EMERGENCY PARTNER POSTINGS

Volume 5, No. 5

January 2001

Best Wishes for the New Year!
With high hopes for everyone's health and happiness, as well as a means of continuing this effort, the EIIP enters the Year 2001 still seeking a business model while providing services for the emergency management profession on a month to month basis. Please note the January schedule - you are urged to participate and benefit from all the topics and speakers. However, we ask special attention to the January 17 session. Please see the related feature article.

RRBDIN Update
An on-line workshop was held during December, with guest speaker Chuck Mrena on the topic was the outcomes of the regional International Flood Mitigation Initiative. In a relatively brief period of time, this stakeholder effort under the leadership of the North Dakota Consensus Council, produced 14 specific proposals for current and future disaster mitigation to reduce losses from Red River flooding. Law maker briefings on the results are planned in the near future.

Another workshop is planned in early January with representatives of the International Joint Commission (IJC) on its recently released final report, "Living with the Red: A Report to the Governments of Canada and the United States on Reducing Flood Impacts in the Red River Basin," and its draft proposed directive to the International Red River Board. See the Board's new page at http://www.ijc.org/boards/irrb/.

Wednesdays - 12:00 Noon EST:
Jan 10: Virtual Library - Complex Systems in Crisis Management, Dr. Louise Comfort, University of Pittsburgh

Jan 17: Virtual Classroom - Can You Pass the Road Test to Drive on the Information Highway? Amy Sebring, EIIP

January 24: Virtual Forum - World Congress on Disaster Reduction, Walt Hays, Senior Program Manager, American Society of Civil Engineers

January 31: Tech Arena - RAMS (Responder Assets Management System), Scott McKenney, DOE Y-12

Please mark sessions of interest on your monthly planning calendar now, just as you would a business meeting or other important appointment. Login via http://www.emforum.org/vforum/formchat.htm.

The following submitted the agreement form to become formal Partners; see http://www.emforum.org/partners/partic.htm for complete list of Participating Partners.

Logan County (IL) Emergency Services & Disaster Agency (ESDA), Terry L. Storer, Assistant Director, esda@ccaonline.com

Missouri Department of Health, David M. Spice, Emergency Response Coordinator, SpiceD@mail.health.state.mo.us

Santa Fe (NM) Office of Emergency Management, James E. Leach, Emergency Manager, sfoem@yahoo.com

State of Georgia Division of Public Health, Lee Smith, leesmith@dhr.state.ga.us

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

Driving on the Information Highway

By Amy Sebring
EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator
asebring@emforum.org

Although I do try hard to be patient and helpful, especially to anyone who makes the attempt to learn new computer skills, I do occasionally find myself given to bouts of "road rage" on the Information Highway. An example that comes to mind is someone who recently sent me 4 megabytes of unsolicited satellite photos as attachments to email. I assume this reflected ignorance of the rules of the road, and confirms my opinion that those who wish to drive in the fast lane, need to obtain a learner's permit and pass a road test first for their own safety!

Our regular participants, as a fairly computer literate group, probably have their own examples; however, rather than griping, perhaps we can do something about it. We ask you to participate in our January 17th session, when we will experiment with a road test of our own. This will be similar in format to our "group discussions" but the questions will not be posted in advance. We will not be asking about arcane Internet trivia, but rather basic computer skills that an emergency manager should have to function in the Information Age. The purpose will be not only to have a highly interactive and stimulating session, but also, to get feedback from you about what types of skills you think are fundamental.

We have been interested in quite some time in developing a distance learning application specifically for those in the disaster business. A course designed to issue a driver's license might be a good beginning. From there, all one needs is a good road map and a few directional signs to reach a wide variety of destinations which offer a wealth of knowledge and information.

[We are in interested in your feedback on newsletter articles. Send comments to asebring@emforum.org and amoore@emforum.org.]

January '00 EENet Schedule:
Jan 3, 2:00 PM EST: Consequence Management News, Equipment, and Training (CoMNET) Magazine
Jan 10, 2:00 PM EST: "Unified Command: Practical Issues" Part II
Jan 17, 2:00 PM EST: FEMA's Monthly Video Magazine
Jan 24, 2:00 PM EST: Weapons of Mass Destruction - "Live Response"
Jan 31, 2:00 PM EST: "A Conversation with Ken Burris" USFA Chief Operating Officer

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

Disaster Management Conference in India
The Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) hosts a disaster management conference in Pilani, Rajasthan, India, March 5-7, 2001. All are invited to attend this conference to share experiences. For further information, contact Satyendra P.Gupta, Group Leader, Civil Engineering Group, BITS, Pilani, Rajasthan-333 031 India; email spguptaus@yahoo.com .

2001 National Diasaster Medical System Conference
You are invited to participate in this national interagency and multidisciplinary forum on reducing the health effects of disasters. The 2001 NDMS Conference will be held in Dallas, Texas, April 21-25. For more information please refer to http://www.oep-ndms.dhhs.gov or call 1-800-USA-NDMS, then press the star (*) key.

American Red Cross Disaster Mitigation and Education Implementers Workshop
On January 9-12, a Disaster Mitigation and Education Implementers Workshop will be held in Tallahassee, Florida. This workshop will offer four successful Disaster Mitigation and Education programs: Building Disaster Resistant Neighborhoods, Masters of Disaster, Emergency Management Planning Workshop for Business, and Firewise Communities. For information, see http://www.tallytown.com/redcross and click on the Disaster Mitigation and Education Implementers Workshop link. There is no charge for this four-day workshop.

Report from US Conference of Mayors
The US Conference of Mayors Status Report on Hunger & Homelessness in American Cities was recently released. For additional information, press release and full report, visit the Humanitarian Resource Institute web site: http://www.humanitarian.net.

City of Sparks Named One of 10 Project Impact Star Communities
The announcement was made during the 2000 Project Impact Summit in Washington DC in November. Sparks received the award for work in implementing numerous disaster mitigation projects as well as their success in educating the community about mitigation measures that can be taken to prevent damage from earthquakes, wildfires and floods.

The City of Sparks offers the "Project Impact" Music CD with 10 original songs as part of a 2001 fund raiser. See http://www.disasterplans.com/pi_music_cds.htm - $6.00 from each CD sold goes to the city's Safe School Program and other Special Needs projects.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Update:

FEMA Releases Final Report - FEMA recently released the final report of America Burning Recommissioned, America at Risk: Findings and Recommendations on the Role of the Fire Service in the Prevention and Control of Risks in America. See
http://www.fema.gov/nwz00/aburning.htm or visit the USFA Web site at http://www.usfa.fema.gov and click on publications. USFA publications line is (301)447-1189. Orders may also be placed by writing the United States Fire Administration, Publications Office, 16825 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727.

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National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Update:

Accreditation to Measure/Enhance EM Capabilities - In 2001, EMAP (Emergency Management Accreditation Program), under the auspices of NEMA, will pilot accreditation standards and procedures with two state emergency management programs. Following pilot tests, EMAP will refine its procedures and materials and offer the accreditation process to all US State and territorial emergency management programs. In 2002, the program expects to pilot the accreditation process with local emergency management programs. The accreditation process will include application, self-assessment, on-site assessment by an outside review team, committee and commission review of compliance with the EMAP Standard, and re-accreditation every three years. Check http://www.nemaweb.org/index.cfm for updates or contact edemers@csg.org. (Also see background information on EMAP from our VFRE session at http://www.emforum.org/eiip/VFRE/public.htm.)

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International Association of Emergency Managers Update:

Call for Presentations - You are invited to submit a written programming idea for the IAEM 49th Annual Conference & Exhibit, "Emergency Management Interfacing With Our Partners," November 3-6, 2001, Riverside, CA. If your abstract is chosen as a finalist, you will be required to submit a more detailed description of your presentation by March 23, 2001. Final selection will be announced early May. Abstract deadline is January 30, 2001. For more information, see the IAEM site http://www.iaem.com.

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American Society of Professional Emergency Planners (ASPEP) Update:

ASPEP Call for Papers - ASPEP is now soliciting papers to be included in the 2001 ASPEP Journal that will be published in November. Articles or papers that contribute to the advancement of knowledge and to improvement in the practice of emergency management are welcome. ASPEP encourages breadth of subject matter and depth of discussion. The language of the Journal is English. The usual length of our papers is between 1500 and 4500 words. Papers are due July 31, 2001. For more information, contact Thomas M Heath, AICP, CEM, Gamewell Emergency Management Services tmheath@globalserve.net or see http://www.globalserve.net/%7Etmheath/CALL.HTM .

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State of Utah Comprehensive Emergency Management Update:

Utah Busy on Two Fronts - State of Utah Comprehensive Emergency Management has been expending most of its effort on two fronts: First is preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Second is the Utah Center for Domestic Preparedness. This effort will continue to be the major focus throughout the year 2001. For further information contact Joseph L. Fletcher, IRM Coordinator, State of Utah Public Safety Department Comprehensive Emergency Management Division jfletche@dps.state.ut.us .

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Community College of Allegheny County Update:

Community College of Allegheny County's Public Safety Institute Announces New Courses - The College will offer courses in communications, fire service, EMS, hazardous materials and rescue; additionally, the FEMA Professional Development Series will be offered on a local basis beginning January 2001at the Allegheny County Emergency Operations Center. This is made possible with the cooperation of the State of Pennsylvania EMA Training Office and Tom Gilboy of EMI.

Winter Weekend (Jan 20/21,2001) - In cooperation with the Allegheny County Fire Academy, the College offers Winter Weekend courses in fire, rescue, command and education. For specifics contact Dave Johnson, johnson@ccac.edu .

Emergency Services Training Weekend (April 27-29,2001) - In cooperation with the City of Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety and the Allegheny County Fire Academy, the College will offer numerous courses in all aspects of public safety. For more information check the Web site at http://www.psi.ccac.edu .

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Emergency Preparedness in Georgia's Division of Public Health Update:

New EIIP Partner, Georgia Division of Public Health - During the past year, the Georgia Division of Public Health took a major step in its commitment to emergency preparedness for both natural and manmade disasters by creating an organization within the Office of the Director of Public Health that will focus its efforts on emergency preparedness and workforce development. This new group consists of Lee Smith, Charlotte Duggan and Shenetha Releford.

Efforts to improve the division's ability to respond to severe weather resulted in the creation of a Shelter Task Force that reviews the needs for sheltering persons with special needs and ensuring our response is coordinated with the response of the rest of the state's Department of Human Resources. Carole Robinson, Director, Office of Nursing, has led most of this effort from public health, coordinating closely with representatives of the Red Cross and other voluntary organizations.

Efforts to improve the capabilities of the epidemiological surveillance network have led to improvements in electronic information sharing as well as closer work between state and local epidemiology personnel. Dr. Susan Lance-Parker and Dr. Cherie Drenzek of the Epidemiology Branch are leading this work for the division.

The division continues to seek new partners for planning and coordinating the disaster response of the medical and public health community. This partnership development is enhanced through associations with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Georgia Poison Control Center and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Division work will continue on issues of risk and readiness assessments, public health competencies, and communications among the many facets of response. For more information concerning this group please contact Shenetha Releford at 404-463-2742.

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Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages™ Update:

New 2001 Edition of Disaster recovery Yellow Pages™ Now Available - Based on nearly two decades of disaster planning experience, this 350-page, comprehensive sourcebook is designed to help users locate scores of crucial but hard-to-find recovery services throughout the United States and Canada. It contains over 3000 vendors and covers over 270 categories. Also included is a tutorial on areas that are frequently overlooked, as well as hints on "getting started" and preparing a disaster plan. For further information about the Disaster Recovery Yellow Pagesä, see http://www.DISASTER-HELP.com or contact The Systems Audit Group, Inc., V: 617-332-3496, FAX: 617-332-4358, DRYP@Javanet.com

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ResQ.net Update:

Look to the New Year with ResQ.net - Each month ResQ.net adds dozens of new conferences, seminars, and training sessions to the ResQ.net Agenda. Get in touch with the international world of rescue through the ResQ.net Web site and News. ResQ.net believes all accident and disaster personnel have valuable and informative stories to share. If you would like to contribute your experience and know-how to the site, please send an e-mail to editor@resq.net ; go to http://www.resq.net and sign up for updates and news.

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"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 newsletter will be posted on the Web site by the first of each month.

We encourage readers to submit brief updates that relate to using 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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