now on the FEMA Web page to assist the press in covering the agency and in gathering information for disaster-related news stories. The media section includes the latest advisories, breaking news and disaster archives. It also provides downloadable, high-resolution photos and graphics, radio actualities, biographies, speeches, backgrounders and fact sheets, and a listing of FEMA public affairs officers. In addition, reporters can enroll in a list-serve to receive FEMA press releases via E-mail. The new Web section can be accessed directly at http://www.fema.gov/media or through the FEMA home page.

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International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Update:

Highlights of Delegation to Italy to Open IAEM Annual Conference: IAEM members from 17 states, FEMA Region V, a US military representative, officials of IAEM, and several provinces of Canada made up the 50-person delegation that traveled to Caserta and Rome at the invitation of the Italian government September 30-October 6. Signori Roberto Forlani, Director of the Servizio Voluontariato Protezione Civile le Caserta (910 members), under the authority of the President of the Consiglio del Ministri Departimento della Protezione Civile in Italy, arranged site visits and exchanges with local Italian Disaster Emergency Management Agents (DEMA). The delegation also met with nationally recognized university volcanologists, environmental engineers and emergency response specialists. Vincent Parisi, FEMA Region V, was invaluable as the delegation's interpreter during the visit. The trip to Italy will be featured with lessons learned and many photographs shown during the fall conference in Louisville, Kentucky (November 13-16.)

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Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue (GPSAR) Update:

GPSAR, New EIIP Partner: When a person is lost or endangered, seconds can mean the difference between life and death. Fortunately, a dedicated group of search and rescue experts, the Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue (GPSAR) is available. Founded in 1979, GPSAR has a primary response area within the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, however, GPSAR has been requested by, and responds to missions in other States as well. GPSAR's volunteer contingent of over 50 members, led by several specially trained and dedicated command officers is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency dispatch. GPSAR's emergency contact number is (610) 630-6744; office number is (215) 922-7225; contact Steven L. Labov, ICS, MSO, Chief of Department, StevenL@Prodigy.net Web Site: http://www.gpsar.org

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Lake County LEPC Update:

Updated LEPC Web Site: The Lake County LEPC Web site, http://www.lepc.co.lake.in.us/, recently added a new download feature. One of the new features is an Emergency Management Glossary (acronyms and definitions) available for download. Check it out!

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State of Utah Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management (CEM) Update:

Utah Receives UCDP Designation: The State of Utah has been designated as the Utah Center for Domestic Preparedness (UCDP). The infrastructure associated with the UCDP is currently being put in place. They are in the final stages of cleaning up after the tornado that struck Salt Lake City in August. The last of the Public Assistance processing is underway and will be completed in the near future. Damage estimates run as high as $150 million.

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University of North Texas, Institute of Emergency Administration and Planning Update:

UNT Announces Changes in Program: David McEntire (DMcEntir@scs.cmm.unt.edu), recently appointed at the Institute of Emergency Administration and Planning at UNT, notes that several changes have been made in the program and that enrollment has gone up. For example, more focus is being placed on comprehensive emergency management and the four phase disaster life cycle, and more outreach to practicing emergency management personnel is being made.

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

November 13-17, 1999: International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) '99 Banff Conference, Banff, Alberta, Canada. Email: iap2hq@pin.org ; See http://www.iap2.org

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

Check out AutoDave! the Automated Dave Barry Column: http://www.peacefire.org/staff/bennett/autodave/ Follow instructions for lite or full version column generated with your "thoughtful" input for some lighthearted fun.

Unclaimed Property:
You may have money or property you don't know about. According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, such funds may be sitting in forgotten bank accounts, unredeemed bonds, or lost gift certificates. Search the association's Web site, http://www.unclaimed.org, that links to many state's databases. If you discover you have assets, the association also provides the appropriate addresses for further inquiries.

"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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