Standards
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): Opportunities for Students
In the coming months, the IAEM is presenting a number of opportunities for students. This article, following a brief introduction of the organization, will highlight two of those opportunities: scholarships and an IAEM Bulletin dedicated to student issues.
In the coming months, the IAEM is presenting a number of opportunities for students. This article, following a brief introduction of the organization, will highlight two of those opportunities: scholarships and an IAEM Bulletin dedicated to student issues.
What is the IAEM?
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) is the largest professional organization representing over emergency manager practitioners globally. The organization is organized into a number of representative…
The CSA Z1600 emergency and continuity management standard and . . . you you held your wedding reception in the barn but your daughter can't continue the tradition.
The 2013 edition of the CSA Z 1600 standard for emergency and continuity management is nearing the date for publication. Like its predecessor, the 2008 version, it provides criteria for designing and evaluating programs to help our businesses and communities become more resilient to survive emergencies by developing and continuously improving programs to prevent, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. A common thread throughout the standard is the need to communicate…
As one who has been involved with emergency management in a corporate environment, in industry mutual aid programs and as an emergency management consultant, I have had occasions to discuss career development with groups and individuals. As I reflect, these were some of my more rewarding experiences. . We have a mentoring opportunity which might interest you, if you would like to help folks who want to pursue careers in emergency management or the emergency services.
As community manager for PTSC-Online I've had the opportunity to meet or web conference with groups of aspiring emergency managers and work with a few individuals. I have also had some discussions about organized mentor programs, most of which did not appear to be very effective. So what is the problem? We have a potentially rewarding activity (mentorship) which does not apear to work well as an organized program. The answer appears to involve the amount of bureaucracy and paperwork associated…
The concept of a mentor program to assist folks who are pursuing emergency and continuity management careers is being considered by PTSC-Online.
A mentoring space has been set up in PTSC-Online for the purpose of discussing how our PTSC-Online community could help support a mentor program for emergency management and business continuity professionals. If you have interest in this program please comment on this article or contact Alexandra Lawless or Bill MacKay.
Syndrome de la page blanche. Pourtant ce n’est pas par manque d’idées. Seulement, l’entremêlement des images et des pensées que j’ai en tête se bousculent à la sortie ne sachant pas trop sous quelle forme s’exprimer en raison, entre autres, de mes divers chapeaux : celui de joggeuse, de mère, de citoyenne du monde et de fille des mesures d’urgence. Avec lequel de ces chapeaux prendre la parole ? Lequel priorisé après les atrocités survenues au marathon de Boston ? Tout est complètement mélangé car tous ces rôles, c’est au quotidien qu’ils sont joués.
La joggeuse, la mère et la citoyenne du monde
Ces trois là, ne veulent pas y croire. La première sait très bien que la fille de la seconde l'accompagne presque toujours dans ces courses chronométrées, bien qu'amateur, elle se rappelle la toute première fois. C'était à Ottawa. Des milliers de passionnés à un même endroit, au même moment, pour l'amour de la course. Et sa fille était au départ et à l'arrivée… Et elle pense à ce petit garçon et à sa petite sœur qui a perdu une jambe. Pendant le…
What needs to happen to ensure that CanVOST can be of value for the upcoming flood and forest fire seasons.
We are once again being reminded this week, how important social media has become for emergnecy information and incident response. The terror attacks in Boston on Monday and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, just a few minutes ago, illustrate the point.
Canada is not immune to emergencies and disasters. In fact, we know there will be spring flooding and forest fires this summer. In many cases, these incidents will occur in smaller and remote communities where local officials do not have…
NIST Tests in New York City Suggest How to Improve Emergency Radio Communications
Radio communications can be unreliable in underground tunnels and other large, complicated structures, posing a safety hazard for emergency responders. New tests of wireless emergency safety equipment by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have defined the challenges more precisely and suggest how emergency communications might be improved.
NIST Tests in New York City Suggest How to Improve Emergency Radio Communications
The study is part of an ongoing NIST project, launched in 2008, supporting the development of performance metrics and laboratory tests for electronic safety equipment with two-way radio-frequency (RF) transmission capabilities. The New York tests focused on RF-based personal alert safety systems (RF-PASS), used by firefighters as distress beacons, but the test methods and path-loss results are applicable to other wireless devices such as handheld radios.
Follow this link to the summary: http://…
Here are a few highlights from a recent web conference of the Canadian Standards Association Technical Committee for the Z1600 - 2013 Emergency and Continuity Management Programs standard.
- Consensus on content of the standard was reached at the last technical committee meeting in Calgary
- Technical committee members are putting final touches on the 2013 edition of the standard prior to making it available for public comment, with publication hopefully in September
- A diagram to illustrate the plan / do / check / act continuous improvement model of the standard will likely be included
Social media : a blessing and a curse ... the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath
Some quick thoughts following the terror attacks of today ... why social media is now an absolute necessity for authorities ... as well as a major headache.
Reports of the Boston attacks came with lightning speed. Too fast to keep up in fact. The pictures and videos are horrific: This kind of event underscores the need to be prepared. We often worry about the big stuff: attacks against airplanes or nuclear plants. But what about the threats from within? From radicalized extremists using unsophisticated means? A whole look at our preparedness (in Canada and the US) should be in the cards now ...
So a few observations about today's events, media…
A common challenge organizations and individuals often face today is how to continue operation and in many cases meet higher expectations with fewer resources. We have all experienced budget and or staff cuts but when this happens we need to think "outside the box" and consider different ways to get the job done. Have you considered how on line networking may help you work more efficiently and effectively?
Because my company has a partner agreement with IGLOO software, the company which hosts PTSC-Online, I am aware of the growing trend of working on line as a more effective way to manage internal teams or network with partners and customers. IGLOO Software, a Kitchener Ontario based company which specializes in on line communities, provides this service worldwide to organizations some with over 18,000 members as well as smaller organizations. The purpose in using an on line community is to…
Standards
CSA Z1600
NFPA 1600
BSI 25999
ISO Standards
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