Emergency Supplies
Internet-Beaming Balloons Could Keep Cities Connected After Disasters
June 16, 2013 5:56 pm | by MARTHA MENDOZA & NICK PERRY,Associated Press | News | CommentsGoogle is launching Internet-beaming antennas into the stratosphere aboard giant, jellyfish-shaped balloons with the lofty goal of getting the entire planet online. Eighteen months in the works, the top-secret project was announced Saturday in New Zealand, where up to 50 volunteer households are already beginning to receive the Internet via translucent helium balloons that sail by on the wind 12 miles above Earth.
Gas Stations Get Money To Pump If Power Fails
June 3, 2013 1:43 pm | News | CommentsNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says federal relief money will help gasoline stations pay for electrical wiring to use generators that would keep gas flowing during power outages. The $17 million in federal aid is part of the state's relief package for Superstorm Sandy which hammered New York City and its suburbs including Long Island last fall.
Rentsys Recovery Services Reaches Milestone For Number Of Bank & Credit Union Branches Served
May 29, 2013 11:00 am | News | CommentsRentsys Recovery Services, a provider of comprehensive disaster recovery solutions for banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders and other organizations, announced it now provides more than 1,900 contracted locations with recovery services, with banking, financial and insurance providers making up the largest percentage.
Train Derailment Near Baltimore Damages Businesses, Closes Streets
May 29, 2013 9:47 am | by BEN NUCKOLS,Associated Press | News | CommentsA CSX freight train crashed into a trash truck, derailed and caught fire Tuesday in a Baltimore suburb, setting off an explosion that rattled homes at least a half-mile away and sent a plume of smoke into the air that could be seen for miles.
Outage At San Diego Airport Delays Flights
May 28, 2013 7:55 am | News | CommentsPower has been restored to a San Diego Airport terminal, after an outage caused minor flight delays and forced security workers to hand-screen luggage and passengers. San Diego Airport Authority spokeswoman Cheryl Brown says the electricity was back on in Terminal 1 just after 3:30 a.m. Sunday.
Farmers, Firefighters Partner On Hazards Maps
May 24, 2013 2:32 pm | by M.L. JOHNSON,Associated Press | News | CommentsPresident Barack Obama eliminated money for the center and eight similar programs overseen by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in his budget plan. It's unclear what Congress will do, but the centers have been previously threatened with budget cuts and saw the money restored.
UN Global Disasters Forum Opens With Condolences For Oklahoma City Tornado Victims
May 22, 2013 9:25 am | by The United Nations | News | Comments“Our thoughts and hearts go to the people of Oklahoma and we hope that help will reach those in need soon,” Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told participants at the opening of the 4th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is on the theme: “Invest Today for a Safer Tomorrow.”
Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims By Donating To The Red Cross
May 21, 2013 11:19 am | News | CommentsPeople who wish to make a donation can support American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected by disasters like the recent tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas as well as disasters big and small throughout the United States. You can donate today by visiting www.redcross.org.
Boston Cop: Never Saw Russia Warning About Suspect
May 10, 2013 10:47 am | by ALICIA A. CALDWELL,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Boston police commissioner says three city police officers were working with the U.S. terrorism task force but didn't know about vague warnings by Russia's government about one of the bombing suspects delivered nearly two years before the attacks.
Continuity Q&A: Bob Boyd On Agility
May 7, 2013 2:29 pm | Articles | CommentsContinuity Insights sat down with Bob Boyd, president and CEO of Agility Recovery Solutions, a former division of General Electric (GE), to find out more about what he enjoys most about the BC/DR field, how his company operates, the biggest challenge Agility has faced, and what he sees for the future of disaster preparedness.
Sculptures To Mark Evacuation Points In New Orleans
May 6, 2013 2:28 pm | News | CommentsMore than a dozen sculptures that will be used to call attention to evacuation points around New Orleans are arriving in the city. The statues are simple larger-than-life stick figures that appear as though they are poised to hail a bus.
Radio Scans Show Boston Police, Medic Heroics
April 17, 2013 4:20 pm | by JACK GILLUM & STEPHEN BRAUN,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe urgent and sometimes garbled appeals that flickered across Boston's emergency services radio bands gave full voice to the split-second and pressurized decisions that the city's police and fire uniformed and supervisory officials made under the extreme duress of a long, hard day.
Investigators Seek Answers After Boston Bombings
April 16, 2013 8:01 am | by JIMMY GOLEN,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe bombs that blew up seconds apart at the finish line of one of the world's most storied races left the streets spattered with blood and glass, and three dead. Federal investigators said no one had claimed responsibility for the bombings on one of the city's most famous civic holidays, Patriots Day. But the blasts among the throngs of spectators raised fears of a terrorist attack.
NY Budget Provides Emergency Backups For Gas Pumps
March 22, 2013 5:16 pm | by MICHAEL GORMLEY,Associated Press | News | CommentsNew York's tentative state budget provides funding for a stockpile of emergency generators so gasoline stations can keep pumping and avoid the shortages and long lines that plagued many downstate areas in the days after Superstorm Sandy.
Nuclear Industry To Pre-Position Equipment For Disasters
December 11, 2012 10:22 am | by RAY HENRY, Associated Press | News | CommentsIndustry leaders say the effort will add another layer of defense in case a Fukushima-style disaster destroys a nuclear plant's multiple backup systems. The tsunami exceeded the worst-case scenario the plant was designed to withstand, and it showed how a widespread disaster that damages a nuclear plant can complicate emergency plans.
Bring On The Winter Weather
December 10, 2012 1:17 pm | by Luke Simpson, Editor | Blogs | CommentsI recently developed a personal winter weather plan for situations where a blizzard or winter storm results in a power outage. It’s been an interesting experience applying some of the same business continuity concepts I read and write about here at Continuity Insights to my personal life, such as identifying critical systems (heating, cooking) and implementing backup systems.
The Effects Of 9/11 & Katrina On Hospital Preparedness
August 28, 2012 5:29 pm | by Catherine Hartwell, Disaster Responder, American Red Cross | Articles | CommentsBefore 9/11 hospitals lacked structured disaster plans and were inadequately prepared to properly respond to large-scale events. They were unable to both handle the surge of patients after a mass casualty event and continue operations after losing powe. In 2005, the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina exposed hospital’s insufficient preparations for coordinating with outside agencies.
Iran Says Foreign Help For Quake Area Now Welcome
August 14, 2012 9:21 am | News | CommentsLawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian said that when a 6.4 quake causes "such a big loss, the main problem is mismanagement."
Virginia Hurricane-prep Sales Tax Break Starts May 25
May 9, 2012 12:13 pm | News | CommentsVirginians who want to stock up on batteries, bottled water and other supplies for the hurricane season will get a tax break this month.
More Families Building Their Own Tornado Shelters
April 30, 2012 2:34 pm | by HOLBROOK MOHR, JIM SALTER & PHILLIP RAWLS, Associated Press | News | CommentsWhen deadly twisters chewed through the South and Midwest in 2011, thousands of people in the killers' paths had nowhere to hide. Now many of those families are taking an unusual extra step to be ready next time: adding tornado shelters to their homes.
Ala. Tornado Survivors Help Others Recover After Latest Twisters
January 31, 2012 6:34 am | by JAY REEVES, Associated Press | News | CommentsSurvivors still haunted by memories of last year's tornado outbreak that killed 250 in Alabama are writing checks, donating diapers and standing over hot grills to help victims of the latest twisters to pummel the state.
What Do You Want To Know About Pandemic Planning?
November 18, 2011 5:31 am | Articles | CommentsDecember’s podcast will focus on how business continuity professionals can prepare and plan for pandemics. Two Continuity Insights editorial advisory board members with extensive experience in public health will discuss the lessons learned and best practices from recent pandemics, as well as answer readers' questions.
Power Generation Rental Solutions
November 8, 2011 4:16 am | News | CommentsAggreko offers a broad range of specialized power equipment, from small, temporary site power to base load-scale megawatt power for regional power grids.
Emergency Blackout Kit
November 8, 2011 4:00 am | News | CommentsThe Emergency Blackout Survival Kit is packed using a waterproof bag and includes a Dynamo four-in-one flashlight, two hand/body warmers ...
Some Postpone Halloween Until Lights Come Back On
November 1, 2011 7:41 am | by BOB SALSBERG, Associated Press | News | CommentsMany towns asked parents to postpone or cancel Halloween revelry because of snow-clogged sidewalks, slippery surfaces and the possibility of more falling tree limbs.
