The InterAgency Board for Emergency Preparedness and Response

02/28/2020

UNO Selected Lead by DHS to Oversee Counterterrorism, Terrorism Prevention Research Center

"The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and University of Nebraska (NU) are positioned to be world leaders in counterterrorism and national security following the announcement of a 10-year, $36 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Office of University Programs.

The announcement names UNO as the home of a national Center of Excellence (COE) for Terrorism Prevention and Counterterrorism Research (TPCR) that will spearhead a consortium of academic, industry, government and laboratory partners throughout the country in support of DHS's mission to keep the country safe."

https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2020/02/uno-selected-lead-by-dhs-to-oversee-counterterrorism-terrorism-prevention-research-center.php

The 10-year, $36 million grant will establish a DHS Center of Excellence for Terrorism Prevention and Counterterrorism Research. The Center will be led by Gina Ligon, Ph.D., from the College of Business Administration.

02/28/2020

Grand Prairie Police Host Training for Hotline to Help Officers in Need

"The hotline, called COPLINE, trains retired and sworn law enforcement officers to help active officers who are facing PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or other forms of mental distress."

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/grand-prairie-police-host-copline-training/2316549/

The hotline, called COPLINE, trains retired and sworn law enforcement officers to help active officers who are facing PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts or other forms of mental distress.

02/28/2020

Boston (MA) Fire Department Field Tests MSA’s LUNAR Device - Fire Apparatus

"The Boston (MA) Fire Department conducted field tests on its newest product designed to assist in the ongoing goal of increasing firefighter safety and survival. This device is called LUNAR and it is a standalone, cloud-based unit using a combination of WiFi and LTE wireless communications technologies to deliver constant tracking, monitoring, and accountability of a firefighter when activated."

https://www.fireapparatusmagazine.com/2020/02/01/boston-ma-fire-department-field-tests-msas-lunar-device/#gref

On October 15, 2019, MSA, with the assistance of the Boston (MA) Fire Department (BFD), conducted field tests on its newest product designed to assist in the ongoing goal of increasing firefighter safety and survival.

02/28/2020

"The DHS S&T National Urban Security Technology Laboratory published a new Ballistic-Resistant Body Armor for Women Focus Group Report. Ballistic-resistant body armor is worn by law enforcement officers to increase their safety on the job and is designed to provide a layer of personal protection against ballistic threats during incidents involving firearms. Six female responders from various jurisdictions participated in NUSTL’s focus group, providing recommendations on criteria and operational scenarios for a future assessment of ballistic-resistant body armor specifically designed for women in law enforcement."

Report and additional information available here:
https://www.dhs.gov/publication/ballistic-resistant-body-armor-women

02/27/2020

Shooter at Milwaukee Molson Coors had a long-running dispute with a co-worker

"The man who opened fire at the Molson Coors plant Wednesday, killing five co-workers and himself, had been involved in a long-running dispute with a co-worker that boiled over before he started shooting, according to a law enforcement source."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/27/milwaukee-molson-coors-shooter-had-long-running-dispute-co-worker/4893244002/

Five people were killed Wednesday by a gunman during a rampage on the Milwaukee campus of Molson Coors.

02/27/2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have released information on respirators and their use against #coronavirus.

Frequently asked questions:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/respirator-use-faq.html

Coronavirus Disease-2019 information:
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/2019_ncov.html

02/27/2020

Investigation into cause of explosion at California oil refinery facility

"Investigators are looking into what sparked a tremendous explosion and fire at the largest fuel refinery on the West Coast. The blast there was felt miles away and a huge ball of fire could be seen at the center of the facility.

"There were several explosions, up to potentially three explosions, that preceded the fire itself," according to LA County Fire Department inspector Sean Ferguson.

Fire officials told CBS News there were no injuries, and there does not appear to be a threat to the public."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/propane-explosion-fire-marathon-petroleum-refinery-carson-california-investigation-today-2020-02-26/

Firefighters raced to contain a blaze at the Marathon Petroleum Refinery in Carson, the largest facility on the West Coast.

02/27/2020

New coronavirus case could be first instance of 'community spread' in US, CDC says

A resident of Solano County, California, who has novel coronavirus might be the first example in the country of "community spread," a situation in which the patient did not have "relevant travel history or exposure to another known patient," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday.

The person's "exposure is unknown," the CDC said in a news release. "It's possible this could be an instance of community spread of Covid-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States.

Community spread means the virus begins moving through a community and the "source of the infection is unknown," the agency said."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/health/coronavirus-us-developments/index.html

A resident of Solano County, California, who has novel coronavirus might be the first example in the country of "community spread," a situation in which the patient did not have "relevant travel history or exposure to another known patient," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wed...

02/26/2020

Fire tests of cladding are under way in NZ in response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy

"Fire tests of cladding on multi-storey buildings are being run in New Zealand for the first time in response to the Grenfell Tower disaster in London."

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/409848/fire-tests-of-cladding-are-under-way-in-nz-in-response-to-the-grenfell-tower-tragedy

In rural Porirua, Dr Kevin Frank is lighting a lot of fires. They're the first tests of cladding being run in NZ in response to the Grenfell Tower disaster in London.

02/26/2020

CDC official warns Americans it's not a question of if coronavirus will spread, but when

"One of the top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans on Tuesday that health experts foresee the novel coronavirus that has killed thousands spreading in the United States.

"We expect we will see community spread in this country," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "It's not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/25/health/coronavirus-us-american-cases/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2HF9mlGU9_qeLeGbX9pE6wb2L7AvvH5LseMNhVZjNkwUGrOlyKdudahQ0

One of the top officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans on Tuesday that health experts foresee the novel coronavirus that has killed thousands spreading in the United States.

02/26/2020

The InterAgency Board is meeting this week in Las Vegas, NV! First responders from across the country meet yearly to hear presentations from federal, state, and local public safety partners and address first responder needs through SubGroup discussions and work.

Thanks to DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office for your ongoing support of the IAB and for this great photo from the February 2020 Board Meeting!

02/26/2020

Man arrested after attempting to blow up vehicle outside Pentagon, police say

"An Arkansas man was arrested Monday after police said he attempted to blow up a car in a parking lot outside the Pentagon.

Matthew Dmitri Richardson, 19, of Fayetteville, was approached by a Pentagon police officer standing by the car with a cigarette lighter and a piece of fabric stuffed in the car's gas tank, according to a criminal complaint. He allegedly told the officer that he wanted to "blow this vehicle up."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/25/politics/man-arrested-pentagon-car/index.html

An Arkansas man was arrested Monday after police said he attempted to blow up a car in a parking lot outside the Pentagon.

02/26/2020

HERO Act Introduced, Addresses Public Safety Behavioral Health

Last month, the HERO Act, S. 3244 was introduced to establish a series of programs to address public safety behavioral health issues, including:

-Creates a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs at fire departments and EMS agencies

-Directs the U.S. Fire Administration in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and make publicly available resources to be used by the federal government and other entities to educate mental health professionals about the unique behavioral health issues that firefighters and EMS personnel face

-Establishes a system for collecting data on suicide deaths of public safety officers

https://www.nvfc.org/hero-act-introduced-addresses-public-safety-behavioral-health/

The HERO Act establishes a series of programs to address public safety behavioral health issues.

02/25/2020

35 Remain Hospitalized in Germany after Carnival Crash - JEMS

"Thirty-five people, around half of whom are children, remained hospitalized Tuesday, a day after a man drove his car into a crowd celebrating Carnival in central Germany. Police continued to look for a motive for his action, which they believe was deliberate."

https://www.jems.com/2020/02/25/35-remain-hospitalized-in-germany-after-carnival-crash/

Motive unknown for why man drove into a crowd celebrating Carnival in Volkmarsen.

02/25/2020

"DHS S&T recently collaborated with FEMA Office of Response and Recovery (ORR), External Affairs, and the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), as well as various public safety and emergency management practitioners, to develop, pilot, and launch a single page web application called the Social Media for Emergency Managers (SMEM) Guidance Tool. The SMEM Guidance Tool will increase first responder and emergency managers’ ability to deliver messages to the public before, during, and after an incident by providing social media planning templates, resources, and best practices to first responders, emergency managers, and public information officers (PIO) looking to develop effective social media emergency operations programs and better reach their community where they are."

https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/news/2020/02/05/snapshot-st-and-fema-social-media-emergency-management-guidance-tool

02/25/2020

Coronavirus: White House submits $1.25B emergency request as part of $2.5B effort

"The White House has requested $1.25 billion in emergency funding to address the novel coronavirus, part of an effort to direct as much as $2.5 billion in total funds to bolster its response to the growing global crisis, according to a letter obtained by CNN.

Along with the $1.25 billion emergency funding request, the White House requested that an additional $535 million in emergency funding previously appropriated for the prevention and treatment of Ebola be redirected toward the effort to counter coronavirus."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/24/politics/white-house-1-25-billion-coronavirus-request/index.html

The White House has requested $1.25 billion in emergency funding to address the novel coronavirus, part of an effort to direct as much as $2.5 billion in total funds to bolster its response to the growing global crisis, according to a letter obtained by CNN.

02/25/2020

How a Fire Department in Arlington is Changing Active Shooter Response Worldwide

IAB Member, Dr. Reed Smith, and the Medical Director in Arlington County (VA) was recently interviewed by NBC Washington on Arlington County's active shooter response:

"Dr. Smith began studying hundreds of autopsies from victims of mass shootings years ago. With other medical researchers at George Washington University, he found as many as 15 percent of victims might have lived had they gotten care quickly.

He says the desire to reach more victims, and sooner, helped spur a change in how Arlington fire and rescue prepares for incidents of mass violence. Now, instead of waiting for the all-clear from police before entering an active shooter scene -- a process that can take hours -- they work with law enforcement to try to reach the injured amid the violence."

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/how-a-fire-department-in-arlington-is-changing-active-shooter-response-worldwide/2221540/

Dr. Reed Smith knows that when it comes to active shooter emergencies, seconds matter. That’s why the emergency room doctor, who also serves as the medical director of the Arlington County Fire Department, began studying hundreds of autopsies from victims of mass shootings years ago. With other me...

02/24/2020

There was no vaccine for Sars or Mers. Will there be one this time?

"Seventeen years after the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak and seven years since the first Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) case, there is still no coronavirus vaccine despite dozens of attempts to develop them.

As research institutes and companies around the world race to find potential vaccines for a new coronavirus strain that has infected nearly 80,000 people and claimed more than 2,000 lives, the question is, will this time be different?"

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3051853/there-was-no-vaccine-sars-or-mers-will-there-be-one-new

A month has passed since China locked down millions of people in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei at the heart of the epidemic. In the first part of a series, the Post looks at the race to find a coronavirus vaccine.

02/24/2020

Arming the EMS Workforce

"What recent legislative changes mean for equipping, arming and tactically training SWAT and TEMS medics."

https://www.ems1.com/tactical-ems/articles/arming-the-ems-workforce-vs415d0LXsJDATkW/

What recent legislative changes mean for equipping, arming and tactically training SWAT and TEMS medics

02/24/2020

Dallas Funds Firefighters with New, Better Gear to Prevent Occupational Cancer -- Occupational Health & Safety

"The Dallas City Council decided to provide all Dallas firefighters with new and high-quality gear to prevent against occupational cancer.

The vote was unanimous: each Dallas firefighter will receive a new set of gear as part of the $9 million fund. In total, that will mean 1,750 sets of new gear—including bunker pants, gloves, and hoods."

https://ohsonline.com/articles/2020/02/18/dallas-funds-firefighters-with-new-better-gear-to-prevent-occupational-cancer.aspx?admgarea=news

The Dallas City Council voted to buy nearly $9 million in firefighting gear to help keep firefighters safe from cancerous materials on the job.

02/24/2020

Drones. Disinfecting robots. Supercomputers. The coronavirus outbreak is a test for China's tech industry

"China has spent decades nurturing its tech sector. Now, faced with a massive public health crisis, Beijing is pushing its tech companies to join the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The country's tech giants have responded to the outbreak by deploying autonomous vehicles to bring supplies to medical workers, fitting drones with thermal cameras to improve detection of the virus and lending their computing power to help develop a vaccine."

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/23/tech/china-tech-coronavirus-outbreak/index.html

China has spent decades nurturing its tech sector. Now, faced with a massive public health crisis, Beijing is pushing its tech companies to join the fight against the novel coronavirus.

02/21/2020

Membership Applications | FEMA.gov

FEMA Recruits National Advisory Council Membership

"The FEMA National Advisory Council is recruiting qualified individuals for the 2020 membership cycle. FEMA is now accepting applications for up to 13 open positions in discipline areas including standards setting and accrediting, non-elected local tribal official, emergency response provider, and others.


The council is a federal advisory committee of up to 35 members that advises the FEMA Administrator on all aspects of emergency management to ensure input from and coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and the private sector on federal plans, programs, and strategies for all hazards. The NAC provides consensus recommendations to the Administrator and gives FEMA access to expertise, information, and advice on a broad range of issues."

For more information, please visit:
https://www.fema.gov/membership-applications

Thank you for your interest in applying to be a member of FEMA’s National Advisory Council (NAC). Download membership application information and instructions here.