So the Minnesota legislature took matters into its own hands and passed a state-specific gas tax that will help to improve infrastructure. INCREDIBLE. This spells certain doom for Pawlenty's career as politician in MN, and probably clears the way for him to act as McCain's running mate. (assuming the RNC doesn't take his decoder ring away for not being able to keep his legislature from increasing tax burden) Either way, my prediction is he is out of a job as it relates to running the state of Minnesota.
Governor Pawlenty ripped DFL lawmakers on Tuesday for over-riding his veto of the transportation package, which comes with a $6.6 billion price tag and a gasoline tax increase of at least five and a half cents.
The Minnesota Legislature voted Monday to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a $6.6 billion bill, paving the way for higher gas taxes and other fees to bring in more money for roads, bridges and transit.
http://www.kare11.com/news/ts_article.aspx?storyid=500264
Friday, February 29, 2008
HS Research Centers: And the winners are ....
Universities Are Chosen for 5 New Homeland Security Research Centers
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security financed this week five new, university-run research centers. The projects, which involve 11 universities, join a list of existing centers chosen by the agency thcoarse [sic] merit-based competitions. The institutions and their research topics are:
The University of Arizona and the University of Texas at El Paso — border security and immigration.
Northeastern University and the University of Rhode Island — explosives detection, mitigation, and response.
The University of Hawaii-Manoa and Stevens Institute of Technology — maritime, island, and port security.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jackson State University — natural disasters, coastal infrastructure, and emergency management.
Texas Southern University, Tougaloo College, and the University of Connecticut — transportation security.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security financed this week five new, university-run research centers. The projects, which involve 11 universities, join a list of existing centers chosen by the agency thcoarse [sic] merit-based competitions. The institutions and their research topics are:
The University of Arizona and the University of Texas at El Paso — border security and immigration.
Northeastern University and the University of Rhode Island — explosives detection, mitigation, and response.
The University of Hawaii-Manoa and Stevens Institute of Technology — maritime, island, and port security.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Jackson State University — natural disasters, coastal infrastructure, and emergency management.
Texas Southern University, Tougaloo College, and the University of Connecticut — transportation security.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Bush's myopia and the call for national infrastructure investment
Argh, POTUS and his crew of myopic yes-men once again demonstrates he simply "doesn't get it" ... creating a new national infrastructure investment project may be the best way to stimulate the economy in the LONG TERM by providing jobs that CANNOT be outsourced to India and improves our aging and decaying infrastructure. This strikes me as win-win ... but you see what the press lap dog says below: "There's no short term gain."
When do we toss these guys out again?
(BTW, we are also not helping to "harden" any of these infrastructure targets either, which is ANOTHER thing that could be done with such an investment)
February 26, 2008
Bush Cool to States’ Call for Public Works Projects
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON — President Bush rebuffed appeals from the nation’s governors on Monday to increase spending on roads, bridges and other public works as a way to revive the economy.
Governors said Mr. Bush had told them at a White House meeting that he wanted to see the effects of his economic stimulus package before supporting new measures.
A bipartisan group of governors is pushing for major road and bridge projects as a way to create jobs and foster economic development. But the White House says the money could not be spent fast enough to be of much immediate help.
“There’s no short-term stimulus to the economy for some of these projects,” Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said.
Full article from the NYT found here.
Furthermore, it is not just the Governors that POTUS ignores on this matter, it is the Congress as well .... see below: (very informative blog post, full version here)
A unique solution to the bureaucratic and financial problems that often beset large-scale infrastructure projects has been proposed by Senators Chris Dodd and Chuck Hagel. On the morning of the Minnesota bridge collapse, as New York Times columnist Bob Herbert pointed out, the senators announced their sponsorship of legislation to create a National Infrastructure Bank. The Bank would issue bonds to raise funds for infrastructure projects that would be selected based on a strict set of criteria. Applications would be accepted only for projects that cost at least $75 million, have a public sponsor (a state or local government), and are of regional or national significance. The Bank would then rate each application based on its promotion of economic growth, its mobility improvements, its reduction of poverty concentration, its environmental benefits, its potential to promote smart urban growth, and its regional or national significance (the criteria vary slightly for each type of infrastructure project).
The National Infrastructure Bank is a first step in creating a coherent vision of American infrastructure. First, the use of bonds – rather than a pay-as-you-go system that relies on yearly revenues – allows the federal government to develop a stable, long-term strategy for economic growth based on infrastructure improvements. Such a financing stream is less subject to political whims and to revenues, which fluctuate with the economy and with legislative action (and inaction). Second, federal funding for infrastructure – in particular, for the transportation system – is often diverted by state governments to other (sometimes) worthy, yet non-infrastructure, projects. Puentes of Brookings points out that the Government Accountability Office has called the federal transportation fund a “cash transfer, general purpose grant program,” and that “the U.S. code neuters the federal role and states specifically that the appropriation of highway funds ‘shall in no way infringe on the sovereign rights of the States to determine which projects shall be federally financed.’” The National Infrastructure Bank would ensure that federal funds are used by state and local governments for specific infrastructure projects, rather than diverted to make up for, say, underfunded federal mandates.
Perhaps most importantly, the selection criteria required by the National Infrastructure Bank would encourage the federal government to undertake projects that are significant to the country’s long-term well-being: rather than stop-gap measures to repair existing problems, such projects would take into account new challenges like climate change, the growing importance of urban areas, and the need for more affordable housing, while at the same time confronting the more typical concerns associated with economic growth (increased air, highway, and port traffic). A database with details about each infrastructure project and its funding would provide at least some public oversight.
Interestingly, political support for an infrastructure bank is growing. The day after Senators Dodd and Hagel announced their plan – and the day after the Minnesota bridge collapse – Senator Hillary Clinton signed onto the bill as a co-sponsor. A week later, Senator Clinton gave a major speech entitled “Rebuilding America: Improving Our Infrastructure” and endorsed the legislation, lamenting that we in the United States “are treading water and being swept backwards.” Her specific plan – like her economic stimulus package – includes a panoply of measures to repair the “backlog” of deficient transportation structures, to conduct safety reviews, to increase public transit funding (and to link these funds to local land use policies), to invest in intercity passenger rail systems, to modernize seaports, to increase funding for congestion reduction programs, and to improve broadband deployment. Senator Barack Obama’s proposal was – like his economic stimulus package – more straightforward.
In his “Keeping America’s Promise” economic speech on February 13th, Senator Obama proposed a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to invest $60 billion in transportation infrastructure over ten years. He has previously called for increased Amtrak funding, high-speed railways, metropolitan planning to reduce traffic congestion, and improved transportation access for low-income commuters. On February 13th, a day after his speech, he signed onto Dodd and Hagel’s bill as a co-sponsor.
Additionally, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska proposed an amendment to the Senate’s economic stimulus package that would have directed $5 billion to states for infrastructure projects to be used before October of 2008. Senator Nelson suggested that “An investment in infrastructure and public works projects will not only achieve a much-needed boost to our economy, but will also promote long-term economic growth.”
Pronouncements by presidential candidates and a rather optimistic amendment to fast-tracked legislation are positive, if modest, indicators that a national movement to invest in infrastructure is mounting. Even relatively insignificant problems with infrastructure have received ample attention recently. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that two bridge inspectors in Georgia had been falsifying inspection records because of a fast approaching federal deadline. Officials were alerted when they noted that the two were inspecting bridges at a rate of 18 per day; the average is 12 per week. Admittedly, there are significant issues to work out with a national infrastructure bank. The European Investment Bank, an infrastructure-financing behemoth established in 1953 and a likely model for an American infrastructure bank, is criticized for its lack of transparency and its lack of social and environmental standards.
When do we toss these guys out again?
(BTW, we are also not helping to "harden" any of these infrastructure targets either, which is ANOTHER thing that could be done with such an investment)
February 26, 2008
Bush Cool to States’ Call for Public Works Projects
By ROBERT PEAR
WASHINGTON — President Bush rebuffed appeals from the nation’s governors on Monday to increase spending on roads, bridges and other public works as a way to revive the economy.
Governors said Mr. Bush had told them at a White House meeting that he wanted to see the effects of his economic stimulus package before supporting new measures.
A bipartisan group of governors is pushing for major road and bridge projects as a way to create jobs and foster economic development. But the White House says the money could not be spent fast enough to be of much immediate help.
“There’s no short-term stimulus to the economy for some of these projects,” Dana Perino, the White House press secretary, said.
Full article from the NYT found here.
Furthermore, it is not just the Governors that POTUS ignores on this matter, it is the Congress as well .... see below: (very informative blog post, full version here)
A unique solution to the bureaucratic and financial problems that often beset large-scale infrastructure projects has been proposed by Senators Chris Dodd and Chuck Hagel. On the morning of the Minnesota bridge collapse, as New York Times columnist Bob Herbert pointed out, the senators announced their sponsorship of legislation to create a National Infrastructure Bank. The Bank would issue bonds to raise funds for infrastructure projects that would be selected based on a strict set of criteria. Applications would be accepted only for projects that cost at least $75 million, have a public sponsor (a state or local government), and are of regional or national significance. The Bank would then rate each application based on its promotion of economic growth, its mobility improvements, its reduction of poverty concentration, its environmental benefits, its potential to promote smart urban growth, and its regional or national significance (the criteria vary slightly for each type of infrastructure project).
The National Infrastructure Bank is a first step in creating a coherent vision of American infrastructure. First, the use of bonds – rather than a pay-as-you-go system that relies on yearly revenues – allows the federal government to develop a stable, long-term strategy for economic growth based on infrastructure improvements. Such a financing stream is less subject to political whims and to revenues, which fluctuate with the economy and with legislative action (and inaction). Second, federal funding for infrastructure – in particular, for the transportation system – is often diverted by state governments to other (sometimes) worthy, yet non-infrastructure, projects. Puentes of Brookings points out that the Government Accountability Office has called the federal transportation fund a “cash transfer, general purpose grant program,” and that “the U.S. code neuters the federal role and states specifically that the appropriation of highway funds ‘shall in no way infringe on the sovereign rights of the States to determine which projects shall be federally financed.’” The National Infrastructure Bank would ensure that federal funds are used by state and local governments for specific infrastructure projects, rather than diverted to make up for, say, underfunded federal mandates.
Perhaps most importantly, the selection criteria required by the National Infrastructure Bank would encourage the federal government to undertake projects that are significant to the country’s long-term well-being: rather than stop-gap measures to repair existing problems, such projects would take into account new challenges like climate change, the growing importance of urban areas, and the need for more affordable housing, while at the same time confronting the more typical concerns associated with economic growth (increased air, highway, and port traffic). A database with details about each infrastructure project and its funding would provide at least some public oversight.
Interestingly, political support for an infrastructure bank is growing. The day after Senators Dodd and Hagel announced their plan – and the day after the Minnesota bridge collapse – Senator Hillary Clinton signed onto the bill as a co-sponsor. A week later, Senator Clinton gave a major speech entitled “Rebuilding America: Improving Our Infrastructure” and endorsed the legislation, lamenting that we in the United States “are treading water and being swept backwards.” Her specific plan – like her economic stimulus package – includes a panoply of measures to repair the “backlog” of deficient transportation structures, to conduct safety reviews, to increase public transit funding (and to link these funds to local land use policies), to invest in intercity passenger rail systems, to modernize seaports, to increase funding for congestion reduction programs, and to improve broadband deployment. Senator Barack Obama’s proposal was – like his economic stimulus package – more straightforward.
In his “Keeping America’s Promise” economic speech on February 13th, Senator Obama proposed a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to invest $60 billion in transportation infrastructure over ten years. He has previously called for increased Amtrak funding, high-speed railways, metropolitan planning to reduce traffic congestion, and improved transportation access for low-income commuters. On February 13th, a day after his speech, he signed onto Dodd and Hagel’s bill as a co-sponsor.
Additionally, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska proposed an amendment to the Senate’s economic stimulus package that would have directed $5 billion to states for infrastructure projects to be used before October of 2008. Senator Nelson suggested that “An investment in infrastructure and public works projects will not only achieve a much-needed boost to our economy, but will also promote long-term economic growth.”
Pronouncements by presidential candidates and a rather optimistic amendment to fast-tracked legislation are positive, if modest, indicators that a national movement to invest in infrastructure is mounting. Even relatively insignificant problems with infrastructure have received ample attention recently. Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that two bridge inspectors in Georgia had been falsifying inspection records because of a fast approaching federal deadline. Officials were alerted when they noted that the two were inspecting bridges at a rate of 18 per day; the average is 12 per week. Admittedly, there are significant issues to work out with a national infrastructure bank. The European Investment Bank, an infrastructure-financing behemoth established in 1953 and a likely model for an American infrastructure bank, is criticized for its lack of transparency and its lack of social and environmental standards.
here we go again ... Meade High School (MD) and its Homeland Security Signature program
Looks like Meade will join the ranks of other MD high schools (like Joppatowne north of Baltimore) to start training the next generation of homeland security specialists.
A signature is a school-within-a-school with a specialized focus. Meade's is the first of several signature programs the school system plans to roll out in the county's middle and high schools over the next few years.
Each signature will have a theme chosen by the school community. Homeland security was chosen for Meade because of the school's location on the post and the influx of students expected from the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, process.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/02_24-07/TOP
Perhaps this one "doesn't count" since it IS located on Fort Meade (home of the NSA!) and I'm sure Meade HS is the only one in the country featuring cryptologist guest lecturers!! One could almost argue this is opportunistic ... let's see how popular it is with the kids before I pass too harsh of a judgement.
A signature is a school-within-a-school with a specialized focus. Meade's is the first of several signature programs the school system plans to roll out in the county's middle and high schools over the next few years.
Each signature will have a theme chosen by the school community. Homeland security was chosen for Meade because of the school's location on the post and the influx of students expected from the upcoming Base Realignment and Closure, or BRAC, process.
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2008/02_24-07/TOP
Perhaps this one "doesn't count" since it IS located on Fort Meade (home of the NSA!) and I'm sure Meade HS is the only one in the country featuring cryptologist guest lecturers!! One could almost argue this is opportunistic ... let's see how popular it is with the kids before I pass too harsh of a judgement.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Michael VanRooyen: 12 myths and misconceptions in disaster response
I could see a place in risk analysis for this problem... here's a great short piece on a recent speech delivered through the Public Health Preparedness academic center at Harvard. Perhaps DHS should focus on # 10.
From Michael VanRooyen, co-director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and associate professor in the HSPH Department of Population and International Health
VanRooyen said the humanitarian aid industry must improve through self-analysis. "I remain idealistic," he said. Humanitarian aid is an essential part of emergency relief, but provision of it needs to improve.
The way to do that, he said, is to "professionalize the humanitarian effort" by better assessing the needs of disaster-stricken areas, involving the local populations in decision making, offering assistance in a culturally appropriate manner, coordinating efforts among relief agencies, and transitioning rapidly into long-term relief programs.
Twelve Myths and Misconceptions in Disaster Response
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/now/20080201/twelve-myths-and-misconceptions-in-disaster-response.html
From Michael VanRooyen, co-director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and associate professor in the HSPH Department of Population and International Health
VanRooyen said the humanitarian aid industry must improve through self-analysis. "I remain idealistic," he said. Humanitarian aid is an essential part of emergency relief, but provision of it needs to improve.
The way to do that, he said, is to "professionalize the humanitarian effort" by better assessing the needs of disaster-stricken areas, involving the local populations in decision making, offering assistance in a culturally appropriate manner, coordinating efforts among relief agencies, and transitioning rapidly into long-term relief programs.
Twelve Myths and Misconceptions in Disaster Response
- Disasters are random killers.
- The primary victims of war are combatants and warring parties.
- Foreign medical volunteers with any kind of medical background are needed.
- Disasters bring out the worst in human behavior.
- The affected population is too shocked and helpless to take responsibility for its own survival.
- Epidemics and plagues are inevitable after every disaster, and dead bodies create disease.
- Food, aid, and clothing are always needed by victims of a disaster.
- Locating disaster victims in temporary settlements is the best alternative.
- Media attention is usually focused on the most severe emergencies.
- Large-scale relief efforts are the best way to control humanitarian crises.
- Things are back to normal within a few weeks.
- International aid is distributed based on the most acute need.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/now/20080201/twelve-myths-and-misconceptions-in-disaster-response.html
UTEP is new DHS Center for Excellence for Border Security
UTEP selected as border security center
Times staff report
Article Launched: 02/22/2008 02:15:22 PM MST
The University of Texas at El Paso has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Excellence for Border Security, U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, announced Friday.
Times staff report
Article Launched: 02/22/2008 02:15:22 PM MST
The University of Texas at El Paso has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Excellence for Border Security, U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, announced Friday.
Through this designation, UTEP will develop and manage education programs regarding border security, collaborate with other institutions, and will receive $1 million per year in federal funds during the next six years.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
IOM releases report on research priorities for public health preparedness
Well, it ought to be interesting to see how this all plays out as the last time I poked through the FY2009 request (as it pertains to public health preparedness funding), the academic-based CPHPs are on the chopping block. You can't do research to meet the PAHPA mandate if you don't fund the research centers!!
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently convened a committee to articulate gaps in knowledge and make recommendations regarding research priorities for improving emergency preparedness and response systems in public health. This study was done, at the request of CDC’s Coordinating Officer for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER), to assist the Department of Health and Human Services in meeting the “Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act” (PAHPA) mandate that Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) conduct research.
The report, Research Priorities in Emergency Preparedness and Response for Public Health Systems, is now available to view or download on the IOM website.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/planning/iomreport2008.asp?s_cid=ccu020408_ResearchPriorities_e
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently convened a committee to articulate gaps in knowledge and make recommendations regarding research priorities for improving emergency preparedness and response systems in public health. This study was done, at the request of CDC’s Coordinating Officer for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER), to assist the Department of Health and Human Services in meeting the “Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act” (PAHPA) mandate that Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHP) conduct research.
The report, Research Priorities in Emergency Preparedness and Response for Public Health Systems, is now available to view or download on the IOM website.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/planning/iomreport2008.asp?s_cid=ccu020408_ResearchPriorities_e
FEMA releases Jan 2008 version of NIMS-IRIS
"As part of our Nation’s efforts to strengthen resource management in line with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Incident Management Systems Division developed the NIMS Incident Resource Inventory System (NIMS-IRIS) tool to assist emergency responders with inventorying resources. The software allows emergency responders to enter resources based on FEMA typed and user defined types. Users can select specific resources for mutual aid purposes based on mission requirements, the capability of resources, and response time."
Retrieved From: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2694
Retrieved From: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2694
New international manual for nuclear terrorism prevention available
New manual on terrorism prevention
“Interpol, Europol, the World Customs Organisation and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have produced a reference manual that detailshow to prevent, detect, and respond to nuclear terrorism. Combating Illicit Trafficking in Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material has been written for law enforcement, intelligence, emergency workers and the nuclear industry.” (Nuclear Engineering International,20Feb08)
http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=132&storyCode=2048805
“Interpol, Europol, the World Customs Organisation and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have produced a reference manual that detailshow to prevent, detect, and respond to nuclear terrorism. Combating Illicit Trafficking in Nuclear and Other Radioactive Material has been written for law enforcement, intelligence, emergency workers and the nuclear industry.” (Nuclear Engineering International,20Feb08)
http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sectioncode=132&storyCode=2048805
Nat'l Academy of Engineers identifies top tech challenges for 21st century
Several of these recently identified techy challenges touch upon infrastructure issues, including the nuclear, healthcare and cyber sectors. Very interesting panel, including Ray Kurzweil and Craig Venter.
A National Academy of Engineering panel of big thinkers, including Google co-founder Larry Page, has identified 14 top technological challenges for this century and securing cyberspace is among them.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/021908-top-technological-challenges.html
More info on the list of challenges, including a short video clip can be found here:
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx
A National Academy of Engineering panel of big thinkers, including Google co-founder Larry Page, has identified 14 top technological challenges for this century and securing cyberspace is among them.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/021908-top-technological-challenges.html
More info on the list of challenges, including a short video clip can be found here:
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/challenges.aspx
If you can't trust your government with money, then how can you trust them with homeland security?
Not exactly directly related to homeland security; however, this is what is to be expected after you abuse your power and trust by not meeting the public's expectations and/or not listening or responding to public need. This comes back around in the arena of community resiliency ... how does the government come into poorer inner city communities (for example) and "sell" the public on pandemic flu preparedness and community-based preparedness schemes? If nobody trusts you - especially after Katrina,the appointment of Harriet Miers, illegal wiretapping, brazen logic-free Cabinet members and appointees, etc. - you can't get the job done at the end of the day. This ultimately moves us backwards, not forwards...
Public trust in government bleak, survey finds
By Robert Brodsky
Taxpayers overwhelmingly believe the federal government has failed to explain how it generates and spends money, creating a growing expectations gap that is eroding the public's trust in its leaders, according to a new survey released Wednesday. The survey, Public Attitudes to Government Accountability and Transparency 2008, measured how 1,652 adults felt about federal, state and local governments' financial management and accountability to taxpayers. The results paint a grim picture of the public's unhappiness with both the availability of financial information and the way it is delivered to citizens, said Relmond Van Daniker, executive director of the Association of Government Accountants, which commissioned the study. The poll was conducted by Harris Interactive, a market research firm based in Rochester, N.Y.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39336&dcn=e_gvet
Public trust in government bleak, survey finds
By Robert Brodsky
Taxpayers overwhelmingly believe the federal government has failed to explain how it generates and spends money, creating a growing expectations gap that is eroding the public's trust in its leaders, according to a new survey released Wednesday. The survey, Public Attitudes to Government Accountability and Transparency 2008, measured how 1,652 adults felt about federal, state and local governments' financial management and accountability to taxpayers. The results paint a grim picture of the public's unhappiness with both the availability of financial information and the way it is delivered to citizens, said Relmond Van Daniker, executive director of the Association of Government Accountants, which commissioned the study. The poll was conducted by Harris Interactive, a market research firm based in Rochester, N.Y.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39336&dcn=e_gvet
Are you NIMS-compliant or NIMS-competent?
This is, IMHO, the direct result of mandating NIMS and ICS training (i.e. "excessive" federal linkage of grant funding with training mandates) for positions within agencies that have little to no emergency response role. In other words, we have distracted a great deal of people who will not likely "respond" in online training just because they work for an agency/group that receives federal preparedness funding. Sure, they are compliant, I guess. But are they competent? Probably not. Here's a snippet of a good article on this topic:
The good news now: Many, if not most, of our agencies are now NIMS-compliant. The bad news: Many of us have the illusion that we are also NIMS-competent. But those who actually manage incidents on the street have, in many jurisdictions, observed that in practice, little has changed. Practitioners have either refused to change the way they've done business for years, or they've continued the same old practices with a different vocabulary. Our colleagues in the fire service continue to be the most proficient users of the Incident Command System, because they use it more than EMS or law enforcement agencies.
http://www.emsresponder.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=7052
The good news now: Many, if not most, of our agencies are now NIMS-compliant. The bad news: Many of us have the illusion that we are also NIMS-competent. But those who actually manage incidents on the street have, in many jurisdictions, observed that in practice, little has changed. Practitioners have either refused to change the way they've done business for years, or they've continued the same old practices with a different vocabulary. Our colleagues in the fire service continue to be the most proficient users of the Incident Command System, because they use it more than EMS or law enforcement agencies.
http://www.emsresponder.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=7052
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Northern Kentucky U and its refurbished MPA
NKU has "re-aligned" its MPA program to include homeland security and non-profit management concentrations.
Northern Kentucky University is announcing the addition of a new master degree program and several certificate programs, as well as significant changes to some of its long-standing master degrees.
The NKU College of Arts and Sciences has realigned its Master of Public Administration program, adding three areas of concentration. Joining the existing concentration on Nonprofit Management will be concentrations on Homeland Security and Metropolitan Government. Both a master’s degree and certificates will be available for each of these concentrations. “We are the only school in our area to offer Homeland Security and Nonprofit Management,” stated MPA director Dr. Shamima Ahmed.
gradschool.nku.edu
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Northern Kentucky University is announcing the addition of a new master degree program and several certificate programs, as well as significant changes to some of its long-standing master degrees.
The NKU College of Arts and Sciences has realigned its Master of Public Administration program, adding three areas of concentration. Joining the existing concentration on Nonprofit Management will be concentrations on Homeland Security and Metropolitan Government. Both a master’s degree and certificates will be available for each of these concentrations. “We are the only school in our area to offer Homeland Security and Nonprofit Management,” stated MPA director Dr. Shamima Ahmed.
gradschool.nku.edu
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
Thursday, February 14, 2008
USC's GamePipe Lab exploring virtual simulation in HS training
Via: GDC 2008 - Serious Games Summit Sessions
Serious Games Summit Session - The GROUND TRUTH of Game Technologies for Homeland Security Training
Speaker(s): Donna Djordjevich (Homeland Security Systems and Development Center, Sandia National Laboratories)
Emerging, changing modes of attack using weapons of mass destruction (WMD) within DHS and DoD threat scenarios require new approaches to examining detection, mitigation, and response options.
To educate and train decision makers in the modes of attack and response options specific to their unique requirements it was proposed the use of game-based training simulations.
This would place multiple participants in the center of the simulation and allow their decisions to influence scenario evolution in a responsive environment.
This research is aimed at constructing immersive, interactive, gaming environments that allow trainees to interact within the context of a virtual scenario populated by non-player characters and embedded with specific learning objectives.
This project is currently in year two of a three-year, internally funded, Sandia commitment.
Software engineer Donna Djordjevich, with the University of Southern California’s GamePipe Laboratory, is the principal investigator of a Sandia-funded project titled “Game Technology-Enhanced Simulation for Homeland Security.” Its mission is to create an interactive gaming platform specifically designed to prepare decision makers and first responders for weapons of mass destruction/weapons of mass effect (WMD/WME) attacks in metropolitan areas.
In its current form, says Djordjevich, Ground Truth is designed for high-level incident commanders who need to understand how to best allocate their resources given the unusual circumstances defined by WMD/WME threat scenarios.
Full article available at:
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2008/02/gdc08-game-technologies-for-homeland.html
Serious Games Summit Session - The GROUND TRUTH of Game Technologies for Homeland Security Training
Speaker(s): Donna Djordjevich (Homeland Security Systems and Development Center, Sandia National Laboratories)
Emerging, changing modes of attack using weapons of mass destruction (WMD) within DHS and DoD threat scenarios require new approaches to examining detection, mitigation, and response options.
To educate and train decision makers in the modes of attack and response options specific to their unique requirements it was proposed the use of game-based training simulations.
This would place multiple participants in the center of the simulation and allow their decisions to influence scenario evolution in a responsive environment.
This research is aimed at constructing immersive, interactive, gaming environments that allow trainees to interact within the context of a virtual scenario populated by non-player characters and embedded with specific learning objectives.
This project is currently in year two of a three-year, internally funded, Sandia commitment.
Software engineer Donna Djordjevich, with the University of Southern California’s GamePipe Laboratory, is the principal investigator of a Sandia-funded project titled “Game Technology-Enhanced Simulation for Homeland Security.” Its mission is to create an interactive gaming platform specifically designed to prepare decision makers and first responders for weapons of mass destruction/weapons of mass effect (WMD/WME) attacks in metropolitan areas.
In its current form, says Djordjevich, Ground Truth is designed for high-level incident commanders who need to understand how to best allocate their resources given the unusual circumstances defined by WMD/WME threat scenarios.
Full article available at:
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2008/02/gdc08-game-technologies-for-homeland.html
"FBI deputizes business"
InfraGard is not something that gets mentioned enough. I'm still too
ignorant to this to have an educated opinion, but if the gov't embraces
this then they must embrace the Minutemen-like groups along the border
between US and Mexico.
12/02/08 " The Progressive"
Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does—and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to "shoot to kill" in the event of martial law.
In November 2001, InfraGard had around 1,700 members. As of late January, InfraGard had 23,682 members, according to its website, www.infragard.net, which adds that "350 of our nation's Fortune 500 have a representative in InfraGard."To join, each person must be sponsored by "an existing InfraGard member, chapter, or partner organization." The FBI then vets the applicant. On the application form, prospective members are asked which aspect of the critical infrastructure their organization deals with. These include: agriculture, banking and finance, the chemical industry, defense, energy, food, information and telecommunications, law enforcement, public health, and transportation.
FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9, 2005. At that time, the group had less than half as many members as it does today. "To date, there are more than 11,000 members of InfraGard," he said. "From our perspective that amounts to 11,000 contacts . . . and 11,000 partners in our mission to protect America." He added a little later, "Those of you in the private sector are the first line of defense."
http://www.grandestrategy.com/2008/02/2349048-fbi-deputizes-business.html
ignorant to this to have an educated opinion, but if the gov't embraces
this then they must embrace the Minutemen-like groups along the border
between US and Mexico.
12/02/08 " The Progressive"
Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does—and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to "shoot to kill" in the event of martial law.
In November 2001, InfraGard had around 1,700 members. As of late January, InfraGard had 23,682 members, according to its website, www.infragard.net, which adds that "350 of our nation's Fortune 500 have a representative in InfraGard."To join, each person must be sponsored by "an existing InfraGard member, chapter, or partner organization." The FBI then vets the applicant. On the application form, prospective members are asked which aspect of the critical infrastructure their organization deals with. These include: agriculture, banking and finance, the chemical industry, defense, energy, food, information and telecommunications, law enforcement, public health, and transportation.
FBI Director Robert Mueller addressed an InfraGard convention on August 9, 2005. At that time, the group had less than half as many members as it does today. "To date, there are more than 11,000 members of InfraGard," he said. "From our perspective that amounts to 11,000 contacts . . . and 11,000 partners in our mission to protect America." He added a little later, "Those of you in the private sector are the first line of defense."
http://www.grandestrategy.com/2008/02/2349048-fbi-deputizes-business.html
OSU 2008 summer institute in biostats/epi methods
Ohio State University - Office of Workforce Development
2008 Summer Program in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiological Methods
July 14-25, 2008
Columbus, Ohio
Courses offerings:
Applied Logistic Regression
Applied Survival Analysis
Cancer and Chronic Disease Epidemiology
*Critical Appraisal of Health-Related Scientific Information
*Current and Emerging Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Environmental Epidemiology
Health Policy Research Methods
*Health Survey Research Methods
*Geographic Information Systems
Intermediate Epidemiology using Activ-Epi
Public Health Field Epidemiology
Social Epidemiology and
Community Research*
*New course for 2008
Application has been submitted for continuing education to the OSU College of Social Work, Ohio State Board of Sanitarian Registration, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (CHES), and the Ohio Nurses Association. Please call Shirley Funt at 614-292-1637 for information about contact hours.
For more information use the links on the left side of the page.E-mail program staff at spabem@cph.osu.edu with questions."Click here to download the 2008 Summer Program Brochure"
(Revised 2/13/08)
http://cph.osu.edu/workforcedevelopment/8389.cfm
2008 Summer Program in Applied Biostatistics and Epidemiological Methods
July 14-25, 2008
Columbus, Ohio
Courses offerings:
Applied Logistic Regression
Applied Survival Analysis
Cancer and Chronic Disease Epidemiology
*Critical Appraisal of Health-Related Scientific Information
*Current and Emerging Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Environmental Epidemiology
Health Policy Research Methods
*Health Survey Research Methods
*Geographic Information Systems
Intermediate Epidemiology using Activ-Epi
Public Health Field Epidemiology
Social Epidemiology and
Community Research*
*New course for 2008
Application has been submitted for continuing education to the OSU College of Social Work, Ohio State Board of Sanitarian Registration, the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. (CHES), and the Ohio Nurses Association. Please call Shirley Funt at 614-292-1637 for information about contact hours.
For more information use the links on the left side of the page.E-mail program staff at spabem@cph.osu.edu with questions."Click here to download the 2008 Summer Program Brochure"
(Revised 2/13/08)
http://cph.osu.edu/workforcedevelopment/8389.cfm
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
UMUC at the 13th annual Sloan-C Conference
UMUC made a remarkable presence at the 13th Sloan-C Conference that was held in Orlando, Florida, November 7-9. The Sloan-C Consortium, which hosts the annual conference, is one of the fastest growing and pre-eminent organizations dedicated to the growth and accessibility of online learning. The total attendance of the 2007 conference was over 1200 people, representing college faculty and administrators, instructional technology professionals and designers from various states and countries. Relative to this year’s theme, The Power of Online Learning: Making a Difference, UMUC presenters from various departments spoke on topics ranging from best instructional practices to faculty development to emerging trends.
http://deoracle.org/university-showcase/papers-studies/umuc-at-sloanc-conference.html
Speaking of the Sloan-C group, they thought highly of the course I am currently taking ...
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is pleased to announce that the CTLA 201, Teaching with WebTycho Training Course is the winner of the prestigious Sloan-C 2006 Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching Award.
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/ctla/sloan.html
http://deoracle.org/university-showcase/papers-studies/umuc-at-sloanc-conference.html
Speaking of the Sloan-C group, they thought highly of the course I am currently taking ...
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is pleased to announce that the CTLA 201, Teaching with WebTycho Training Course is the winner of the prestigious Sloan-C 2006 Excellence in Faculty Development for Online Teaching Award.
http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/ctla/sloan.html
MS in Legal Studies - Homeland Security track at California U of PA
California University of PA's acute understanding of this extraordinary need in contemporary society has led to the creation of the Homeland Security track in Legal Studies. It presents a neat and clean track that prepares supervisory personnel to tackle the many challenges inherent in the protection of a nation. It allows justice professionals, health specialists and legal specialists, to concentrate on the methodology of security in this narrow context. Aside from the recurring demands of professional justice duty, Homeland Security delivers another slant and perspective to harried and often over-tasked public servants.
http://www.cup.edu/graduate/homeland/index.jsp
http://www.cup.edu/graduate/homeland/index.jsp
A training resource for business continuity planners
A resource for continuity planning: the Institute for Business Continuity Training
http://www.ibct.com/
and upcoming event:
IBCT hosts Business Continuity Management workshop in GCC
An international training program will be presented in Dubai April 20-23 and in Manama April 27-30 to teach a certified methodology for developing Business Continuity Plans.
http://www.ameinfo.com/146571.html
http://www.ibct.com/
and upcoming event:
IBCT hosts Business Continuity Management workshop in GCC
An international training program will be presented in Dubai April 20-23 and in Manama April 27-30 to teach a certified methodology for developing Business Continuity Plans.
http://www.ameinfo.com/146571.html
White House OST endorses use of simulation in education and homeland security
Published on HamptonRoads.com PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com)
Bush official: Education key for growth in modeling, simulation
VIRGINIA BEACH
Efforts to grow computer modeling and simulation hinge on getting more young people to study math and science, a White House advisor said Monday at an industry leadership summit.
"Education and training need to be a major focus," said Charles Romine, senior policy analyst for the White House Office of Science and Technology.
Sponsored by the Washington-based National Training and Simulation Association, the summit at The Westin Hotel Virginia Beach Town Center attracted about 250 industry, government and academic representatives.
In Hampton Roads, officials aim to expand the field beyond defense work to include medicine, transportation, education and homeland security.
Source URL (retrieved on 02/12/2008 - 11:05): http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/bush-official-education-key-growth-modeling-simulation
Bush official: Education key for growth in modeling, simulation
VIRGINIA BEACH
Efforts to grow computer modeling and simulation hinge on getting more young people to study math and science, a White House advisor said Monday at an industry leadership summit.
"Education and training need to be a major focus," said Charles Romine, senior policy analyst for the White House Office of Science and Technology.
Sponsored by the Washington-based National Training and Simulation Association, the summit at The Westin Hotel Virginia Beach Town Center attracted about 250 industry, government and academic representatives.
In Hampton Roads, officials aim to expand the field beyond defense work to include medicine, transportation, education and homeland security.
Source URL (retrieved on 02/12/2008 - 11:05): http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/bush-official-education-key-growth-modeling-simulation
plenty of software available for NIMS/all-hazard emergency plan generation and compliance
I hate to shill for specific companies when I don't intimately know
their products, but there are many great tools available out there
to develop federally-compliant all-hazards emergency plans for a
number of sectors - includign privately owned components of our
national infrastructure.
(for little to no cost often, depending on where you live and how involved
local and state governments get)
Anyway, here's an example of such software from Safe Plans:
http://www.safeplans.net/services/online/
their products, but there are many great tools available out there
to develop federally-compliant all-hazards emergency plans for a
number of sectors - includign privately owned components of our
national infrastructure.
(for little to no cost often, depending on where you live and how involved
local and state governments get)
Anyway, here's an example of such software from Safe Plans:
http://www.safeplans.net/services/online/
remote sensing and GIS: essential tools for preparedness
GREAT informational post combining primers on remote sensing and GIS
with emergency response planning ... another essential tool in our collective
preparedness efforts!!
http://rashidfaridi.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/gis-remote-sensing-and-image-processing-in-studying-urban-systems/
with emergency response planning ... another essential tool in our collective
preparedness efforts!!
http://rashidfaridi.wordpress.com/2008/02/09/gis-remote-sensing-and-image-processing-in-studying-urban-systems/
CATT lab at UM uses virtual simulation to train transportation first responders
Well, lookie here, another group using virtual worlds for preparedness training... and another within the UM system!
The Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab), a research center at the University Of Maryland, College Park, is teaming up with the I-95 Corridor Coalition and Forterra Systems, Inc. to develop a massively multi-player virtual incident management training system for transportation first responders.
The system will enable practical, scenario-based, interactive, real-time incident management training for up to 500 responders, trainers and “victims” simultaneously at a variety of locations.
Forterra Inc. designed the game engine, including capabilities for voice communications and 3-D interaction over the Web.
CATT Lab researchers, including undergraduate students from aerospace and mechanical engineering, computer science and art disciplines, worked with the Coalition to design the game’s scenarios, and are reprogramming the game engine to customize it to the Coalition's specifications.
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2008/02/serious-games-for-virtual-incident.html
The Center for Advanced Transportation Technology Laboratory (CATT Lab), a research center at the University Of Maryland, College Park, is teaming up with the I-95 Corridor Coalition and Forterra Systems, Inc. to develop a massively multi-player virtual incident management training system for transportation first responders.
The system will enable practical, scenario-based, interactive, real-time incident management training for up to 500 responders, trainers and “victims” simultaneously at a variety of locations.
Forterra Inc. designed the game engine, including capabilities for voice communications and 3-D interaction over the Web.
CATT Lab researchers, including undergraduate students from aerospace and mechanical engineering, computer science and art disciplines, worked with the Coalition to design the game’s scenarios, and are reprogramming the game engine to customize it to the Coalition's specifications.
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2008/02/serious-games-for-virtual-incident.html
NPS and WV ... more opportunity for graduate education?
From the HS digital library blog (hsdl.org/hslog) ... another good blog site.
Here's at least a little more info on this supposed 2nd NPS facility in Shepherdstown.
Congressional Record Recognizes the Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Submitted by ijkaijan on Thursday, February 7, 2008 - 20:05
See attachment below: "Madam Speaker, I am pleased to advise my colleagues of the 5th anniversary of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. NPS has always been at the forefront of military graduate education for all the military Services and no more so than 5 years ago, when the School was selected by the Department of Homeland Security to fill a critical gap in graduate level education for our current and future leaders of homeland defense and security. Since 2002, the Center has graduated nearly 200 students from the ranks of our Nation’s first responders-public health, law enforcement, fire, emergency management and other disciplines that make up homeland security, and from almost every State in the country.
The highly competitive application process and the rigorous academic excellence of the master's degree program ensures that Center graduates are having a significant impact on protecting the Nation. Moreover, the success of the Center in Monterey compelled the Department of Homeland Security in June 2007 to establish the DHS Homeland Security Academy in the National Capital Region. NPS was again called upon by DHS to replicate the Center's success by providing faculty and curriculum for DHS employees at the second site in West Virginia. At that time, FEMA Administrator Paulison said the following, 'The NPS master's program has a proven track record of building a national network of leaders who work across agency and jurisdictional lines to solve problems and protect the American people."
https://www.hsdl.org/hslog/?q=node/3964
Here's at least a little more info on this supposed 2nd NPS facility in Shepherdstown.
Congressional Record Recognizes the Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Submitted by ijkaijan on Thursday, February 7, 2008 - 20:05
See attachment below: "Madam Speaker, I am pleased to advise my colleagues of the 5th anniversary of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security, located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. NPS has always been at the forefront of military graduate education for all the military Services and no more so than 5 years ago, when the School was selected by the Department of Homeland Security to fill a critical gap in graduate level education for our current and future leaders of homeland defense and security. Since 2002, the Center has graduated nearly 200 students from the ranks of our Nation’s first responders-public health, law enforcement, fire, emergency management and other disciplines that make up homeland security, and from almost every State in the country.
The highly competitive application process and the rigorous academic excellence of the master's degree program ensures that Center graduates are having a significant impact on protecting the Nation. Moreover, the success of the Center in Monterey compelled the Department of Homeland Security in June 2007 to establish the DHS Homeland Security Academy in the National Capital Region. NPS was again called upon by DHS to replicate the Center's success by providing faculty and curriculum for DHS employees at the second site in West Virginia. At that time, FEMA Administrator Paulison said the following, 'The NPS master's program has a proven track record of building a national network of leaders who work across agency and jurisdictional lines to solve problems and protect the American people."
https://www.hsdl.org/hslog/?q=node/3964
Monday, February 11, 2008
Using Simulations to Enhance Online Learning
http://deoracle.org/online-pedagogy/teaching-tools/using-simulations-to-enhance-online-learning.html
Article from 2007 from Julie Gilliam, formerly of UMUC but now with U Maryland
at Baltimore evidently.
Article from 2007 from Julie Gilliam, formerly of UMUC but now with U Maryland
at Baltimore evidently.
UMUC, SecondLife and virtual training
A little more poking around and it appears that UMUC's own Julie Commons (aka Jules Gilliam) and Kathleen Maloney (aka Kathleen Puckett) have a great deal of experience with the use of SecondLife and virtual training, particularly for emergency preparedness training:
http://sl.nmc.org/2007/07/20/interview-with-umuc-on-simulations-for-online-learning/
See thier remarkable handiwork at:
http://polaris.umuc.edu/de/csi/nmc/simulations.html
http://sl.nmc.org/2007/07/20/interview-with-umuc-on-simulations-for-online-learning/
See thier remarkable handiwork at:
http://polaris.umuc.edu/de/csi/nmc/simulations.html
more ephemera regarding the use of virtual worlds in education
Some more random resources I have seen recently regarding
use of SecondLife and virtual worlds:
There are some YouTube examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpgPa6dLfDw&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iAyRDJEApM&feature=related
Just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to SecondLife and education
links, but here's two that are more geared for educators:
http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/education
http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki
Another blog post regrading virtual EM training:
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2007/07/play2train-serious-games-for-emergency_24.html
use of SecondLife and virtual worlds:
There are some YouTube examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpgPa6dLfDw&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iAyRDJEApM&feature=related
Just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to SecondLife and education
links, but here's two that are more geared for educators:
http://secondlifegrid.net/programs/education
http://www.simteach.com/wiki/index.php?title=Second_Life_Education_Wiki
Another blog post regrading virtual EM training:
http://elianealhadeff.blogspot.com/2007/07/play2train-serious-games-for-emergency_24.html
Using virtual worlds to conduct online tabletop exercises
I've just happened upon what is assuredly a future fixture
in all training and higher education programs in homeland
security and emergency management: the use of virtual worlds.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there light years ahead of me ...
such as the folks at Idaho State University Institute for Rural Health.
Play2Train is a virtual training space in SecondLife designed to support Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), Simple Triage Rapid Transportation (START), Risk Communication and Incident Command System (ICS) Training. This virtual environment spreads over two islands Asterix and Obelix (65536 x 2 sq. meters), with one island dedicated to a virtual town and the other a virtual hospital. The design of this virtual environment is influenced by dioramas frequently used by emergency services to support their tabletop exercises. A diorama is a partially three dimensional full-size replica or scale model of a landscape typically showing historical events, nature scenes, cityscapes, etc. for purposes of education or entertainment, source: wikipedia. Play2Train will provide opportunities for training through interactive role playing and will be the foundation for our emergency preparedness educational machinima. This site will document activities and developments in this part of the SecondLife virtual world.
http://irhbt.typepad.com/play2train/
This is, in a word: incredible. And just the beginning in terms of application
within the academic world. I would absolutely love to develop a group exercise
for my future online undergraduates (University of Maryland University College)
involving a virtual tabletop exercise. In fact, this is the ONLY way to recreate
the spirit and interpersonal nature of a group face-2-face exercise in e-learning.
Please contact me if you would like to collaborate on such a project.
Expect much much more from me in this forum on this topic.
in all training and higher education programs in homeland
security and emergency management: the use of virtual worlds.
I'm sure there are plenty of people out there light years ahead of me ...
such as the folks at Idaho State University Institute for Rural Health.
Play2Train is a virtual training space in SecondLife designed to support Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), Simple Triage Rapid Transportation (START), Risk Communication and Incident Command System (ICS) Training. This virtual environment spreads over two islands Asterix and Obelix (65536 x 2 sq. meters), with one island dedicated to a virtual town and the other a virtual hospital. The design of this virtual environment is influenced by dioramas frequently used by emergency services to support their tabletop exercises. A diorama is a partially three dimensional full-size replica or scale model of a landscape typically showing historical events, nature scenes, cityscapes, etc. for purposes of education or entertainment, source: wikipedia. Play2Train will provide opportunities for training through interactive role playing and will be the foundation for our emergency preparedness educational machinima. This site will document activities and developments in this part of the SecondLife virtual world.
http://irhbt.typepad.com/play2train/
This is, in a word: incredible. And just the beginning in terms of application
within the academic world. I would absolutely love to develop a group exercise
for my future online undergraduates (University of Maryland University College)
involving a virtual tabletop exercise. In fact, this is the ONLY way to recreate
the spirit and interpersonal nature of a group face-2-face exercise in e-learning.
Please contact me if you would like to collaborate on such a project.
Expect much much more from me in this forum on this topic.
Friday, February 8, 2008
NRF training course available: "IS - 800 b"
A new version of FEMA's IS-800 independent study course (the one on the National Response Plan) is now available. IS-800b is now available to train the country's responders on the new National Resposne Framework.
Press release here:
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48742369_fema-releases-line-training-course-national-respon
New course can be found here:
http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp
Press release here:
http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48742369_fema-releases-line-training-course-national-respon
New course can be found here:
http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS800b.asp
Towson University has graduate HS and forensic chemistry programs
Towson University is only one of four schools in the nation to offer a professional masters science degree in forensic science.
The university is planning on getting federal funding to go towards their forensic chemistry institute to help train scientists in bomb analysis, which is a critical part of homeland security.
They also have an online integrated HS management program with an embedded certiifcate program in Security Assessment and Management.
More info on Towson's program is here:
http://grad.towson.edu/program/master/ihsm-ms/
The university is planning on getting federal funding to go towards their forensic chemistry institute to help train scientists in bomb analysis, which is a critical part of homeland security.
They also have an online integrated HS management program with an embedded certiifcate program in Security Assessment and Management.
More info on Towson's program is here:
http://grad.towson.edu/program/master/ihsm-ms/
Monday, February 4, 2008
Brief history of primitive COOP planning
We've all heard of Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), right?
It would be neat for the public to be able to use that massive old complex
under the Greenbrier. Makes you wonder what else is out here in the Appalachian
hills ...
Here's some places I just heard about recently:
The Greenbrier is a Mobil four star resort located in the town of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. For most of its history it was owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of CSX Corporation.
In 1858, a hotel was built on the property. This original hotel, the Old White, was torn down in 1922, several years after the addition of the current building. In 1910, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway purchased the resort property, building additional amenities and the Greenbrier Hotel in 1913.
In the late 1950s the U.S. government approached The Greenbrier for assistance in the creation of an emergency relocation center to house Congress in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. The classified, underground facility was built in conjunction with an above ground addition to the hotel, the West Virginia Wing, between 1959 and 1962.
Although the bunker was kept stocked with supplies for 30 years, it was never actually used as an emergency location, even during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The bunker's existence was not acknowledged until The Washington Post revealed it in a 1992 story; immediately after the Post story, the government decommissioned the bunker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greenbrier
The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is a United States federal government facility located off Virginia Highway 601 near Bluemont, Virginia. The U.S. government has revealed little about Mount Weather to date, although it has acknowledged its basic existence and stated purpose. It houses operations and training facilities above ground for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and contains an underground facility designed to house key components of the American government in the case of nuclear warfare or other calamity.
Mount Weather is a central part of the American Continuity of Operations Plan. During the September 11, 2001 attacks a line of government cars and limousines with police escort was seen heading from Washington D.C. to Mount Weather.
The site gained wider public recognition when The Washington Post mentioned the government facility while reporting on the December 1, 1974 crash into Mount Weather of Flight 514, a TWA Boeing 727.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Weather
Site R is a US government facility on Raven Rock, a mountain in Pennsylvania. It is located about 14 km (8.7 miles) east of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and 10 km (6.2 miles) north-northeast of Camp David, Maryland. The "R" in "Site R" is an allusion to Raven Rock. The name Raven Rock is used to refer the mountain itself, or, by extension, the Site R facility.
At Site R, the DISA Computer Operations staff provides computer services to the National Command Authority, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other United States Department of Defense agencies through Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs). The facility functions as the disaster recovery site for the JSSC's GMC and DISA GCC.
The various service (Army, Navy and Air Force) Emergency Operations Centers (AFEOC) are also located at Site R. Support is provided continuously. The facility's Operations Center, DCS Technical Control Facility, the Northeast Dial Service Assistance Center and Information Center provide planning, installation, operation, and maintenance of over 38 communications systems (switching, transmission, data distribution, visual information, and power generation) that support the various customers of the facility.
Initial planning dates back to 1948. After the Soviet Union detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1949, a high priority was established for the Joint Command Post to be placed in a protected location near Washington, D.C., for swift relocation of the National Command Authorities and the Joint Communications Service.
The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission directed the relocation of U.S. Army Signal Command units and some Base Operations support personnel from Fort Ritchie to Fort Detrick, which will become the home of East Coast long-haul communications.
According to the Boston Globe, Site R is believed to be the "undisclosed location" to which Vice-President Dick Cheney retires in times of crisis.
On May 25, 2007 the Federal Register published a Defense Dept. policy declaring that it is unlawful "to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or graphical representation of the Raven Rock Mountain Complex without first obtaining the necessary permission." [2]
A little bit more info on Site R here:
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/PA3183/
It would be neat for the public to be able to use that massive old complex
under the Greenbrier. Makes you wonder what else is out here in the Appalachian
hills ...
Here's some places I just heard about recently:
The Greenbrier is a Mobil four star resort located in the town of White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. For most of its history it was owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway. It is now a wholly owned subsidiary of CSX Corporation.
In 1858, a hotel was built on the property. This original hotel, the Old White, was torn down in 1922, several years after the addition of the current building. In 1910, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway purchased the resort property, building additional amenities and the Greenbrier Hotel in 1913.
In the late 1950s the U.S. government approached The Greenbrier for assistance in the creation of an emergency relocation center to house Congress in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. The classified, underground facility was built in conjunction with an above ground addition to the hotel, the West Virginia Wing, between 1959 and 1962.
Although the bunker was kept stocked with supplies for 30 years, it was never actually used as an emergency location, even during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The bunker's existence was not acknowledged until The Washington Post revealed it in a 1992 story; immediately after the Post story, the government decommissioned the bunker.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greenbrier
The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is a United States federal government facility located off Virginia Highway 601 near Bluemont, Virginia. The U.S. government has revealed little about Mount Weather to date, although it has acknowledged its basic existence and stated purpose. It houses operations and training facilities above ground for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and contains an underground facility designed to house key components of the American government in the case of nuclear warfare or other calamity.
Mount Weather is a central part of the American Continuity of Operations Plan. During the September 11, 2001 attacks a line of government cars and limousines with police escort was seen heading from Washington D.C. to Mount Weather.
The site gained wider public recognition when The Washington Post mentioned the government facility while reporting on the December 1, 1974 crash into Mount Weather of Flight 514, a TWA Boeing 727.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Weather
Site R is a US government facility on Raven Rock, a mountain in Pennsylvania. It is located about 14 km (8.7 miles) east of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, and 10 km (6.2 miles) north-northeast of Camp David, Maryland. The "R" in "Site R" is an allusion to Raven Rock. The name Raven Rock is used to refer the mountain itself, or, by extension, the Site R facility.
At Site R, the DISA Computer Operations staff provides computer services to the National Command Authority, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and other United States Department of Defense agencies through Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs). The facility functions as the disaster recovery site for the JSSC's GMC and DISA GCC.
The various service (Army, Navy and Air Force) Emergency Operations Centers (AFEOC) are also located at Site R. Support is provided continuously. The facility's Operations Center, DCS Technical Control Facility, the Northeast Dial Service Assistance Center and Information Center provide planning, installation, operation, and maintenance of over 38 communications systems (switching, transmission, data distribution, visual information, and power generation) that support the various customers of the facility.
Initial planning dates back to 1948. After the Soviet Union detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1949, a high priority was established for the Joint Command Post to be placed in a protected location near Washington, D.C., for swift relocation of the National Command Authorities and the Joint Communications Service.
The 1995 Base Realignment and Closure Commission directed the relocation of U.S. Army Signal Command units and some Base Operations support personnel from Fort Ritchie to Fort Detrick, which will become the home of East Coast long-haul communications.
According to the Boston Globe, Site R is believed to be the "undisclosed location" to which Vice-President Dick Cheney retires in times of crisis.
On May 25, 2007 the Federal Register published a Defense Dept. policy declaring that it is unlawful "to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or graphical representation of the Raven Rock Mountain Complex without first obtaining the necessary permission." [2]
A little bit more info on Site R here:
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/PA3183/
FEMA 2007 year in review
See a MediaWire press release in the "FEMA Year in Review: 2007"
Upon first glance, this looks largely like a self-congratulatory list of achievments
but there appear to be some data nuggets within for folks who like numbers.
http://media-newswire.com/release_1060107.html
Upon first glance, this looks largely like a self-congratulatory list of achievments
but there appear to be some data nuggets within for folks who like numbers.
http://media-newswire.com/release_1060107.html
Food for thought: indulge our inner libertarian and compress/reduce DHS?
As a fellow moderate libertarian, I give you some food for thought from an interesting blog created by a History and PoliSci professor at U Delaware - Wilmington:
I do advocate the elimination of the cabinet level position for Homeland Security. This is one of my professional research areas, and I can tell you this: you do not meet the challenge of terrorism by creating the largest bureaucracy in American history. The TSA should not only be eliminated, we should destroy the records that suggested we were dumb enough to create it in the first place, lest our grandchildren think we are idiots.
I would add to Professor Newton's sentiment that "patchwork existence" (see some of my past posts) has amplified the problem that large federal bureaucracies can ause. Back to the fact that basic IT common infrastructure has not yet been applied to the entirety of DHS, again, amplifying the "lack of being on the same page." The integration of the component parts (the patches) into a whole should have been priority # 1 in our largest federal expansion in 35 years.
And nobody expected any hint of gestalt here, people, just basic commonality.
Indulge you inner libertarian some more at:
http://delawarelibertarian.blogspot.com/
I do advocate the elimination of the cabinet level position for Homeland Security. This is one of my professional research areas, and I can tell you this: you do not meet the challenge of terrorism by creating the largest bureaucracy in American history. The TSA should not only be eliminated, we should destroy the records that suggested we were dumb enough to create it in the first place, lest our grandchildren think we are idiots.
I would add to Professor Newton's sentiment that "patchwork existence" (see some of my past posts) has amplified the problem that large federal bureaucracies can ause. Back to the fact that basic IT common infrastructure has not yet been applied to the entirety of DHS, again, amplifying the "lack of being on the same page." The integration of the component parts (the patches) into a whole should have been priority # 1 in our largest federal expansion in 35 years.
And nobody expected any hint of gestalt here, people, just basic commonality.
Indulge you inner libertarian some more at:
http://delawarelibertarian.blogspot.com/
Even appropriations bills are not immune to POTUS "signing statements"
Interestingly enough, not even the Homeland Security legislation (which you would think would essentially be written by the White House, DHS and/or other "friendly elements") are immune from the pen of GW Bush. Here's a link to his "signing statement" on the 2007 APPROPRIATIONS act - make me wonder why a funding bill needs to be re-interpreted by POTUS but there you have our current state of legislative affairs/constitutional clashing.
I'm starting to really not like the words "The executive branch shall construe ..."
Read more here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061004-10.html
I'm starting to really not like the words "The executive branch shall construe ..."
Read more here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061004-10.html
DHS continues to muddle through its patchwork existence
The experiment in the largest increase in the federal gov't since the establishment of DoD in the 50s and EPA in the early 70s continues to muddle along. DHS still gives the impression of being a "patchwork" agency 5 years into its existence. You would think IT infrastructure would be one of the first things established ... practice what you preach, folks! Let's hope 2008 is hte year for shoring up cybersecurity among all agencies...
Poor management continues to plague Homeland Security, IG reports
BY JILL R. AITORO
Management challenges continue to plague the Homeland Security Department, including a failure to integrate the information technology infrastructure across all of the department's agencies, according to a report released Jan. 30 from the DHS inspector general.
The inspector general updates the assessment of management challenges annually, as part of the DHS Annual Financial Report. Past reports have been sharply critical of top management for not making enough progress. This latest report continues in the same vein.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39200&dcn=e_nextgov
Poor management continues to plague Homeland Security, IG reports
BY JILL R. AITORO
Management challenges continue to plague the Homeland Security Department, including a failure to integrate the information technology infrastructure across all of the department's agencies, according to a report released Jan. 30 from the DHS inspector general.
The inspector general updates the assessment of management challenges annually, as part of the DHS Annual Financial Report. Past reports have been sharply critical of top management for not making enough progress. This latest report continues in the same vein.
Full story: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39200&dcn=e_nextgov
Friday, February 1, 2008
2nd annual HSDEC education summit at UMUC in March 2008
Registration for the 2nd annual Homeland Defense and Security Education Summit is open until 27 Feb 2008. $150 gets you entry for both days (18-19 Mar 2008), beverage service and lunch. This year it is being hosted by my school, UMUC!
See the HSDEC workshop web page for more info:
http://www.hsdec.org/workshops.aspx
See the HSDEC workshop web page for more info:
http://www.hsdec.org/workshops.aspx
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