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Industry Connection We have seen innumerable accomplishments in our industry over the past year. The Disaster Recovery Journal celebrated its 30th conference. CPM Global Assurance began a new monthly paid subscription newsletter. The Disaster Resource GUIDE launched the weekly Continuity e-GUIDE. Several new periodicals focused on business continuity, homeland security or emergency management have entered the marketplace. Public and private sector pioneers in this field of disaster recovery, emergency management, and business continuity management have established a host of new initiatives. However, there still remains extensive work to be done. The ever-increasing challenge to produce, implement, train, exercise, fund, and resource these plans is made somewhat easier today by the growing partnerships and connections globally within the public and private sector organizations and individuals who are ever vigilant in this effort. This column will attempt to provide (albeit briefly due to space confines) the latest information highlighting those partnerships, connections, and new regulations that are in some way contributing to meet the challenge of protecting a nation's citizens and critical infrastructure, as well as upholding the industry's regulations. Business Continuity Institute
Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness
DRI International Four new committees were established to assist in setting the future direction for DRII activities and policies. The Educational Advisory Council, chaired by Cole Emerson, MBCP, will create a vision of the evolution of the business continuity, emer gency response, crisis management industry over the next three to five years. The council will focus on what the top world-class providers of education and certification will look like and be offering within this timeframe. The Strategic Alliances Committee, chaired by Brent Woodworth, will determine the key current and future stakeholders among both the public and private sectors in the evolution of the industry and map out strategies and tactics for approaching these stakeholders and building functional partnerships with and among them. The Legislative Affairs Committee, cochaired by Bob Goldhammer , CBCP, CEM and Ellis Stanley , Sr., CEM, will gain access to key state and federal legislators and their staffs to give DRII "eyes and ears" into the formulation of laws and regulations that impact the industry . The International Affairs Committee, led by Graeme Jannaway , CBCP, CISA and Benny T aylor, CBCP, will review existing international agreements and expansion plans and monitor existing international efforts for quality and consistency with existing DRII standards. For more, contact tmawson@drii.org. IAEM Public/Private Partnership
Committee Other IAEM offerings of interest include the 2004 Annual Conference, November 711, in Dallas, T exas, the Certified Emergency ManagerŪ program, and the scholarship program for emergency management students. For more, visit www.iaem.com. 9-11 Commission Seeks National Standard
on Emergency Management This meeting was attended by representatives from major private sector companies, associations representing key constituents (i.e. security, building owners), and by city and federal or ganizations involved in emer gency management, including the Emer gency Management Accreditation Program, FEMA, the New York City Office of Emer gency Management, the Working Group on Private Sector Preparedness, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. General Accounting Office, members of the NFPA 1600 Technical Committee and NFP A Staff Liaison, and members from DRII and CCEP. The group will submit its final report to the 9-11 Commission in April 2004. For more, contact pmooretex@aol.com Proposed HAZMAT Restrictions Impact
Organizations in High-Threat Cities Every year, approximately 4,000 rail cars carrying hazardous cargo pass through downtown Washington, D.C. If one tank car carrying liquid chlorine were to rupture as it made the turn near 14th Street, a deadly cloud of chlorine gas would approach the popular National Mall area within three minutes. With favorable wind conditions and a large crowd on the Mall, 100,000 people in the nation's capital would be dead 30 minutes after the release. That's the scenario that the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory presented to the D.C. City Council January 23 as it considers legislation to severely restrict the transportation of hazardous cargo through its borders. Washington, D.C. is one of seven localities the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has designated "high threat target cities" for continued terrorism. Only one of the seven - New York City - regulates the routing of dangerous cargo through its jurisdiction. Patterned after the New York code and case law surrounding it, the District of Columbia's proposed Terrorism Prevention and Safety in Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 2003, introduced last October, would require hazardous-materials shippers to obtain permits from the D.C. Department of Transportation. These permits would only be granted when there's no practical alternative route to passage through the District or when the ultimate destination is an approved facility in the District. Permits could also be issued if an emergency required the cargo's passage through the city. Source: USA Today National Incident Management System
Formally Adopted The NIMS has undergone extensive vetting and coordination within the federal family. The development process has also included extensive outreach to state, tribal, and local officials; to the emergency response community; and to the private sector. As a result, the NIMS incorporates the best practices currently in use by incident managers at all levels. In addition, effective incident management in the homeland security environment we now face involves new concepts, processes, and protocols that will require further development and refinement over time. HSPD-5 requires all federal departments and agencies to adopt the NIMS and to use it in their individual domestic incident management and emergency prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation programs and activities, as well as in support of those actions taken to assist state, tribal, or local entities. The directive also requires federal departments and agencies to make adoption of the NIMS by state and local organizations a condition for federal preparedness assistance beginning in FY 2005. Source: USA Today Independent contingency planning groups worldwide are continually growing their membership and network of sharing continuity of operations planning information. A listing of dozens of groups can be found in the resource section of this GUIDE. These are just a few of the collective efforts that are helping to better secure the homeland and protect our citizens and businesses from both natural disasters and acts of terrorism. About the Author |