What's New at EmGOLD

2003

New Damage Assessment web-based software is now available. One aspect is the Public Reporting Section. Remember it is all web-based and over 100 e-mail address can be notified (if needed) we also offer pre-scripted messages for sending to phones, cell phones, pagers, all with one button from your site or the client's site. Contact: Robert L. "Bob" Kistner, President and CEO
DamageAssessment.BIZ LLC, 9249 South Broadway, #200-422 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 Office: 720-596-4980 Fax: 303-386-3823 Cell: 303-810-9912 www.energyplan.net www.kistner-associates.com (3-6-03)

2002

Emergency Voice Messaging (EVM) from VASTNetworks, a PC Windows application, you can now deliver emergency notification messages of any size from the convenience of your PC. No additional hardware or expensive telephone lines are required. Most emergency messaging systems require a significant investment in hardware and infrastructure like telephone lines. Not EVM. EVM is a simple Windows application that gives you full control of delivering critical voice messages to any list of phone numbers. (Go to Website). Because EVM will integrate with nearly any database on your PC or network (includes full integration with MSOutlook), maintaining your phone list(s) is a breeze. Plus EVM will allow you to store an unlimited number of emergency calling profiles for quick deployment. EVM is affordable. Some emergency messaging systems require annual payments of some thousands of dollars and steep per call charges. As an EVM user, the application is free for you to use, the monthly access charge is just $29.95 and the per call rate is as little as $0.15 (depending on your call volume).
When emergency calls must be made NOW, ease-of-use is critical. EVM is amazingly simple as it guides the user through each step to create an emergency calling profile. When complete, a 'test' message feature is included to verify the message and system before the actual calling begins. Without obligation, you may test drive EVM by downloading the application. You'll be able to make 5 test calls for 10 days. If after downloading EVM you have any questions, Contact Ron Baron (509) 453-4506 rbaron@vastnetworks.net (3-08-02)

The Radio Source has added new Emergency Action Notification features for the Emergency Alert System. Some of the new EAS categories just added are: hazardous material, local area emergency, 911 telephone outage, law enforcement warning, nuclear power plant warning, radiological warning, and civil danger warning. Contact: Bill Baker Information Station Specialists Email bill@theRADIOsource.com (616) 772- 2300, Extension 102, PO Box 51, 3368 88th Avenue Zeeland, MI 49464-0051 (06-10-02)

Emergency Operations Center Kits. They allow government agencies, nonprofit and businesses to gather, collect and display information in a common format on status boards and in Microsoft Excel based software. Contact Alan Bernstein at (502) 394-0822. (6-10-02)

FEMA Disasterhelp.gov FEMA has established a new website for disaster assistance. (6-05-02)

The Colorado EMA web site was recently updated and contains information on becoming a CEMA certified Emergency Manager at the Bronze, Silver and Gold level. The CEMA web page is located at the Colorado Office of Emergency Management web site. http://www.dola.state.co.us/oem/Cema/CEMA.htm (04-16-02)

Red River and Flood Related News Website. The latest on Red River and flood-related news and features. Here are highlights on our web site: residents and communities' reflections from the 1997 flood. Virutal tour of the Red River or learn how computer models are helping experts make weather and flood forecasts by visiting the Media Room. (Find the Media room on the News page.) See the Education section and print out a river study guide for kids to learn more about the Red River and its tributaries. www.riverwatchonline.org (04-16-02)

A new Terrorism Time Line is available online along with the Disaster Time Line The URL for the pdf version and for ordering hard copies can be found at: www.disaster-timeline.com Contact: Claire B. Rubin, Director, Emergency Management Policy Marasco Newton Group, 2425 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 Tel: (703) 292-5930 Fax: (703) 292-5937 crubin@marasconewton.com (04-09-02)

A new layout for the Amateur Radio Service Web site (FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau) http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/amateur The retooled structure breaks out topics more clearly, emphasizes the most frequently sought information, and uses distinct sectioning and summaries to help users scan the site more quickly. (04-09-02)

Building Hurricane Proof Houses. For information on this science project, which also teaches disaster education and mitigation, and how to conduct it within schools in your area.
http://www.tallytown.com/redcross/hurrproof.html (03-25-02)

The "Two Way Radio Directory" is an on-line comprehensive source of information about two-way radio. It provides links to hundreds of Web sites related to two-way radio. Public-safety agencies may see what other agencies are doing to maintain their communications capabilities, locate consulting and engineering services, vendors of 911 equipment, software, radios, systems, and accessories. Find installers, tower space available, suppliers of batteries, emergency vehicle equipment, etc. "Two Way Radio Classified Ads" is a free service. A large inventory of radio/wireless related books is in the site's bookstore. The Web site URL is: http://twowayradiodirectory.com/ (02-10-02)

CMI-Services conducted a Virtual Forum on January 30 for representatives of selected state governments, FEMA, etc. in anticipation of Release 1, February 2002. Go to the following chat login page to access the transcript and slides used in the presentation: http://www.emforum.org/cmis/formchat.htm – very informative!CMI-Services briefed Tom Ridge’s Office of Homeland Security last week. A FAST TRACK fact sheet is available at http://www.emforum.org/cmis/FTfacts.htm .CMI-Services Release 2 Survey is at: http://www.emforum.org/cmis/R2ballot.asp . Please complete the survey on "Functional Needs for Interoperability Services." User input is needed to prioritize the 40 candidate functional capabilities that have been identified for Release 2.

2001

National Library of Medicine - MEDLINEplus Health Topic on Anthrax
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/anthrax.html Contains targeted links to pertinent information at CDC, other federal agencies, professional associations, media reports, pre-formulated MEDLINE
searches, and more. MEDLINEplus is the NLM's consumer health information service.

American Military University courses relating to Homeland Defense. American Military University is an accredited private institution of higher education licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia to award degrees and certificates in over 70 areas of study. Earlier this year, in cooperation with ANSER, Inc., an independent not-for-profit public service corporation, AMU introduced Homeland Security certificate programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. These certificate programs, each comprised of five three-credit hour courses, cover the mission, defense policies, management structures and organizations associated with homeland security. Since these courses are totally online they are particularly accessible for those currently engaged in the defense of our country such as the National Guard, Reserves, and state and local first responders, law enforcement, as well as the medical, justice, and academic communities, and are in keeping with AMU's mission to extend educational opportunities anytime, anywhere. Available certificates courses: Homeland Defense, Forecasting Terrorism, Intelligence and Homeland Security, Consequence Management, Chemical and Biological Defense. Additionally, AMU is offering over thirty related courses in national security, intelligence, management, and criminal justice, all specifically applicable to the current challenge America faces. For additional information see the following website: http://www.amunet.edu/Degrees/AMUCourses.asp
Contact: Bill Angerman bangerman@amunet.edu 703-330-5398 ext 870 email to info@amunet.edu, or by calling toll-free at 877-GO TO AMU (468-6268).

A New NWS Wind Chill Factor Chart to be used with this upcoming winter weather season for advisory or wind chill warning. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/fsd/windchill.htm#Now (10-02-01)

The latest version (ver. 2.0) of Disaster Time Line (released in May, 2001) provides a 
unique,graphic depiction of major disasters, both natural and technological, that have 
affected emergencymanagement policies in the US. Using colorful computer graphics, 
the Disaster Time Line chart  (roughly 11" x 32") shows not only major milestone events, 
and the year each occurred, but also the influences each event had on major after-action 
reports and analyses; federal statutes,  regulations and executive orders, Federal Response 
Plan, and major Federal Organizational Changes. (10-02-01)

Space Link Satellite Communication Service useful in a disaster situation. It eliminates the need for local infrastructure for when internet or voip is needed quickly. It can deliver large amounts of bandwidth for data, video, file transfer, audio and its all IP. Contact: Sandy Pelletier, Director of Wireless Services Sales SpaceCom Systems 1-(800)-950-6690 Ext.4825
Direct: 1-(918)-488-4825 Fax: 1-(918)-488-4848 sandy.pelletier@spacecom.com (10-02-01)

New link on the FEMA CERT Website at www.fema.gov/emi/cert  called "Examples of
Emergency And Non-Emergency Use Of CERT Volunteers".  CERT program managers should
send information so that this section grow.  The goal is to update the section monthly. 
Contact: Sam Isenberger, Emergency Management Institute, Federal Emergency Management
Agency  Sam.Isenberger@fema.gov     CERT List Serve:  MAJORDOMO@SERVER201.FEMA.GOV 
"EMI-CERT" put subscribe in the BODY of message. (06-24-01)

SKYWARN Online Newsletter. The Inaugural Edition...Spring 2001 of "The Microburst," the
on-line newsletter of the Tri-State SKYWARN Program, is available on the NWS Upton (NY) SKYWARN Program & Weather Page at http://skywarn.itgo.com/ (06-04-01)

Disaster Recovery Journal Upgraded DR Chat Board Section. The upgraded board has been designed for easy to use as well as improved efficiency and searching. The new board is located at: http://www.drj.com/cgi-bin/ultraboard/UltraBoard.cgi. Instruction on how to enter the Chat Forum can be found on site. An Emergency Management Section has been added to the Business (DRJ) Forum. (04-16-01)

Enhanced Hazardous Material Database System. The Technical Support Working Group, a Federal
Interagency group focusing on developing new technology for combating Terrorism has sponsored the upgrade
of the commercially available Palmtop Emergency Action for Chemicals (PEAC) system. The PEAC-CW
expands the list of toxic chemical and includes 6 chemical warfare agents and 73 precursor chemicals, This apability was designed for use by Federal emergency and law enforcement officers, and all State and Local Fire,
Law Enforcement, HAZMAT, Bomb Squad, and other emergency/public government services organizations who may be involved with responding to terrorists, HAZMAT incidents, or other chemical spill emergencies. The
PEAC-CW system contains information from a number of sources, including NIOSH, NFPA, AIHA, MSDS,
and DOT for over 10,000 chemicals and synonyms searchable by its chemical name or UN number. Contact:
Aristatek, Inc. of Laramie, Wyoming developed the PEAC-CW system. The PEAC-CW system is available
directly from Aristatek or its distributors by calling toll‑free 1-888-463-6974 or 1-307-721-2211. Software can be purchased separately without a platform or preloaded on a platform (prices vary depending on platform selected) and quantity discounts are available. Detailed information is available online at http://www.aristatek.com (04-09-01)

Internet Radio Linking Project Links Radio Systems via Internet The Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) links radio systems separated by long distance without the use of leased lines,
satellites, or controllers. The IRLP uses Voice-Over-IP software and the Internet to link a radio site to the world. The system uses its own custom interface board and software suite, which makes interfacing a radio system to the world simple and cost effective. The IRLP runs a large network of dedicated servers and nodes to offer excellent voice communications. The heart of the IRLP is its amateur radio network, linking hundreds of North American towns and cities with a full-dynamic-range, telephone-quality sound. See the IRLP Web site at http://www.irlp.net/ (04-10-01)

New Communication System: The TAC-PAK is touted as a portable communications "Incident Command Vehicle in a Briefcase". It is a rugged command system (C3I) in a briefcase and is battery powered. It enables full wireless operations at any emergency or disaster location. Complete TAC-PAK details are available at www.308systems.com Contact: Mark Lueker, 308 SYSTEMS ( 310) 376-2131 Email: mark@308systems.com (03-14-01)

Chemical Biological Response Aid (CoBRA) provides critical data and procedural guidelines for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incident response, based on the needs of the civilian First Responder community. WMD, in this case, is defined as large improvised explosive devices, toxic industrial chemicals, chemical agents or biological agents employed by terrorist organizations. This tailored software, along with appropriate data files (some licensed from commercial sources, some derived by DGI from government sources), is available for the civilian First Responder community as a resource for firefighters, emergency medical personnel, law enforcement personnel, HAZMAT teams, emergency management personnel and forensics examiners. Contact: Defense Group Inc 1-877-233-5789 or go to their website by clicking on the underlined text above. (02-21-01)

Search Dogs US - Two new Rescue International canine training tapes "Canine Training With the Germans" and "FEMA USAR Canine Pretest." In January of this years Hilda Wood organized two trainings in Florida with four trainers from the German Rescue Dog Association. During those trainings with handler/canine teams from across the US. The tapes contain over 2 hours of digital video which has been professional edited. To find the tapes online see: http://www.rescuenet.org/videos/ and click on the links to each tape. Contact: Bruce Barton, RI-SERT, NESAR (02-20-01)

FEMA Fire Service Grant Representatives from major fire service organizations met with officials from FEMA and the United States Fire Administration (USFA) Jan. 23 - 25 at the National Emergency Training Center to develop the criteria for evaluating grant proposals. See http://www.fema.gov/nwz01/nwz01_05.htm (02-05-01)

The Extreme Weather Sourcebook http://www.esig.ucar.edu/sourcebook The web site shows economic losses from major weather disasters, State by State and the 2001 edition adds lightning, storm, and hail data. Contact: Anatta Telephone: 303-497-8604 Fax: 303-497-8610
Email: anatta@ucar.edu (01-25-01)

NWS Doppler Radar, a new radar feed is available through the internet. The National Weather Service link is a near real time display and it displays the base reflectivity images with looping capabilities and estimated one hour and storm total precipitation amounts.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ict/main.htm (01-03-01)

2000

Emergency Management Acrediation Program (EMAP) currently operates under the auspices of and with staff support from NEMA. Collaboration with interested organizations and individuals as well as use of existing assessment and standards materials have helped minimize initial costs. The developers intend the program to become self-supporting through application and re-accreditation fees. In the near future, the current EMAP steering committee will be superseded by a nine-member commission with broad representation, and as soon as is practical the commission will be incorporated as an independent entity. In 2001, this new program will pilot test accreditation standards and procedures within two state emergency management programs. Following these tests, EMAP will refine its procedures and materials and offer the accreditation process to all U.S. state and territorial emergency management programs. In 2002, the program expects to pilot test the accreditation process among local emergency management programs. The process will include an application, self-assessment, on-site assessment by an outside review team, and committee and commission review of compliance with EMAP standards; it will also require re-accreditation every three years. Contact: Emily DeMers, Accreditation Coordinator, NEMA, c/o Council of State Governments, P.O. Box 11910, Lexington, KY 40578-1910; (859) 244-8210 Fax: (859) 244-8239 Email: edemers@csg.org (12-01-00)

Effective Disaster Warnings. The President's Working Group on Natural Disaster Information Systems, Subcommittee on Natural Disaster Reduction, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the National Science and Technology Council has released a 56-page report on "Effective Disaster Warnings." The report is available for PDF download on the FEMA website. The report "compiles . . . a wealth of information on public and private sector R&D capability to provide early warning of natural or technological hazards. . . . It is designed to assist scientists, engineers, and emergency managers in developing more accurate . . . warnings . . . The goal of this Report is to provide a broad overview of major issues related to warning the right people at the right time." The report focuses on emerging opportunities in technology that can focus warnings on particular populations and thus improve public safety. It notes that a major priority is to address concerns regarding data/information standards and dissemination systems to be used, and recommends close collaboration between federal, state, local, and private-sector organizations. (12-01-00)

The "Disaster Communications Handbook," a publication of the International Telecommunication Union, is now available in English, Spanish, and French in Microsoft Word format from this Web site. http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/prof-paper/pp1623 (12-01-00)

California Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREe) CUREe expands membership and changes it's name. The membership voted to allow universities across the country to apply for membership. The name of the reorganized nonprofit corporation is Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering (CUREE). (11-27-00)

The FEMA Federal Register Notices are now being published on the public access FEMA Web site. Site visitors from other government agencies and private sector companies have asked for a way to quickly access Federal Register Notices related to major disaster and emergency declarations. All Disaster-related Federal Register Notices dated October 1, 2000 or later are now being posted on the Web site at www.fema.gov/library/dfrn This page is linked from the Legal Room of the Library www.fema.gov/library/lib10.htm the Response and Recovery Directorate Main Page www.fema.gov/r-n-r and the Main Index Page www.fema.gov/fema Contact: Susan Hoban, Federal Disaster Declaration Policy and Processing Team . (202)-646-2705. (10-24-00)

The National Flood Insurance Program final rule has been published by FEMA. The new rule revises the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) and was published in the Federal Register on
October 12, 2000 and is effective December 31, 2000. The revision conforms with "plain
language" standards. The rule also brings the three forms of the SFIP more closely in line with the format of the insurance industry's homeowners' policy and makes some changes in the policy's coverage. A copy of the revised rule is available on the FEMA website athttp://www.fema.gov/library/sfip1013.htm . A hard copy may be obtained by contacting FEMA's Office of Intergovernmental at (202) 646-4515 or Email at IGA@fema.gov (10-24-00)

New Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) web site, which serves as an access portal for all GDIN initiatives at all levels. It can be found at: www.gdin.org . (10-06-00)

NACO-FEMA Local Elected County Officials Awards The National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have introduced a new awards program: the Building Disaster Resistant Communities Leadership Awards. These awards will be presented to elected county officials who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the area of disaster prevention and mitigation. The deadline for nominations is Oct. 31, 2000. Award winners are recognized for implementing effective programs that have resulted in a more sustainable, long-term quality of life for their county's citizens. There are five award categories:
• Building code enforcement
• Innovative floodplain management
• Innovation in disaster resistant growth
• Community outreach and risk education
• Comprehensive mitigation planning
One local elected official per state will be recognized at the NACo Legislative Conference in February 2001. National awards in each of the five categories listed above will be presented during NACO's 2001 Annual Conference in Philadelphia. To find out more about the Building Disaster Resistant Communities Leadership Awards, contact FEMA's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at 202-646-4515 or iga@fema.gov (10-04-00)

Emergency Management Glossary and Acronyms List -- The Lake County (Indiana) LEPC, Web features a link to a list of Emergency Management Glossary and Acronyms that may be downloaded in either PDF or MS Word format. Dr. Dean R. Larson Drlarson@uss.com originally developed this list for agencies working with Department of Defense assets. (10-04-00)

UNHCR Geographic Information and Mapping Unit. An English satellite developer plans to launch a constellation of five satellites in early 2002 devoted to monitoring natural and human-made disasters from orbit.
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/business/disaster_sat_000927.html
This type of satellite sensor (36 m resolution) is not suitable to "monitor
refugee movement" as described in the article. (10-04-00)

First Gov Website. The US Government has created a single site index for government websites. The new URL is http://first gov.gov The site went on line September 22, 2000 and contains hundreds of links to Federal Web Pages. (09-22-00)

FEMA's web site, WWW.FEMA.GOV homepage unveiled a new look on 31 August. With more
than 30,000 pages available on the site, a primary goal of the homepage redesign goal was to make it easier for visitors to quickly find information. New features include immediate search engine access, mouse-over menus, and a cleaner, tighter page layout. A new web page for emergency managers was also launched today. Just as the For the Media page links together key site information for the news media, the Emanagers Page at www.fema.gov/emanagers is designed to provide emergency managers with quick access to information of professional
interest. (08-31-00)

New FEMA/EMI Higher Education Courses Available As part of its mission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Higher Education Project has supported the development of a curriculum of courses that could be used in higher education programs leading to degrees or certificates in emergency management. The most recent courses to be added to the program are "Emergency Management Principles and Application for Tourism, Hospitality, and Travel Management Industries" and "Terrorism and Emergency Management." The complete materials for these courses (running to hundreds of pages) are available on CD-ROM from Dr. Wayne Blanchard, Higher Education Project, FEMA Emergency Management Institute, Building N, Room 430, 16825 South Seton Avenue, Emmitsburg, MD 21727; (301) 447-1262 Fax: (301) 447- 1598; Email: wayne.blanchard@fema.gov (08-29-00)

Announcing The Grand Opening of Fire-Rescue Village Vertical Villages, Inc. is pleased to
announce the grand opening of Fire-Rescue Village, an online community for the fire-rescue personnel. We've pioneered a next-generation internet web site to support the Fire Service. Our "Stage 1" release brings you daily information, relevant feature articles, incident reviews, professional support and much more through our strategic partnerships. The first partnership we are excited to announce is with the "Fire Flirts," writers Amy Steelman and Lou Angeli, who are known in the industry as the "Firefighters' Advocates." We welcome "Flirting With Disaster"
http://www.fire-rescuevillage.com/firetv/ to their new home. (08-12-00)

Kids Central Station provides effective identification through state-of-the-art identification products such as shoe tags, picture ID cards, bracelets, stickers, etc. There is no name or address on the products to compromise the child's identity. Kids Central Station is a Nationwide Notification Service linked to an Emergency Dispatch Center available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. In an emergency situation we will call up to 12 contact phone numbers and a physician that were provided by the parents or guardian. Kids Central Station's rapid process of identification and availability of medical history of the patient minimizes the liability towards physicians and hospitals. Contact: 1-800-KIDS-022 or fax 561-470-8250. (08-11-00)

Natural Resources Canada has a new online edition of the Canadian National Atlas. The Atlas is available in French and English. It includes data on earthquakes, flood, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, hail storms and forest fires. (07-10-00)

Emergency Management Interactive Website by Ericsson Corporation. The website provides information and case studies and links to other resources and various forums. (07-10-00)

Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Areas of Weather, Climate, Water Resources, Atmospheric Environment, and Related Natural Disaster Prevision and Prevention. In March, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding The MOU is intended to enhance collaboration between IDB technical units and relevant WMO departments or offices. The two organizations already have a history of institutional cooperation through the preparation of feasibility studies, capacity building, and the organization of joint technical workshops. Contact: Mr. Taysir M. Al-Ghanem, Information and Public Affairs Office
World Meteorological Organization, 7 bis, avenue de la Paix, CH 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +(41 22) 730 8315 Fax: +(41 22) 733 2829/730 8027 Email ipa@gateway.wmo.ch (06-28-00)

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction For more information about the 2000 ISDR campaign, as well as suggestions for local activities and events, contact the Awareness and Promotion Issues Officer, Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; tel: (41 22) 917 90 00; fax: (41 22) 917 90 98/99; Email isdr@un.org Interested persons can also contact Helena Molin Valdes, ISDR Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean; Email: hmolin@undpcos.nu.or.cr also see the Web site of the Regional Disaster Information Center, CRID: http://www.crid.or.cr. (06-28-00)

The US Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO) provides access to data and information on global environmental change research, adaptation/ mitigation strategies and technologies, and global change related educational resources on behalf of The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and its participating Federal Agencies and Organizations. (06-15-00)

The African American Emergency Preparedness and Information Project (EPIP) The project is designed to reach minority communities with information about creating disaster-resistant families, communities, institutions, businesses, and organizations and is intended to be a gateway to emergency preparedness and disaster response information from FEMA and other government agencies and organizations involved in disaster preparedness, response, and mitigation. (06-05-00)

The Colorado Hazards Center has compiled a comprehensive index of visual images of disasters and hazards from online resources. This site features archived images (not real time) and it includes remote imaging from satellites. The Center has also added a page on information about the frequency, severity, social consequences and monetary costs of natural disasters at: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/sites/costs.html (05-25-00)

Iluyshin-76 TD "Water Bomber" Emergency Response Aircraft. A joint Russian, American, and Canadian global emergency response venture integrates the Russian IL-76 large cargo aircraft. The IL-76 is complemented by a professional, experienced, certified team of crew members; eight (8) men of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, (EMERCOM); the aircraft is able to fight fires, fuel spills, and radiological emergencies of any kind, in any country. Its purpose is to mitigate disasters and to fulfill humanitarian aid missions. It can operate day and night, in any climate and under very adverse conditions. It has been proven from Siberia Arctic to the Mozambique desert during floods. (04-30-00)

Meeting at METU, in Ankara Turkey, 202 representatives from 40 nations, many NGO's, Corporate Entitites, Academic Centers and International Organizations, the OECD, the UN, the World Bank, NATO, adopted the Ankara Declaration 28 April 00. The Document, which has two parts, principles and organizational rules, will be published on the project web site www.gdin-international.org in a few days. The document also contains a chart showing the relationship of various elements of GDIN to each other. URL: http://www.gdin-international.org

The Essential 2000 Users InfoBook software is offering a new generation of Application Service Provider (ASP) management tools to support Emergency Operation Center (EOC) activities throughout industry, government and the military. Contact: Brian Mumpower, 1-800-999-5009, Email: bmumpower@essentech.com (04-20-00)

ISDR (United Nations) Establishes Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction An "Inter-Agency Task Force for Disaster Reduction" is being set up according to the terms of reference established by the UN Secretary-General in his report to the General Assembly (A/54/497). The task force will serve as the main forum through which the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) will be implemented. The ISDR is the U.N.'s successor arrangement to the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The Task Force will convene for its first meeting in Geneva April 27- 28. Additional information can be obtained from the ISDR Secretariat, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; tel: (41-22) 917-9000; fax: (41-22) 917-9098 or 917-9099; Email: idndr@dha.unicc.org (04-14-00)

New Earthquake Preparedness Website. McCurdy Enterprises, Burnaby, British Columbia. Mc Curdy Enterprises was founded in 1995 and designs, markets and provides wholesale life-saving solutions and training for disaster planning.
Email: sales@mccurdy-enterprises.com (04-12-00)

EMI Disaster Medical Operations Video on the CERT web site. The video is located under "view CERT video material". For ease of viewing, the video has been edited into smaller segment none larger than 12 minutes. Sam Isenberger, Emergency Management Institute (03-30-00)

Certificate and Graduate Specializations in Disaster Management at Georgia State University. The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, offers a graduate certificate in disaster management as a professional credential for students preparing for careers in the field, public and nonprofit agency administrators working in public safety and emergency response agencies, and other administrators who require an understanding of emergency management principles and processes to be prepared for emergencies. Completion of the certificate program requires 12 semester hours of graduate work, including the courses "Disaster Management," "Disaster Relief and Recovery," and two electives. Contact: William L. Waugh, Jr., Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303; (404) 651-4592; fax: (404) 651-1378; Email: wwaugh@gsu.edu (03-29-00)

A Certificate Program in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CEDMHA) and the University of Hawaii-Manoa has introduced a foundation course for a new multidisciplinary training and research program leading to a Certificate in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. The initial seminar, and the entire new program, will draw on the Asia-Pacific expertise of the university faculty and the extensive field experience of CEDMHA staff. In addition, the course developers plan to invite experts from various international response and relief agencies and other universities to contribute to the program. Participants will include both civilian and military students. Contact: Program Coordinator, James. D. White, (808) 956-3265 Email: jwhite@hawaii.edu or the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, c/o Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White road (MCPA-DM), Tripler AMC, HI 96859-5000; (808) 433-7035; fax: (808) 433-1757 http://coe-dmha.org (03-29-00)

National Drought Policy Commission Draft Report Available. The National Drought Policy Commission is now available for public comment on the World Wide Web. The comment period ends March 31, 2000. This draft report outlines recommendations that will be made to Congress and the President regarding national drought issues. Written comments should be mailed directly to the commission c/o Leona Dittus, Executive Director, National Drought Policy Commission, USDA/FSA/AO, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Mail Stop 0501, Washington, DC 20250-0501. Comments can also be submitted by Email to leona_dittus@wdc.fsa.usda.gov or faxed to (202) 720-9688. (03-29-00)

New High-Speed HAZUS CD ROM Released. FEMA has produced a state-of-the-art computer program developed by NIBS to provide loss estimations following earthquakes. Contact: Claire Drury, FEMA HAZUS Project Manager, FEMA 500 C Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20472 (202) 646-2884 Email: claire.drury@fema.gov or NIBS Multi-hazard loss Estimation Program, NIBS, 1090 Vermont Avenue, N.W. Suite 700, Washington, DC 20005-4905, (202) 289-7800 Email: pschnieder@nibs/org (03-17-00)

Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool, A CD ROM which explains community vulnerability to coastal hazards in general and presents a tutorial on using vulnerability assessment. Contact: NOAA Coastal Services Center Clearinghouse, 2234 South Hobson, Avenue, Charleston, SC 29405-2413 (843) 740-1210 Fax: (843)740-1315 Email: clearinghouse@scs.noaa.gov (03-17-00)

Disasters for Dummies, a new website with content and resources for persons teaching emergency management. The site allows users to conduct discussions (via a threaded message capability), share a group calendar, post links to useful web sites, and
upload or download documents. To get instructions, a password, and to become a charter member of Disasters for Dummies, send an Email to: cbrubin@mindspring.com Contact: Claire B. Rubin, P.O. Box 2208, Arlington, VA 22202 (703) 920-7176

Natural Hazards Center journal, "Natural Hazards Review" (see DR #304), The premier issue of the new American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)/ is now available
free ("Click on title above to go to website). The publishers describe this as "the first cross-disciplinary journal to address all aspects of natural hazards loss and cost reduction." (03-17-00)

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) The NRELamong its many missions, includes the integration of sustainable development and renewable energy into disaster
preparedness, response, relief, recovery, and mitigation. The lab's Web site highlights technology, programs, publications, and other resources to furtherthat end. (03-17-00)

The National Weather Service has a new website for it's StormReady Program. The program can be used to augment Project Impact Community programs and other emergency preparedness activities. Visit the website by clicking on the hypertext above. (03 10- 00)

Disaster Planning Kit for Businesses, "Open for Businesss -A Disaster Planning Kit" Sponsored by Institute for Business and Home (IBHS) and the Small Business Administration The kit is on-line (Click on underlined text above). Hard copies can be obtained for about $10 at the following address: IBHS, 175 Federal St, Suite 500, Boston, MA 02110 (617) 292-2003 x216 kgahagan@ibhs.org or dmcclure@ibhs.org ( 1 March 00)

Emergency Response to disasters using the Internet. Eteam has a free inter-active demonstration online. The website can be found at:http://www.eteam.com Contact: 877-546-7892. (02-06-00)

Joint Training In Disaster/Emergency Management by Interworks and being developed in concert with NGOs. Contact: Thompson@interworksmadison.com (01-28-00)

FEMA "America Burning Workshops" until March 1, 2000. (01-01-00)

International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) IAEM has expanded their Web site with a Bulletin Board where members and emergency management practitioners can discuss a wide array of topics. The Bulletin Board currently has three categories of discussion ongoing --- Emergency Management News and Views (very broad discussions are found here), Positions Vacant and Positions Wanted. (01-01-00)

What's new for Emergency Management©2001