FirstResponder.gov
Whether you’re new to FirstResponder.gov or an old fan, there’s plenty to love about the site’s recent facelift. The folks at the Department of Homeland Security have dolled up their usual offerings to include a blog, news stories, and a focus on field technology. Resources are easily found by discipline and there’s even space to tell tales of your own first response successes. Of course all the same great grant, training, and library resources are still available, too.
American Radio Relay League
While organizations large and small grapple with the impact of new social media, it might be a good time to remember the original. Amateur radio operators have been providing disaster communications since the earliest days of the medium and the American Radio Relay League website helps them know what to do. With information on emergency certification, preparedness, and responding to disaster, the ARRL site is a great resource for operators and emergency organizations alike.
Failing Gracefully
Success is never assured and for those times that we must fail, the idea of failing gracefully prescribes a gentle crash with little burn. In this blog, science journalist Mason Inman ruminates on how our world might fail a little more gracefully and dishes up a lot of great resources in the process. Alongside Inman’s informal posts, the site features links to his work in Science, New Scientist, and Nature, top-notch book and article suggestions, and a collection of quotes pertaining to “finding resilience in uncertain times.”
GAO Report on FEMA Long-Term Disaster Recovery
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Long-Term Community Recovery branch is useful, but could benefit from some clarity and follow-through when assisting governments recover from disaster, according to this report by the Government Accountability Office. The GAO found that while FEMA long-term recovery assistance was valued by state and local officials, the criteria for when FEMA offers the assistance was vague. The extent of the assistance was also problematic, being implemented too soon in some cases and not extending long enough in others.
START Background Report: On the 15th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing
In conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) has released a background report on the state of terrorism in the United States. The report has information on terrorist groups from the 1970s to present, types of terrorist attacks and weapons, facilities targeted for attack, and other data.