AECOM has partnered with Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA) and Columbia University to monitor COVID-19 ribonucleic acid (RNA) in wastewater, which can be a leading indicator of infection rates, in the BCUA sewer shed. The team has collected, tested and analyzed more than 650 samples, with results indicating that wastewater monitoring statistically provides a seven- to ten-day leading indicator of reported COVID-19 cases.
Read More »GSA Begins Market Research for Common Operating Platform
The General Services Administration has started to seek information on potential sources of a Common Operating Platform that could help GSA automate crisis and emergency management tasks and manage exercise and training requirements.
Read More »Hortonworks’ Shaun Bierweiler: Open-Source Tools Could Help Agencies Gain Actionable Intelligence From Data
Shaun Bierweiler, president of Hortonworks’ federal business, told Emergency Management in an interview published Wednesday that developers have come up with enterprise open source tools such as Hadoop and Apache NiFi designed to process and generate actionable intelligence from data. “The beauty of using an enterprise open source platform …
Read More »Raytheon’s Mark Bigham: Graphics Can Help Mitigate Human Error in Emergency Mgmt Systems
Mark Bigham, chief innovation officer of Raytheon‘s intelligence, information and services business, has said user-friendly graphic interfaces can help prevent human error in the use of emergency management computers. Bigham outlined lessons learned from a false ballistic missile alarm that caused panic across Hawaii, such as the need to create “bold and big” …
Read More »Capstone Gets Navy Task Order for CNIC Mobile Training, Course Devt Services
Capstone has received a task order to provide mobile training teams and formal course development services to regional or installation security and emergency management personnel at the Commander, Navy Installations Command headquarters. Work covers curriculum management, courseware facilitation, white-cell exercises, professional instruction and staff administration support, Capstone said Monday. The Naval Supply Systems Command …
Read More »Former FEMA Official Deanne Criswell Joins Cadmus as Principal for Homeland Security Sector
Cadmus has named Deanne Criswell, formerly head of a Federal Emergency Management Agency national incident management assistance team, as a principal in the company’s homeland security sector. Criswell will oversee Cadmus’ relationships with local and state homeland security and emergency management customers, the professional consulting services provider said Thursday. “Having worked with Deanne …
Read More »DHS, Washington State Agency Help Launch National Cyber Security Awareness Event
The Department of Homeland Security, Washington State office of cybersecurity and National Cyber Security Alliance will hold a public cyber preparedness and cybersecurity event from Oct. 4 to 5 in support of the National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2016. The two-day event will kick off this year’s NCSAM and focus on topics such as drones and …
Read More »Quantum Spatial Wins Photogrammetric Surveying and Mapping Contract From Army
Quantum Spatial has landed a five-year, $12.5 million contract to help the U.S. Army design and engineer photogrammetric surveying and mapping systems. The Defense Department said Friday the Army Corps of Engineers received 25 bids for the contract via the internet and will determine funds and work location based on each order. …
Read More »BlackBerry Crisis Comms Software Receives Army Authority to Operate, Certificate of Networthiness
The U.S. Army has awarded BlackBerry‘s AtHoc networked crisis communications software a certificate of networthiness and authority to operate through April 2019 to support uninterrupted use of the software by the service branch. BlackBerry said Wednesday the software works to relay information to soldiers and other personnel and coordinate rapid responses during emergencies …
Read More »PAR Technology to Provide Geospatial, Collaboration Tools for Colorado Wildland Firefighting Drill
A PAR Technology subsidiary has been chosen to supply geospatial situational awareness and collaboration tools to firefighters who will participate in a two-day wildfire emergency management exercise to be held in Boulder, Colorado. The company said Tuesday Full Scale Boulder Wildland Urban Interface Exercise participants on Friday and Saturday will use tools PAR Government Systems designed to help incident managers …
Read More »IBM, The Weather Company Team Up to Provide Analytics-based Weather Data; Robert Griffin Comments
IBM has partnered with The Weather Company and its division WSI to introduce an analytics-based platform intended to provide weather forecasts and help with responses of public sector agencies to natural disasters. Under the strategic alliance, IBM will incorporate WSI’s algorithms and 15-day tropical forecast into its Intelligent Operations Center for Emergency …
Read More »Saab’s Communications Tech Offerings Aim to Bolster Emergency Management, Infrastructure Security
A Saab subsidiary has developed two system integration platforms that seek to help security personnel facilitate communications and joint operations during a critical public situation. The SAFE and TactiCall products are built with a service-oriented architecture and designed to integrate multiple security systems to provide users a common situational picture, …
Read More »Mutualink Offers Multimedia Emergency Comm for K-12 Schools; Mark Hatten Comments
Mutualink has launched a multimedia communications technology to assist emergency management at public, private and parochial K-12 schools by setting a direct link with first responders such as police, fire and medical services. Mutualink K12 unifies voice, data, video and text communications from radio, telephone, public address and other systems into one platform and enables …
Read More »Kim Stambler: Battelle Extends Emergency Mgmt Program Work
Battelle will work with the Franklin County, Ohio government to identify the emergency communication requirements of that county’s 42 jurisdictions. Franklin County’s emergency management and homeland Security agency awarded Battelle a contract to assess the county’s mass notification system needs, Battelle said Monday. The organization will assist in focus groups …
Read More »DLT, Google Create Emergency Response eBook
DLT Solutions has collaborated with Google to create an electronic book on emergency management and homeland security geared for government professionals. “Google Emergency Response Tools for Govies” can be downloaded for free on the DLT website, the information technology software and services provider said Tuesday. The eBook aims to show …
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