App Technology! RadarScope

From time to time I will discuss smartphone and tablet apps that have application to emergency management.  The apps I discuss will be cross platform meaning they can be used on both Android and iPhone/iPad devices.  The app reviews and narratives are not a commercial endorsement for the apps therefore I suggest that you explore the universe of apps when making your decision.

Today we will review RadarScope

RadarScope displays weather radar in near real time thus allowing emergency managers and meteorologists to share a common severe weather common operating picture.  It costs a few bucks unlike other similar apps but I believe it is worth having this data available especially when managing severe weather outbreaks.  Some features include multiple radar products including various reflective and velocity models, rainfall displays, and more.  The map based product allows you to select specific radar sites thus allowing you to refine the areas you are monitoring.  I found this app especially useful during mesocyclone events and multi-region severe weather/tornado outbreaks. The app also displays weather warnings nationally as they occur.  As mentioned, there are a number of other weather apps some of which are free to download so check them out and make your decision accordingly. I use multiple apps to monitor severe weather but RadarScope was worth mentioning as good tool for the emergency manager's tool box.

Steven Kuhr
Emergency Management Nexus
skuhr.blogspot.com

Earthquake Legislation

An April 18, 2013 Los Angeles Times article entitled "Sweeping earthquake safety rules imposed in San Francisco", should be of particular interest to emergency managers.  The article describes new legislation that requires wood frame buildings, such as those which became an icon of infrastructure damage in the Marina District during the 1989 Bay Area earthquake, be retrofitted to make the supporting structural elements seismically resilient.  This action is iconic of the public policy tightrope we walk between enabling legislation such as this which can in some cases amount to an unfunded mandate, and simply doing the right thing as a measure of life saving mitigation.  The bottom line is that the goal of legislation such as this appears to be the reduction of structural collapse risk and loss of life, and to reduce disaster recovery costs in a post-earthquake period.  The question of who is paying for this is afoot as one would expect. The article suggests that after a long period of debate, to their credit, property owners endorsed the measure which led to an 11-0 vote by the city board of supervisors.  If this is accurate, this is sound public disaster policy and something emergency managers nationally should take notice of as we work to design public policy associated with local risks and hazards.

Steven Kuhr
Emergency Management Nexus
skuhr.blogspot.com

Nice Spring Day... or is it?

It's a gorgeous spring day here in New York and much of the northeast.  The beautiful sunshine and warmth of this great afternoon should be enjoyed and relished.  It must however not be lost upon those of us in emergency management and to those of us we serve in our communities and businesses that the same season that brings us this great afternoon is also fraught with weather hazards.  We are currently in the season that often brings with it fire weather danger, severe weather, tornadoes flooding; and, of course hurricane season is right around the corner.  This year forecasters are calling for 16 named storms with five of those reaching major hurricane status. Our friends at the The Weather Channel have a brief video on this year's season.  We will be talking about the hurricane preparedness much more in the coming weeks.

Enjoy the weather and let's keep in mind that we have much work to do to prepare for current weather threats and the upcoming season.

Be safe out there  . . .

Steven Kuhr
Emergency Management Nexus
skuhr.blogspot.com

Emergency Managers Recognized!

Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Marla Decker should be commended for publicly recognizing Virginia emergency managers and other responders for their actions during a tornado event.  See "Emergency management employees honored for tornado work".  All too often emergency managers are overlooked when it comes to recognition but why is that?  Perhaps it is because emergency managers typically operate out of site, in an Emergency Operations Center and not at the scene of an incident along side our uniformed brothers and sisters.  However, emergency managers serve at the cross roads of an incident, especially for the big picture approach we have from our EOC, and the ability to link a major incident response to the vast pool of stakeholders usually needed to resolve a major emergency or disaster.

Our hats off to the Secretary Decker and Emergency Management Director Harris.

Steven Kuhr

Emergency Management Nexus

skuhr.blogspot.com

Welcome to Emergency Management Nexus!

Welcome to Emergency Management Nexus at skuhr.blogspot.com.  I use the term "Nexus" as the intent of this blog is to serve as a forum for thought leadership, critical thinking, and comprehensive dialogue on emerging and pressing issues in Emergency Management, Crisis Leadership, Homeland Security, and Business Continuity.  As our profession continues to evolve and as the profession advances with emerging concepts, new technologies, and ever evolving national themes in emergency preparedness, crisis response, and disaster recovery, I hope to stimulate dialogue among the broad members of the emergency management community.

Welcome to Emergency Management Nexus....  Your thoughts and insights are welcome.  I look forward to stimulating conversation.

Steven Kuhr

Emergency Management Nexus

skuhr.blogspot.com

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