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Haiti’s earthquake devastated not only lives, but whatever emergency services the barely functioning government had to offer. However, in less than seven days, a makeshift version of 911 sprung to life.
For more information click here: http://www.nytimes.com/external/venturebeat/2010/01/29/29venturebeat-how-a-tweet-brought-makeshift-911-services-t-74455.html
Earlier today we noted that the era of location-as-platform has arrived in 2010, care of mobile services such as Foursquare and Brightkite.
In the latest in our series exploring the integration of mobile phones with Internet of Things, we look at what kinds of things you can do using your phone as a proximity sensor. Right now most of the use cases are social – for example, your phone lets you see who else is in the same location as you. But what will emerge when we add data from sensors to the mix? It becomes much more than a social platform then, because it adds millions of ‘things’ to the equation.
WASHINGTON: Federal officials are planning to do the first nationwide test of the broadcast Emergency Alert System. FCC rules now provide for voluntary testing at the state and the local level, but not nationally. The FCC has issued a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to change the rules governing the Emergency Alert System to conduct national testing at least once a year.
Click for more: http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/93250
- by Berkly Trumbo, Siemens Industry Inc.
While the latest update to NFPA redefines Mass Notification as “Emergency Communications Systems (ECS)”, the end user community is formulating expectations related to the future functionality of today’s alerting solutions.
Numerous best practices have surfaced since alerting technology began its rapid, mainstream adoption and the NFPA is looking to incorporate pressure tested protocols in the new code. The latest updates refer to “wide-area” and “distributed recipient notification” in addition to building notifications. Wide area being the geography surrounding a building on a particular campus and distributed recipient notification as “expanded beyond the facility and the area, to be accomplished through means such as telephone calls, text messaging, and emails”.
So far, colleges, corporations and government entities have made significant investments in technology platforms and end point devices towards a goal of safer, more secure campus environments but still have not solved all critical messaging challenges. As an industry, emergency communications has vaulted forward from the days of single tone sirens but new gaps in functionality are appearing when considering a holistic approach to mass notification. Emergency Management professionals have been left with a complex array of disparate systems to use when seconds count the most.
More at: http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/MassNotification/BestPractices/?ArticleID=325
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaskans tuning in to their radios and TVs Wednesday morning will witness the first national emergency exercise of its kind.
Radio, television and cable providers are participating with federal and Alaska partners in a live statewide test of the nation’s Emergency Alert System that’s employing a never-used code to be applied in a national crisis. The test, set to begin at 10 a.m. (AST), will help officials prepare for a future national exercise not yet scheduled, according to the state and federal officials.
The three-minute airing, to be activated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is unlike regular periodic tests aired by broadcasters. It’s the first official activation of the Emergency Action Notification code, which technically gives the president access to airwaves to address Americans during a national crisis.
More at: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-us-alaska-emergency-test,0,7539364.story
