The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determined that thirteen states have met the standards of the REAL ID Act of 2005 ("Act") for driver's licenses and identification cards and has granted a temporary deferment for all other states and territories. DHS commends these states on the substantial progress in working toward these goals and the improvements in security for state-issued drivers licenses and identification cards since 9/11.
"Changes in our economy, society, technology, and the environment itself are presenting the EPA with new challenges and opportunities," said Lek Kadeli, principal deputy assistant administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development. "This joint effort with the National Science Foundation is an important step forward in realizing that vision and creating a more sustainable future."
Avon Protection Systems has announced the introduction of the PC50 APR, a field-proven, military-pedigreed, NIOSH-approved non-CBRN respiratory device designed for use with the CTF12 Canister to provide protection against CS/CN agents. The PC50 was specifically developed and designed for use by Correctional Officers, Riot Control, Border Patrol, and Plant Security personnel and for other non-CBRN requirements.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of raxibacumab injections to treat inhalational anthrax, a form of the infectious disease caused by breathing in the spores of the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Raxibacumab is a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes toxins, produced by B. anthraces, that can cause massive and irreversible tissue injury and death.
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), in association with the York-Poquoson-Williamsburg Emergency Communications Center in Virginia, has launched a first-office application of text-to-9-1-1 service with Verizon Wireless and Telecommunications Systems Inc. (TCS). This deployment - the first in the nation to use the Verizon Wireless solution - will serve as model for other pubic safety answering points (PSAPs) across the country.
"WebEOC has made a world of difference in how FEMA personnel communicate information and make requests for support or resources," said Brad Pond, ESi Vice President, Corporate and Customer Performance. "Running in the AWS Cloud further ensures that they can use the system wherever they are - disaster site, office, or home - as long as they have Internet access on any computer or tablet device."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a new education initiative and set of online tools to provide healthcare providers and organizations practical tips on ways to protect their patients' protected health information when using mobile devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has appointed 11 environmental education professionals to serve on the agency's National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC). The Council is composed of representatives from organizations outside the federal government who provide EPA with advice and recommendations on environmental education.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is part of the first public-private partnership to promote medical device regulatory science with a special focus on speeding the development, assessment, and review of new medical devices.
Witt Associates and O'Brien's Response Management have announced their intent to combine the two companies to form Witt O'Brien's by 31 December 2012. Witt O'Brien's will bring a new approach to the crisis and disaster industry by combining each company's unparalleled crisis and disaster experience with innovative planning, training, exercise, and software solutions.
