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April 1, 2003
GovPro E-Newsletter
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Tuesday, April 1, 2003 Volume 2, Issue 11
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Safety Storage
CONTENTS
Crisis Communications Natural Gas Hosts Telecom Emergency Alert Pop Ups News of the Weird
WE'RE GIVING AWAY A PALM M515!
Tell us about your planned purchases of cars and trucks for 2003. Your valuable input will help us understand current usage and future needs in the marketplace. Every 50th respondent receives a Palm M515. http://www.pentonsurveys.com/survey.asp?s=01228243004255
FEATURE
COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS-By Dale Craig
Today, the threat of new terrorist acts against the United States is an ever-present reality. The need to harness technology to detect threats, protect against, and respond to them is now in vivid focus. It is more critical than ever for "first responders" - the police, fire, and emergency medical workers that are among the first to the scene of a disaster - to be able to seamlessly communicate with each other. However, an age-old problem exists: first responders from multiple jurisdictions have historically been unable to communicate with each other because they use different radio frequencies and communications gear.
Nothing is more illustrative of the danger and the lost opportunity embodied by this communications situation than the initial efforts to respond to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11.
"It didnt work it couldnt work. We relied on communications technology perfected by the ancient Greeks: carrying messages on foot," said Edward P. Plaugher, Arlington County Fire Chief, describing the disarray in communications outside the Pentagon on the morning of the attacks. While emergency workers from 10 separate jurisdictions responded within 10 minutes after the airliner slammed into the Pentagon, their efforts were stymied due to the inability to link the different radio frequencies that existed among the responding agencies. While all the first responders performed heroically that day, the lack of a seamless communications network led to confusion and delay.
Police helicopters circling the World Trade Center on September 11th, for example, could see that the first tower was on the brink of collapse. While those in the helicopter could communicate with police units on the ground they were unable to talk directly to the fireman and others inside the building to warn them of the impending catastrophe.
New York Fire Department Captain Mike Stein, who along with his unit was in the northeast plaza of the WTC when the first tower fell, said he too relied on runners to carry and receive critical messages that day. "We had no communications," he said woefully. Stein added that another problem later vexing the New York rescue teams was the massive volume of debris that effectively jammed many of the radios used by the first responders to the crisis.
With so many examples of communication breakdowns at the scenes of disasters, first responders such as Stein are convinced that if they had been able to overcome the limitations of existing radios and communications gear, a huge difference could be made in response, rescue, and recovery efforts.
When responding to everything from terrorist attacks to natural disasters, the inability to instantly communicate with one another results in the waste of precious time and the possible unnecessary loss of lives. Since not all emergencies can be prevented, companies need to develop solutions to increase emergency management team effectiveness. Effective command of any large-scale incident involves being able to manage real-time information among the mutual aid teams that respond from different jurisdictions and agencies.
Developing new technologies to connect first responders - no matter what their radio frequency - and implementing this technology throughout our public safety agencies must become a national priority. We owe nothing less to the potentially thousands of innocent victims of senseless acts of terrorism, not to mention to all of the brave men and women who stand ready to sacrifice their lives to rescue others.
Another frustrating scenario for rescue workers worldwide is the so-called communications dead-zone that almost always surrounds ground zero of any major disaster. From felled power lines to disrupted telephone service, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural and man-made disasters have a way of making even the most basic communications virtually impossible at a time when they are most critical.
Existing and emerging technologies can create answers to these problems that will result in seamless communications across varying frequencies at disaster and crisis sites. One of the most innovative solutions currently available, implemented in the Raytheon First Responder command and communications vehicle, integrates existing communications technologies into a promising new system that can be dispatched to the scene of a crisis in a matter of minutes. Using advanced software programs to connect the existing radios of every fire, police, EMS, and emergency worker in a disaster area into common radio nets, first responders can focus on saving lives and not waste precious minutes trying to figure out how to communicate with each other.
Augmented with satellite uplinks, global telephone capability, civilian and military radio net access, support for major U.S. cellular phone carriers, and the ability to create local area networks using wireless technology, the First Responder system is available today to local, state, and national public service agencies.
Present capabilities to respond effectively to a terrorist attack vary widely across the country. Many communities have limited ability to respond in the event of a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction, and even the best prepared states and localities lack resources to respond to the full range of terrorist threats America faces today. According to some estimates, it would cost up to $500 million for a major metropolitan area like Los Angeles to convert all of the current radios used by its fire, police, and emergency workers to a single network. Companies need to work to develop solutions such as the First Responder vehicle that provide seamless communications networks for a fraction of that cost.
Taking the experiences of so many disaster situations of the past decade, there is a clear call to action for companies to develop solutions that will help the readiness and response for future crisis situations. It is clear that biological and chemical detectors, infrared cameras, record logging, audio and video recording, and databases are critical advancements that will potentially help identify and pre-empt future crises.
With budget shortfalls from Virginia to California, state and local governments are having a difficult time supporting the critical needs of their first responders. And if threats of more terrorism and the need to inoculate first responders against deadly viruses materialize, the need to husband resources will increase even further.
It is critical that companies and government agencies invest in developing these new solutions that aid the communication abilities of first responders. We can be assured that there will be no shortage of natural and man-made disasters in the future, and it is our responsibility to identify ways to improve rescue and recovery efforts. In this way, we can do our part to help save lives that may have otherwise been tragically lost.
Dale Craig is the First Responder Program Director for Raytheon. He is the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army's worldwide communications electronics command and with more than 30 years of communications experience.
SAFETY STORAGE
Safety Storage crafts hazardous storage buildings for a wide range of applications, like isolating a hazardous production process, containing a volatile material, enclosing an explosive operation, adding a test lab, or securing equipment or evidence. Only Safety Storage has the custom-engineering experience and range of pre-fabricated solutions that fully comply with governmental regulations, and meet pertinent building and fire codes. For details, go to: http://www.safetystorage.com
NEWS
POP UPS TO ALERT CITIZENS OF EMERGENCIES
The City of Lincoln, NE, and surrounding Lancaster County are developing a next-generation system for delivering emergency public warnings directly to citizens' PCs. The city and county have created a PC-based emergency alert system that is designed to provide residents with instant alerts of the coming of severe weather, state Amber Alerts of missing children, as well as emergencies signaled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or other state and local officials. The notification will arrive at participants' desktops in just seconds, says Terry Lowe, systems project manager of Lincoln's Information Services Division. The alert software will be available for residents to download from Lincoln's Web site, and an icon will appear on a computer user's taskbar or desktop when it is installed.
Residents will hear a warning sound when an emergency is declared, and a pop-up screen will appear explaining the type of emergency, and updates will scroll along the bottom of the screen. Also, residents who have Palm-based devices and Web-enabled cell phones will be able to receive the instant alerts.
CITY RUNS FIBER-OPTIC NETWORK THROUGH NATURAL GAS PIPELINE
The fiber-optic telecommunications network that links Long Beach Energy headquarters to a remote facility resides in natural gas pipeline. Long Beach Energy, working with Sempra Fiber Links, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, has completed the installation of a fiber-optic telecommunications network in a portion of its natural gas pipeline. This pilot network links Long Beach Energy headquarters at 2400 East Spring Street with the City's Temple Avenue and Willow Street facility and is now fully operational.
"This is the first such installation in the world to become operational. The fiber-optic cable installation process permits safe installation within the natural gas pipeline and avoids expensive trenching and other more intrusive conventional methods involved in installing fiber-optic telecommunications networks," said Chris Garner, Director of Long Beach Energy. The installation used the patented fiber-in-gas (FIG) technology developed by Sempra Fiber Links. "Long Beach has demonstrated its pioneering spirit by taking advantage of this innovative technology to help it achieve its technological goals. They've created hi-tech communications advantages in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible," said Michael Clover, president of Sempra Fiber Links.
This type of fiber installation minimizes impact on the day-to-day lives of people working and living in cities because streets do not have to be trenched, nor does natural gas service have to be interrupted during the installation. The new fiber-optics system is linked to the City's microwave system and is used to transmit and exchange data between the facilities.
"This revolutionary concept is less costly and less disruptive than other methodologies. This pilot project could potentially lead to projects with all hospitals, schools, universities and large companies in Long Beach," said Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/29123/
LINKS
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://www.chdist.com/govt
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Visit: http://www.crown.com/gsa1
Meyer is the world leader in snow plows plus accessories, parts, spreaders, and controls for plows. Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Cover-All: Building systems. http://www.coverall.net
Jesco Industries, Inc.: Self-dumping hoppers, wire mesh safety equipment. http://www.jesco-wipco.com
Stockhausen, Inc.: Occupational skin care products. http://www.stockhausen-inc.com
VMAC: Underhood air compressors. http://www.underhoodair.com
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription
Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify.
To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government PROcurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
Welcome to the GovPro Newsletter brought to you by the Penton Government Media Group. Look forward to news, resources, product and supplier information, and links relating to the government market.
You have received this e-newsletter because you are a subscriber to Government Product News or Government PROcurement Journal. If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Safety Storage
CONTENTS
Crisis Communications Natural Gas Hosts Telecom Emergency Alert Pop Ups News of the Weird
WE'RE GIVING AWAY A PALM M515!
Tell us about your planned purchases of cars and trucks for 2003. Your valuable input will help us understand current usage and future needs in the marketplace. Every 50th respondent receives a Palm M515. http://www.pentonsurveys.com/survey.asp?s=01228243004255
FEATURE
COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS-By Dale Craig
Today, the threat of new terrorist acts against the United States is an ever-present reality. The need to harness technology to detect threats, protect against, and respond to them is now in vivid focus. It is more critical than ever for "first responders" - the police, fire, and emergency medical workers that are among the first to the scene of a disaster - to be able to seamlessly communicate with each other. However, an age-old problem exists: first responders from multiple jurisdictions have historically been unable to communicate with each other because they use different radio frequencies and communications gear.
Nothing is more illustrative of the danger and the lost opportunity embodied by this communications situation than the initial efforts to respond to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11.
"It didnt work it couldnt work. We relied on communications technology perfected by the ancient Greeks: carrying messages on foot," said Edward P. Plaugher, Arlington County Fire Chief, describing the disarray in communications outside the Pentagon on the morning of the attacks. While emergency workers from 10 separate jurisdictions responded within 10 minutes after the airliner slammed into the Pentagon, their efforts were stymied due to the inability to link the different radio frequencies that existed among the responding agencies. While all the first responders performed heroically that day, the lack of a seamless communications network led to confusion and delay.
Police helicopters circling the World Trade Center on September 11th, for example, could see that the first tower was on the brink of collapse. While those in the helicopter could communicate with police units on the ground they were unable to talk directly to the fireman and others inside the building to warn them of the impending catastrophe.
New York Fire Department Captain Mike Stein, who along with his unit was in the northeast plaza of the WTC when the first tower fell, said he too relied on runners to carry and receive critical messages that day. "We had no communications," he said woefully. Stein added that another problem later vexing the New York rescue teams was the massive volume of debris that effectively jammed many of the radios used by the first responders to the crisis.
With so many examples of communication breakdowns at the scenes of disasters, first responders such as Stein are convinced that if they had been able to overcome the limitations of existing radios and communications gear, a huge difference could be made in response, rescue, and recovery efforts.
When responding to everything from terrorist attacks to natural disasters, the inability to instantly communicate with one another results in the waste of precious time and the possible unnecessary loss of lives. Since not all emergencies can be prevented, companies need to develop solutions to increase emergency management team effectiveness. Effective command of any large-scale incident involves being able to manage real-time information among the mutual aid teams that respond from different jurisdictions and agencies.
Developing new technologies to connect first responders - no matter what their radio frequency - and implementing this technology throughout our public safety agencies must become a national priority. We owe nothing less to the potentially thousands of innocent victims of senseless acts of terrorism, not to mention to all of the brave men and women who stand ready to sacrifice their lives to rescue others.
Another frustrating scenario for rescue workers worldwide is the so-called communications dead-zone that almost always surrounds ground zero of any major disaster. From felled power lines to disrupted telephone service, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and other natural and man-made disasters have a way of making even the most basic communications virtually impossible at a time when they are most critical.
Existing and emerging technologies can create answers to these problems that will result in seamless communications across varying frequencies at disaster and crisis sites. One of the most innovative solutions currently available, implemented in the Raytheon First Responder command and communications vehicle, integrates existing communications technologies into a promising new system that can be dispatched to the scene of a crisis in a matter of minutes. Using advanced software programs to connect the existing radios of every fire, police, EMS, and emergency worker in a disaster area into common radio nets, first responders can focus on saving lives and not waste precious minutes trying to figure out how to communicate with each other.
Augmented with satellite uplinks, global telephone capability, civilian and military radio net access, support for major U.S. cellular phone carriers, and the ability to create local area networks using wireless technology, the First Responder system is available today to local, state, and national public service agencies.
Present capabilities to respond effectively to a terrorist attack vary widely across the country. Many communities have limited ability to respond in the event of a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction, and even the best prepared states and localities lack resources to respond to the full range of terrorist threats America faces today. According to some estimates, it would cost up to $500 million for a major metropolitan area like Los Angeles to convert all of the current radios used by its fire, police, and emergency workers to a single network. Companies need to work to develop solutions such as the First Responder vehicle that provide seamless communications networks for a fraction of that cost.
Taking the experiences of so many disaster situations of the past decade, there is a clear call to action for companies to develop solutions that will help the readiness and response for future crisis situations. It is clear that biological and chemical detectors, infrared cameras, record logging, audio and video recording, and databases are critical advancements that will potentially help identify and pre-empt future crises.
With budget shortfalls from Virginia to California, state and local governments are having a difficult time supporting the critical needs of their first responders. And if threats of more terrorism and the need to inoculate first responders against deadly viruses materialize, the need to husband resources will increase even further.
It is critical that companies and government agencies invest in developing these new solutions that aid the communication abilities of first responders. We can be assured that there will be no shortage of natural and man-made disasters in the future, and it is our responsibility to identify ways to improve rescue and recovery efforts. In this way, we can do our part to help save lives that may have otherwise been tragically lost.
Dale Craig is the First Responder Program Director for Raytheon. He is the former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army's worldwide communications electronics command and with more than 30 years of communications experience.
SAFETY STORAGE
Safety Storage crafts hazardous storage buildings for a wide range of applications, like isolating a hazardous production process, containing a volatile material, enclosing an explosive operation, adding a test lab, or securing equipment or evidence. Only Safety Storage has the custom-engineering experience and range of pre-fabricated solutions that fully comply with governmental regulations, and meet pertinent building and fire codes. For details, go to: http://www.safetystorage.com
NEWS
POP UPS TO ALERT CITIZENS OF EMERGENCIES
The City of Lincoln, NE, and surrounding Lancaster County are developing a next-generation system for delivering emergency public warnings directly to citizens' PCs. The city and county have created a PC-based emergency alert system that is designed to provide residents with instant alerts of the coming of severe weather, state Amber Alerts of missing children, as well as emergencies signaled by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or other state and local officials. The notification will arrive at participants' desktops in just seconds, says Terry Lowe, systems project manager of Lincoln's Information Services Division. The alert software will be available for residents to download from Lincoln's Web site, and an icon will appear on a computer user's taskbar or desktop when it is installed.
Residents will hear a warning sound when an emergency is declared, and a pop-up screen will appear explaining the type of emergency, and updates will scroll along the bottom of the screen. Also, residents who have Palm-based devices and Web-enabled cell phones will be able to receive the instant alerts.
CITY RUNS FIBER-OPTIC NETWORK THROUGH NATURAL GAS PIPELINE
The fiber-optic telecommunications network that links Long Beach Energy headquarters to a remote facility resides in natural gas pipeline. Long Beach Energy, working with Sempra Fiber Links, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, has completed the installation of a fiber-optic telecommunications network in a portion of its natural gas pipeline. This pilot network links Long Beach Energy headquarters at 2400 East Spring Street with the City's Temple Avenue and Willow Street facility and is now fully operational.
"This is the first such installation in the world to become operational. The fiber-optic cable installation process permits safe installation within the natural gas pipeline and avoids expensive trenching and other more intrusive conventional methods involved in installing fiber-optic telecommunications networks," said Chris Garner, Director of Long Beach Energy. The installation used the patented fiber-in-gas (FIG) technology developed by Sempra Fiber Links. "Long Beach has demonstrated its pioneering spirit by taking advantage of this innovative technology to help it achieve its technological goals. They've created hi-tech communications advantages in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible," said Michael Clover, president of Sempra Fiber Links.
This type of fiber installation minimizes impact on the day-to-day lives of people working and living in cities because streets do not have to be trenched, nor does natural gas service have to be interrupted during the installation. The new fiber-optics system is linked to the City's microwave system and is used to transmit and exchange data between the facilities.
"This revolutionary concept is less costly and less disruptive than other methodologies. This pilot project could potentially lead to projects with all hospitals, schools, universities and large companies in Long Beach," said Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/29123/
LINKS
C & H Distributors provide a fast, efficient way to purchase shelving, cabinets, packaging and shipping products, or office furniture. Visit: http://www.chdist.com/govt
Crown Equipment designs, manufactures, distributes, services, and supports material handling products that provide customers with superior value. Visit: http://www.crown.com/gsa1
Meyer is the world leader in snow plows plus accessories, parts, spreaders, and controls for plows. Custom-designed Meyer snow plows fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Cover-All: Building systems. http://www.coverall.net
Jesco Industries, Inc.: Self-dumping hoppers, wire mesh safety equipment. http://www.jesco-wipco.com
Stockhausen, Inc.: Occupational skin care products. http://www.stockhausen-inc.com
VMAC: Underhood air compressors. http://www.underhoodair.com
Find information on advertising in the GovPro Newsletter on http://www.govpro.com or contact rhowlett@penton.com.
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription
Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify.
To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gn To subscribe to Government PROcurement visit: http://www.submag.com/sub/gp
Copyright 2003 Penton Media, Inc.
