Transforming Cyber and Infrastructure Security: An Interview with the DHS Cyber Chief

Posted Feb 3, 2016

An exclusive interview with Dr. Phyllis Schneck, deputy under secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications for the National Protection and Programs Directorate within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

As our global online world evolves before our eyes, the topic of cybersecurity seems overwhelming to most people. Just as new innovative opportunities are announced daily, emerging cyberthreats can undermine online progress in virtually every area of life.

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What You Should do When Your Home or Office Starts Shaking in an Earthquake

Posted Feb 3, 2016

(TNS) - Early Sunday morning the ground started to rattle in Alaska, and those who didn’t sleep through the 7.1-magnitude earthquake reacted in many different ways.

Some people ran outside of their homes, while others pressed themselves into doorways. Some people hurried down the stairs of hotels in their underwear, while others squatted under kitchen tables.

But what’s the best thing to do when you feel the floors start to sway?

Emergency officials have a few tips and one of them is stay inside.

What should I do if I wake up to an earthquake?

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Government Officials, Social Execs Rally Support for Concerted Response to Islamic State

Posted Jan 28, 2016

The effort comes in reaction to the Islamic State's Internet campaign that has helped entice thousands of foreign foot soldiers and inspire lone-wolf attacks.

(TNS) — A year before Islamic State declared its caliphate in Syria and Iraq, Abdulmunam Almushawah noticed a disturbing development from more than 1,000 miles away in Saudi Arabia.

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Emergency Operations Center's List of Objectives During Goliath

Posted Jan 26, 2016

From the Sunday through Thursday following the blizzard, Lubbock Fire Rescue Chief Lance Phelps said crews made 1,301 runs, which is 57 percent above average.

(TNS) - When officials with the city of Lubbock’s Emergency Operations Center gathered at 6 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 27, they had a prepared list of objectives from emergency management to deal with large snowstorms.
The first two objectives were related to first responders: to make sure they were prepared — and for public safety services to remain active throughout the city.

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ReadyNOVA: 2016 Winter Emergency Preparedness

Posted Jan 25, 2016

Northern Virginia residents, plan to be prepared! Much like Winter Storm Jonas, disasters can disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Now is a great time to sit down and make a plan while you’re at home. Visit ReadyNOVA.org to make a preparedness plan for you, your family, your business, or your faith community.

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The Top 10 Reasons You Should Prepare for a Disaster

Posted Jan 19, 2016
Yet preparation can significantly reduce the impact of a disaster and facilitate both immediate and long-term recovery. Still, it’s a tough sell to get individuals, families, and local churches to prepare for a disaster. Here are ten reasons why your church or community should start that process today.

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Regional agencies receive emergency-preparedness grants

Posted Jan 19, 2016

The Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) has awarded about $6.5 million in federal funds for 100 projects to enhance emergency preparedness and security throughout the commonwealth, officials announced Jan. 13.

Fairfax County will receive $9,100 for training and/or equipment for its Citizen Corps program; $63,000 for advanced technical training for its hazardous-materials response team; $200,000 for its incidents-management team; $150,000 from the statewide strategic reserve for the county’s radio cache; and $75,000 for equipment for its technical-rescue team.

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D.C. Water steps up emergency planning with contamination drill

Posted Jan 13, 2016

Thirty-one staffers from the District’s water utility and other city agencies had a problem: Residents had begun reporting that their water smelled of petroleum, signaling possible contamination in part of the city’s drinking water supply.

The scenario was purely theoretical, but the large conference room at D.C. Water’s Bryant Street Pumping Station in Northwest Washington began buzzing with questions.

“Where were the calls from?” one D.C. Water staffer asked. “What’s the current message out to the public?” asked another.

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