National Congress for Secure Communities: Security Update

TOP STORIES

TD International and Assist America partner through SecureAssist for emergency medical assistance and more
May 13 '08: Boutique strategic advisory firm TD International partnered with employee emergency support services company Assist America to augment the SecureAssist initiative which seeks to provide a "comprehensive program of security and intelligence (to companies and employees who are responding to or are victims of) a multitude of threats ranging from terrorism," political, and socio-economic situations.

Oklahoma town considers desertion after tornadoes
May 12 '08: After the recent tornadoes which struck Oklahoma over the weekend, one town's residents are considering whether to rebuild their community, the Associated Press reported. Picher, Oklahoma with about 800 residents is also the location of a federal Superfund site - Tar Creek - and local officials said that the storm's destruction was enough for many community members to relocate.

KERRN works to help prepare for response to major environmental disasters
May 9 '08: The Katrina Environmental Research and Restoration Network (KERRN) was created to help research ways to prepare for and respond to major environmental disasters. The organization is hosted by Tulane/Xavier Universities' Center for Bioevironmental Research and was begun after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005.

Breaking NEWS

Earthlink shuts down Philly WiFi ... Earthlink announced that it will suspend its wireless Internet network in Philadelphia because it could not find a buyer for the $17 million communications infrastructure... read more>>

Death toll in China continues to rise ... The death toll in China continues to rise as more victims of the worst earthquake to hit the country in 30 years are found... read more>>

Death toll in Myanmar rises ... The death toll in Myanmar has risen to about 32,000 while American relief supplies are being airlifted into the country according to officials. Health officials are worried about disease setting in the displaced and affected populations... read more>>

Temblor in China kills thousands ... A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central China killing at least 8,500 people, though the death toll is expected to rise according to state-run news agencies... read more>>

Myanmar government blocks food aid ... The United Nations initially has ceased its food relief operations to Myanmar after the military junta government refused to allow UN disaster representatives to distribute supplies to disaster victims. However, officials have now said they will resume the food deliveries... read more>>

Oklahoma and Mississippi weather severe storms ... Officials are investigating the recent severe storms which hit Oklahoma and Mississippi communities. In Oklahoma about 14,000 residents are without power... read more>>

Cyclone Nargis track from Google Earth ... The Lat Long Blog at Google has been monitoring images being process by Google Earth and overlaying that data with information and images from Cyclone Nargis... read more>>

Ten twisters hit Arkansas, seven dead ... Seven people were killed and 400 were injured after ten tornadoes swept through Arkansas over the weekend. Meteorologists are investigating the storms' impacts... read more>>

LDS hosts emergency preparedness fair ... Church of Latter Day Saints has organized an emergency preparedness fair in partnership with local police. The first 1,000 people received 72 hours kits... read more>>

Stamford announces new mass notification system ... Stamford, Connecticut Mayor Dannel P. Malloy has announced a partnership with Blackboard Connect Inc., to install the Connect-CTY mass notification system... read more>>

Mississippi River flooding threatens local farmers ... Farmers in the Mississippi River's floodplain are waiting to assess damage done by recent flooding not seen in thirty years according to local officials... read more>>

Fires in SoCal ... Fires in Southern California have forced the evacuation of about 400 houses near Arcadia. By Monday morning, the fires had grown and had endangered about 1,000 residents... read more>>

ASU emergency alert service ... Appalachian State University has announced a new emergency notification system which it will begin to test. Currently, about 3,800 people have signed up for the service... read more>>

US Fire Admin releases report on bridge collapse ... The United States Fire Administration has released a technical report on the response to the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in 2007 which killed 13 people... read more>>

New energy infrastructure partnerships ... Many state officials are looking to upgrade their power and electricity infrastructure through solar and wind and other renewable energy sources which require new partnerships with the private sector... read more>>

Nuke power plant responds to earthquake ... Following the weekend's earthquake along the Madrid Fault, nuclear power plant officials in Cook County, Michigan said all precautions were taken to ensure the safety of the plant... read more>>

Security tight for papal visit ... Tight security measures have been put into place for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Washington. Secret Service officials have said they are expecting close to 8,000 people for a ticketed ceremony at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception... read more>>

New report calls for meeting upcoming medical system challenges ... A new report from the Institutes of Medicine has found that new federal measures should be put into place to address the aging baby boomer population and the stresses it will put on the medical system... read more>>

Three dead in Colorado wildfires ... Wildfires in Colorado have claimed the lives of at least three people. Officials said one of the dead was a pilot who was flying a firefighting plane near Fort Carson... read more>>

Hampton Roads hurricane symposium underway ... First responders and state, local and military leaders in Virginia are meeting for a two-day symposium to discuss the ways in which more effective crisis management and disaster response measures can be leveraged to help local communities be prepared for hurricanes... read more>>

Other NEWS

New WiMax nationwide network planned
May 08 '08: According to the New York Times a partnership of telecomm and technology companies have announced a new nationwide wireless Internet network which will provide high-speed data accessibility for laptops and mobile phones using the WiMax platform. The Associated Press reported that network will come after the merger of Sprint/Nextel and Clearwire.

Limited supplies hampering response and recovery efforts in Myanmar
May 08 '08: Five days after Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, international aid organizations are trying to reach those most affected by the storm while a lack of fuel supplies and local resources is creating another potential problem as the dead begin to pile up, CNN reported. Shortages of relief supplies and resources continues to grow while the military junta in control of the government is restricting access to parts of the country by foreigners, the cable news channel reported.

Target partners with FBI for Twin Cities Partnership
May 07 '08: The Twin Cities Security Partnership (TCSP), was a partnership Target founded with the FBI in 2004. The TCSP brings together community safety agencies at all levels including police, sheriffs, the ATF and even the Secret Service with major employers in the area to build relationships, receive training and share information on potential community security issues.

ENE works to respond and restore environment after disasters
May 07 '08: In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, environmental experts together with federal, state and local government officials worried about the potential devastating environmental effects of the storm which could unleash chemicals, sewage and other pollutants into the flood waters released by the broken levees. The CDC released an announcement saying partnerships were being formed to help prevent widespread damage. Buffalo, NY-based Ecology and Environment, Inc., works to help their federal, state and local partners respond and recovery from such disasters and their impacts on the environment.

Response to Cyclone Nargis
May 06 '08: Relief aid agencies heading to the affected region's of Myanmar's Irrawady Delta are facing challenges due to the remote location of many villages and the destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis, the New York Times reported. "Bad roads, a lack of cooperation from the country's military government and a breakdown in telecommunications are factors that could hamper relief efforts," the Times reported.

Cyclone in Myanmar kills tens of thousands
May 6 '08: Reuters has reported nearly 22,500 people dead after a massive cyclone hit the Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar. The New York Times reported that international aid groups and first responders are moving to help send relief supplies to the affected areas as officials in the capital city Yangon have said the death toll is expected to rise.

New report outlines pandemic treatment priorities
May 5 '08: According to the Associated Press, a new report outlines treatment priorities during a pandemic. The findings in the report were compiled by a partnership of federal and state officials along with experts from the medical and academic communities. "The proposed guidelines are designed to be a blueprint for hospitals" the AP reported.