Emergency Management

By Andrew Winkler, Thunderbolt Solutions The use of UxVs (aka Drones) is growing exponentially. Their value is undeniable. For many applications, a formation or group of drones is warranted and can provide unparalleled value and moves towards valueSQUARED. Today's market is platform centric. More capability means more payload which drives the hard choice between bigger platform or less endurance. Bigger platforms mean more complex operations and regulatory...

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BlueforceMOBILE Command Kit enables emergency communications, adaptive edge ICS services, and inter-agency coordination at the incident scene NEWBURYPORT, Mass., March 29, 2023 (Newswire.com) - A senior leader at an "NFL city" police department recently shared that a major mass casualty event had 1000+ first responders swarm a hastily formed command post proximate to the scene, which was largely relying on butcher paper duct-taped to a wall for...

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WASHINGTON, March 22, 2023 – Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc., has announced new partnerships to provide powerful mission critical communications and productivity solutions for the national security, public safety and enterprise markets. Airbus is partnering with Blueforce Development Corp., Common Objects, Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc., and Exacom to provide a complete and best-in-class solution for customers using the Airbus Agnet MCx (Mission Critical Push to...

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During complex emergencies, such as natural disasters, civil unrest, or mass migration, radio communication is often a critical tool for coordinating response efforts, providing information to affected populations, and maintaining public safety. During large or complex incidents, radio traffic can become congested due to high demand, making it difficult for incident command to transmit and receive messages effectively. As well, given the crush of responding...

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The Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management concept. It was developed in the 1970s by firefighting agencies in the United States as a means of effectively managing incidents involving multiple agencies and organizations. The ICS provides a common structure and terminology for incident management and is designed to be scalable, so that it can be used for incidents ranging from...

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Incidents and the subsequent emergency responses can be chaotic, especially when they involve multiple agencies and organizations that need to work together to respond to the crisis. In such situations, there may be confusion about roles and responsibilities, communication breakdowns, and a lack of coordination. Shortly after 9/11, the U.S. government commissioned programs that ultimately led to the National Incident Management (NIMS) framework which defines...

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The Internet of Things (IoT), by definition, is a wide array of “things” that can connect and exchange data over a network. This “network” can take many forms to include the “big” internet, an enterprise network, and in most places where we work, a closed network “bubble”. The reality is that once many organizations begin to leverage “sensing”, it becomes clear very quickly that exchanging...

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The Internet of Things (IoT), by definition, is a wide array of "things" that can connect and exchange data over a network. This "network" can take many forms to include the "big" internet, an enterprise network, and in most places where we work, a closed network "bubble". The reality is that once many organizations begin to leverage "sensing", it becomes clear very quickly that exchanging...

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The internet of things (IoT) is revolutionizing the way we live and work. By connecting devices and sensors to the internet (and/or our private networks), we are able to collect and analyze incident and environmental data like never before. This data can be used to cue and orchestrate various actions and processes, which in turn enhances operational efficiency while positively impacting life safety. IoT V1 was...

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Firefighting and emergency response are dangerous professions, and a growing body of research and data shows the contributions that job-related exposures have in chronic illnesses, such as cancer, heart disease, and an array of neurological disorders. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently undertook two large studies focused on firefighter cancer and concluded that firefighters face a 9 percent increase in cancer...

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