• Running robots for hard-to-reach places

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    A large fraction of the Earth’s surface remains inaccessible to conventional wheeled or tracked vehicles, while animals and humans traverse such terrain with ease and elegance; scientists are working to develop search-and-rescue robots which emulate animal or human walking, thus making them more capable of saving people in hard-to-reach places

  • Recommended emergency response technology from Seattle’s CTO

    Following the rare four-day snowstorm that left Seattle, Washington blanketed in snow, Bill Schrier, the city’s chief technology officer, weighed in on the city’s response and offered tips on how to better implement technology in the future

  • First responders could be zipping through skies within two years

    Glenn Martin, the inventor of the Martin Jetpack, the world’s first commercially available jetpack, recently spoke with Homeland Security NewsWire’s executive editor Eugene K. Chow; in their interview Martin discusses the technical challenges of developing a viable jetpack, its uses in emergency response, and when we can expect to see civilians zipping through the skies

  • Smart911 technology improves 9-1-1- response

    Municipalities improve 9-1-1 response with Smart911; the technology allows individuals to use a Web site to enter emergency-relevant information they want emergency personnel answering a 9-1-1 call to have, including children’s photos, medical conditions, disabilities, home addresses of cellphone callers, or other rescue-related information

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  • New robot for search-and-rescue missions

    Scientists say the best way to design a new machine is to emulate the locomotion of a certain type of flexible, efficient animal

  • Link found between PTSD, respiratory illnesses in 9/11 responders

    A new study finds that there are links between respiratory illnesses and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 9/11 first responders; “This study illustrates the integral relationship between mental health and physical diseases that WTC responders suffer,” one of the researcher says

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  • ETC launches new SmartModel technology

    The new SmartModel technology consists of a library of 3D objects and elements that can be inserted into a Master Scenario Events List (MSEL) exercise scenario; the SmartModel library currently contains various intelligent elements including vehicles, crowds, casualties, threats, and hazards

  • Walden University offers M.S. in Emergency Management

    The school says that this new online master’s degree program emphasizes key skills related to creating and implementing disaster prevention and response plans

  • On-demand emergency responder training

    New service allows fire, police, EMS, and military to provide their training video library through an on-demand delivery to any television; the service allows responders to select a video through a graphical menu on the television screen and then play, pause, restart, rewind or fast forward the video

  • Web-based interactive solution for first responders

    DGI is adding a Web-based, interactive map drawing feature to its CoBRA WEB Mapping; the solution will initially target fire departments, EMS organizations, bomb squads, HAZMAT teams, and police departments as a situational awareness tool to assist in the collaboration of first responders and emergency operation centers

  • New cloud computing based disaster management system

    Natural and man-made disasters require an effective and efficient management of massive amounts of data and coordination of wide varieties of people and organizations; researchers develop an elaborate cloud computing-based disaster management system

  • Smartphones to save lives in natural disasters

    Smartphones could help save hundreds of thousands of lives in the aftermath of a disaster or humanitarian crisis; software developed by computer scientists could help quickly and accurately to locate missing people, rapidly identify those suffering from malnutrition and effectively point people towards safe zones simply by checking their phones

  • Simulations help firefighters in risky operations

    Firefighters often put their lives at risk during operations, so it would be very helpful if they had reliable tools to help them do their job safely and effectively; now, a modular simulation kit is set to help develop new information and communication technologies — and ensure they are tailored to firefighters’ needs from the outset.

  • NY counties receive money to prepare for emergencies

    The magnitude of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee posed serious communications challenges to the response and recovery efforts among many New York counties; these counties are now receiving $20 million in funding to help localities better respond to emergency situations

  • Georgia readies portable hospitals

    On Monday local health and emergency response officials from Georgia’s West Central Health District gathered to learn how to quickly set up a portable hospital in the event of an emergency