News Archives

2011

Regional Integrated Planning Update: November 2011 Newsletter

The All Hazards Consortium would like to provide you with a brief update on some of its programs, projects and activities within the Mid-Atlantic and North East Regions.  

These activities have all been designed to promote coordination and integration of planning efforts on specific projects and investments between state/local governments and the "life line sectors" within the private sector.  

Initiatives, Products & Projects:

1) The Regional Integrated Systems and Planning Initiative

Launched in January 2011, this regional initiative is designed to focus the AHC and its members on regional integration of the private sector owner/operators into the state/local government's planning process on specific topics and projects. Partners include FEMA, DHS, state/local governments and private sector companies from energy, transportation, telecommunications, food, water, finance, medical, and information technology sectors.  

Video: Integrate Planning Overview

Document: Regional Projects List  

Document: Overview of Initiative  
 

2) Regional Ports Symposium Report Released

The AHC's first integrated planning meeting "report" with private sector owner/operators, this report focuses on several currently funded regional projects in the Delaware Bay Area.  

The report features a new format that outlines the four specific projects, the program managers involved, the integration opportunities that exist, the recommendations and next steps needed to better coordinate future projects & investments of the federal, state/local, and private sector stakeholders.

Symposium partners included the US Coast Guard, FEMA, US Navy, NJ/DE Office Homeland Security, SEPARTF, and Bank of America, Greenwich Terminals, Target, PSE&G Nuclear, DE Bay Maritime Exchange, and Paulsboro Refining Co./Delaware City Refining

Webpage: Meeting Overview

Document: Read the Redacted Report 


3) Regional NCR UASI "Shelter In Place Project" in the News

The Washington Business Journal recently featured a regional planning project conducted in the Washington D.C. area. This project (funded by FEMA's Catastrophic Planning Grant Program) was an integrated effort between state/local governments, and several private sector companies in the Golden Triangle Building in Washington, D.C.  

The project partners included the American Bankers Association, Blake Real Estate Inc., the BID, architecture firm Karn Charuhas Chapman & Twohey, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Women's Business Enterprise National Council,  and Washington Analysis.

Video: Shelter In Place Project Overview 

Article: Washington Business Journal  

Meetings:

1) Regional Interoperability Forum

The National Capital Region UASI conducted a 2-day Interoperability Forum in September. Specific topics were addressed that featured regional governance for future projects, 700 MgHz strategies, Situational Awareness, GIS, regional radio systems, video integration, CAD/RMS, 911/Next Gen, and Social Media. Partners included National Capital Region UASI members, local county officials, Johns Hopkins University, FEMA, DHS, & U.S. Department of Commerce.

This meeting served many purposes and will support the regional state interoperability coordinators as they plan for the long range regional approach to support broadband applications and capabilities. An after action report is planned for release in November 2011. Check www.ahcusa.org for details on the report. 

Document: 2011 NCR Interoperability Forum  

Summary:

This update only reflects a small portion of the "private sector integration" efforts going on within the region and around the country. The AHC would like to express its appreciation for the organizations and individuals who have embraced this "integrated planning initiative" so quickly.

Future AHC project updates will include:

  • RAIL SECURITY - A regional rail security initiative that is coordinating private sector rail carriers (e.g. passenger & freight) with states to address key rail sector planning topics and jointly funded projects.  

  • FOOD DISTRIBUTION - A new regional food distribution planning project that will help states and the food sector to jointly develop plans to get the food businesses "back to business" sooner after large scale disasters.

  • INFORMATION SHARING - A regional information sharing initiative that is integrating power and rail sector company "systems" with states/local government systems to improve situational awareness and response activities during specific incidents and events.  

Working together, companies and governments will become better prepared to face hazards of any type and develop more resilient "communities and economies" across the region.

 

  • Pennsylvania’s Region 13 Private Sector Initiative

    During the webinar, you’ll learn more about how the Pittsburgh Regional Business Coalition for Homeland Security promotes the integration of public preparedness efforts with the private sector to help prepare and prevent major damages from occurring if a crisis or threat occurs. The PRBC for Homeland Security was created in 2005 after State and National Homeland Security, PA Region 13 Task Force, the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, universities and local businesses met to discuss how they could improve the regions readiness for future disasters. Their efforts align with the mission of the All Hazards Consortium - to establish a framework to promote the integration of public preparedness efforts with the private sector to better plan, respond and coordinate with each other. 
    Click here to view the Webinar

    New Jersey’s Private Sector Help Desk Webinar – Friday October 14th 3:00 – 4:00 pm EDT

    During Hurricane Irene, New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management established a private sector cell within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).  Through this cell, NJ was able to collaborate with its private sector partners to provide real time updates, address requests and solve identified issues by working together. The private sector enterprise incorporated both the establishment of a list of private sector partners and the establishment of a private sector desk at the SEOC.

    Featured Speakers include: 

    Charlie McKenna, Director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness 
    Dennis Quinn, Assistant Deputy Director, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness

    Click here view the Webinar

    Work, School or Home? - Issues in Sheltering in Place During an Emergency

    This webinar discusses the results of a recent survey of the Washington, DC Metro area (National Capital Region) residents on emergency actions by the public.  Find out what residents say they will do if instructed by authorities to “shelter in place” during an emergency event.

    Click here to view the Webinar

    Reporting for Duty

    This webinar discusses the results of a recent analysis conducted by the University of Delaware’s renowned Disaster Research Center on whether or not emergency responders will be willing to report for duty in the case of a catastrophic disaster.  The briefing will focus on the prevalence of three of the key issues emergency workers might face during a particularly serious event including: role conflict, role strain and role abandonment.

    Click here to view the Webinar

    HIPPOCRATES: From Health to Emergency Management Webinar

    During this webinar, we're taught how this in-production, web based, system is being used by New Jersey and its partners for data integration and brokerage of health, community, emergency preparedness and response, and geo-spatial data. 

    Click here to view the Webinar

  • AHC Regional Integrated Systems and Planning Webinar

    This webinar outlined the Regional Integrated Systems and Planning Initiative launched at the March 21-22, 2011 Urban Area Security Initiatives workshop.

    Click here to view the Webinar
  • Announcing the New 2011 AHC Membership Model
  • In 2011, the leadership of the All Hazards Consortium has introduced a new “Integrated Systems and Planning Initiative” as part of a regional grant provided to the AHC. This initiative is designed to integrate the private sector infrastructure owners and operators into the government systems and planning process. Working with their federal partners at DHS, FEMA, and other federal agencies, the member states and urban areas of the AHC are evolving their collaboration to respond to the challenge.
  • Click here to learn more about great benefits of becoming a member in the AHC’s network of over 9,000 people across hundreds of organizations in both the public and private sectors!

  • Regional Modeling & Simulation RCPGP Project 7 Webinar

    Regional Situational Awareness is critical in a multi-state event. This project webinar, led by West Virginia, explains the outcomes of this project.

    Click here to view the Webinar

    September 14th - 15th - 2nd National Capital Region (NCR) Interoperability Forum
  • July 26th, 2011 - Regional Systems and Integration Planning Meeting (with Delaware Bay AMSC and the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay)
  • AHC's 2011 Annual Membership Program Webinar - May 19, 2011 The AHC held the Annual Membership Program Webinar on May 19 at 8:30am Eastern to talk about the official release of the 2011 AHC Annual Membership Program.

  • May 18th, 2011 - AHC 2011 Regional UASI and Planning Workshop Findings Report Announced

    April 28th, 2011 - AHC Hosts 2011 Regional Urban Areas Security Initiative and Planning Workshop

  • All Hazards Consortium Regional Capability Assessment (RCA) Webinar

    The AHC presented information on the All Hazards Consortium States' Regional Capability Assessment project -- a cooperative effort funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland. The assessment project was the result of a workshop recommendation that the states within the region should "Define and share information on existing interoperable capa­bilities, limitations, and options to improve end-users ability to communicate their needs and expectations."

    Click here to listen to the Webinar
    Click here to download Presentation Material

    3rd Annual Regional State Border Coordination Workshop – January 24 – 25 On January 24-25, 2011, the states and urban areas of the All Hazards Consortium (AHC) will hold the 3rd Annual Regional State Border Coordination Workshop in Gettysburg, PA as a follow-up to the January 2010 AHC meeting which was the result of a multi-state planning effort focused on potential catastrophic evacuations out of the Washington, DC, and New York City areas.  The purpose of this workshop is to build upon those planning efforts within the states of NC, VA, DC, MD, WV, PA, DE, NJ & NY and further develop the discussion on about the various issues, efforts, challenges and opportunities to achieve the long-term vision of a coordinated plan and support of integrated planning.

    April 20th, 2011 - Results of 3rd Annual Regional State Border Coordination Workshop Released

    March 21-22, 2011 - 2011 Regional Urban Areas Security Initiative & Planning Workshop

    Feb 16th, 2011 - AHC Hosts Third Annual Regional State Border Workshop

    January 24th - 25th 2011- 3rd Annual Regional State Border Coordination Workshop Page
    January 24th - 25th 2011- 3rd Annual Regional State Border Coordination Workshop Presentation Material

2010

  • Dec 1st, 2010 - Results of All Hazards Consortium Mid Atlantic Region Port Security Workshop Released

    Nov 19th, 2010 - AHC Announces Report From 2nd Annual State Border Coordination Workshop

    Forming Public Private Partnerships to Prepare for a Post-Disaster Environment: Lessons-learned from Palm Beach County, Florida

    The All Hazards Consortium (AHC) hosted a one hour webinar to outline a case study of the grass-roots effort in Palm Beach County, Florida, which established a “private sector run” partnership resulting in leveraging of resources, sharing of ideas, and a cohesive working relationship. 

    Click here to listen to the Webinar
    Click here to view the PDF Presentation

    Regional Transportation Workshop – August 30–31 Washington, DCOn August 30-31, 2010 the All Hazards Consortium, in partnership with the National Transportation Research Board (TRB), will host a Regional Transportation Planning Workshop focused on catastrophic evacuation planning within the FEMA Region III geographic footprint. This workshop is being conducted as part of the FEMA Regional Catastrophic Planning Grant Program (RGPGP). The vision for this workshop is to convene a meeting of the transportation related stakeholders from both public and private sectors; review existing transportation planning efforts; to determine the current status of the FEMA Region III transportation related common operating pictures; and to determine gaps for future planning and implementation efforts.

    More Information

    Large-scale Deployment of Post-Disaster Housing: A Perspective on Solving a National Problem with a Local Solution NYC Office of Emergency Management's "Urban Interim Housing Unit Pilot Project -

    On August 25, 2010, the Housing Recovery Plan Manager from the New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) discussed NYC's unique Interim Housing project, designed to develop a means of supplying Interim Housing Units (IHUs) to NYC that will work for urban areas nationwide and has implications for the future of post-disaster housing and emergency management.

    Click here to listen to the Webinar

  • Regional Public Safety Communications and Interoperability Workshop – September 7–9 Rehoboth, DEOn September 8-9, 2010, the states of the All Hazards Consortiu, in conjunction with FEMA Region III Regional Emergency Communications Coordination Group (RECCWG), will be hosting a Regional Public Safety Communications and Interoperability Workshop.The vision for this workshop is to further the progress that has been made by both the RECCWG and the AHC Interoperability Working Group as the result of prior workshops and meetings, white paper recommendations and results of baseline assessments with actionable next steps.

    More Information
  • Contracting in Times of Disaster Webinar – On June 28thThe AHC held The Contracting in Times of Disaster webinar to provide both suppliers (or vendors) and government buyers with information on what to look out for before, during and after the contracting process, during a hazard. Presentations and case studies focused on what has worked and what hasn't. The webinar was sponsored by EWA GSI
  • Will the Stay or Will they Go Webinar – Private Sector Webinar – June 17th As part of the nation's catastrophic planning efforts, the FEMA Region III states of DC, DE, MD, PA, VA and WV launched an effort to plan for a catastrophic event in the NCR and causing ripple effects out into the six-state region. As the foundation for that planning effort, a behavioral study of the residents of the NCR was conducted by the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research and the Center for Risk Management of Engineering Systems. The University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center teamed with UVA to provide disaster expertise. On this webinar, UVA will present highlights for their study tailored to the private sector audience.
  • First Line Technology / AmbuBus -  Mass Care & Special Needs Solution
    The AHC had an in depth discussion with David Long with the Hampton Roads MMRS and Amit Kapoor with First Line Technology, manufacturer and sole-provider of the AmbuBus, Bus-Stretcher Conversion Kit. Discussion includes regional and local methodology for funding, training, and implementing the AmbuBus as a resource for mass casualty evacuations and special needs transport in response to natural and man-made disasters.

    Click here to listen to the Webinar

2009

  • 2nd Annual State Border Coordination Workshop, January 25 - 26 The 1st AHC Regional Border Coordination Summit Workshop focused on how the states would coordinate at their borders during a regional catastrophic evacuation of the public. A follow-up Workshop is being planned for January 25-26, 2010 in Gettysburg, PA to drive further into several key topics including communications/interoperability, transportation, mass care and credentialing– check back shortly for details. A summary report from the 2008 summit is available. Click here to download
  • Regional Ports Workshop, October 22 – 23 in Maryland The mid-Atlantic region’s ports represent an economic engine and a security risk and investment that must be protected. Working with the states and federal, private sector, university and non-profit partners, the AHC conducted a regional workshop focused on the various aspects of developing a regional resilient network of ports. A follow-up webinar series will be conducted shortly as well as the development of a regional report – stay tuned…

2008

  • Audio Replay of the AHC/IBM Web Seminar is Live The "Emergency Response: Weathering the storm through public and private collaboration" web seminar is now available for replay. Click to listen to the audio replay.
  • AHC Regional Fusion Center White Paper Briefing at GWU On December 10th the All Hazards Consortium briefed Senior Federal Government Officials on the region's Fusion Centers. Findings and recommendations of the recently released regional Fusion Center Workshop Report were presented and released during this event. Download the Fusion Center White Paper.

2007

  • The Mid-Atlantic All-Hazards Forum – “Hugely Successful” Initial report on the now annual “must attend” regional conference in Baltimore, which featured a host of preparedness professionals and other luminaries as members of the thirty panel discussions, plus a number of policy-level federal and state decision makers and representatives from 27 other states. More information...
  • AHC Briefs Regional State Legislative Liaisons in Washington, D.C. on October 10, 2007 On October 10, the AHC and several board members provided a briefing to the regional state legislative liaisons on the AHC organization, its member states and stakeholders, and how the AHC serves the states. More information..
  • Regional Critical Infrastructure Protection White Paper
    Sponsored by CNA Corporation, released November 2007
  • Regional Critical Infrastructure Protection Workshop held October 2 - 4, 2007 Pennsylvania’s Office of Homeland Security, along with the All Hazards Consortium Board of Directors, facilitated a regional CIP Workshop hosted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania at Penn State University on October 2 - 4, 2007. More information...
  • 2006 All Hazards Forum Annual Report Released in September 2007 In September 2007, the AHC released its 2006 All Hazards Forum Report to the general public. This report was produced from the 2006 event held in Baltimore, Maryland. Sponsored by IBM, this report captures regional information, perspectives, strategies, obstacles, lessons learned and best practices. Click here for the Press Release Click here for the Report