With new predictions for an above-average 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, the American Red Cross (ARC) is adding technology to the many ways it helps people become better prepared. To make that planning easier, the ARC has developed a free iPhone app that provides the location of all open Red Cross shelters. The app not only maps the location of a shelter, but also shows current capacity and population.
"The results were even more positive than we expected," said Nathaniel Weiss, founder and CEO of LiveProcess. "Anecdotal evidence had always pointed to the fact that automating aspects of emergency preparedness saves time, money, and lives. Now we have bottom-line evidence that using a solution like this significantly enhances hospital operational efficiency."
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and its federal partners are working closely with state and local officials in Missouri and the other states affected by the deadly tornadoes and severe storms that struck the Midwest on Saturday and Sunday.
"In our complex society, information and the speed at which it is delivered are essential. Being able to transmit analysis results reliably from the hotzone is a huge advantage, especially when working with a limited air supply," said Brian Wagner, master firefighter with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fire Department. "Direct communication from the hotzone serves as a force multiplier, allowing one technician to analyze, interpret, and transmit data in near real-time. It also allows us to make better informed decisions, whether to continue sampling and evidence collection or move on for further investigations."
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate has announced that Virtual USA played a key role in supporting the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) states and partners participating in last week's 2011 National Level Exercise (NLE). During the exercise, participating CUSEC member states and partners leveraged Virtual USA to discover and share information throughout the region during a mock earthquake event in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Universal Detection Technology (UNDT) has shipped radiation detection devices to customers in Japan, such as the dosimeters used for measurement of cumulative radiation exposures and the advanced survey meters and surface monitors used in the detection of contamination on various surfaces.
The Atlantic basin is expected to see an above-normal hurricane season this year, according to the seasonal outlook issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center - a division of the National Weather Service.
The Magnalight EPL-50-120x12-EHR hazardous area incandescent work light provides operators in Class 1 Division 1 hazardous environments with an effective spotlight that is well suited for illuminating select sections of large areas. Although primarily producing a powerful spotlight beam, this explosion-proof drop light still provides good peripheral illumination near the fixture as well.
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano has announced the release of FY 2011 grant guidance and application kits for 12 DHS grant programs totaling $2.1 billion to assist states, urban areas, tribal and territorial governments, non-profit agencies, and the private sector in strengthening the nation's ability to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
The BLACKHAWK! Ergonomic Duty Belt Harness was the winning recipient of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) grant funded program to develop a solution for injuries sustained to military, law enforcement officers, and tactical users by heavy-duty belt rigs. The National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) Member Tested Program has completed a test and evaluation of the Ergonomic Duty Harness and awarded it a 4.35 overall score.
