Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Hazmat
No Time to Waste
What to do when 10 tons of a highly volatile chemical are spilled near a commuter rail line....
Only a Matter of Time
Fire departments need to be prepared for incidents that were beyond imagination a few decades ago. Fortunately, training resources are available that will help them know what to do — and how to do it — should their greatest nightmares occur....
Global Tragedy Foreshadows Domestic Hazmat Needs
As hazmat chief for Harris County, Texas, Robert Royall ensures the marshal’s office can response to CBRN events, especially in the Port of Houston. ...
New Product Helps Hazmat Responders Comply with EPA Anthrax-Remediation Regs (with Related Video)
STERIPLEX Ultra kills anthrax spores in 30 minutes....
DHS Demonstrates Cell Phone–Based Chemical Detector (with Related Video)
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate demonstrated in front of invited media and webcast guests the first-ever cell phone capable of detecting life-threatening chemical exposures, dubbed the Cell-All. ...
The Right Tool for the Job
The FDNY rethinks its approach to chemical protective clothing....
Disaster Management
Harrowing, and Then Some (with Related Videos)
Confined-spaces rescues arguably are the scariest, most challenging incidents that a fire department faces....
FEMA Launches Mobile App for Disaster Preparedness (with Related Video)
The app lets citizens enter their family emergency meeting locations; review safety tips on what to do before, during and after a disaster; view a map of shelters and disaster-recovery centers across the U.S.; and read the agency’s latest blog posts on disaster incidents and response....
TV, Landline Still Citizens’ Preferred Way to Receive Emergency Notifications
Federal Signal's 2011 Public Safety Survey found that 90% of Americans feel that some form of improvement is needed to public emergency-awareness communications where they live, Joe Wilson said. ...
NIST Interviews Joplin Residents to Determine Community’s Response To Emergency Communications
Researchers will collect information on injuries and fatalities, human behavior, situational awareness, and emergency communications delivered prior to and during the tornado....
Fugate Testifies About FEMA Cost-Cutting, Disaster-Relief Allocations
Fugate said the agency has increased its oversight of mission assignments, contracts and grants to secure funding in the DRF, the primary account used to fund disaster-assistance programs for states and local governments....
Stafford County FD Takes Mother Nature’s 1-2-3 Punch
First responders were ready for the worst, said Rob Brown, chief of the Stafford County (Va.) Fire and Rescue Department. He discusses his department’s preparation, including how his team survived nature’s 1-2-3 punch and his request for an IAFC Go Team. ...
