Government Technology - June 2008 - (Page 12)

GT editors report from the road cene TACOMA, WASH. — Federal emergency management grants will require state and local agencies to spend more money on planning, and less on acquiring resources and attending exercises, said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) preparedness coordinator for the Paciﬁc Northwest. FEMA believes states and localities have reached a point of exercise overload, according to Patrick Massey, division director and federal preparedness coordinator of FEMA’s Region 10. Therefore, more emphasis will be given to emergency response planning and citizen preparation when FEMA awards funds. Massey spoke April 2 at the Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference in Tacoma. He outlined some other philosophical shifts under way at FEMA: j • changing the agency’s approach from “wait-and-see” to “deploy-andhold”; • evolving from centralization to decentralization; • shifting grant priorities from resources to intelligence; • emphasizing homogeneity instead of heterogeneity; and • focusing on strengthening citizen preparedness. Massey also warned against concentrating homeland security efforts solely on external threats. Pointing to the Roman Empire’s fall, he said societies ignore internal risks at their own peril. Indeed, the message that homeland security encompasses internal threats — such as the national debt, trade deﬁcits, unfunded pensions and global warming — was a popular theme at the conference. — JIM McKAY, JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY EDITOR said Chuck Schuler, Folsom PD’s telecommunications engineer. The vehicle resembles a motor home and includes a rack of radio technology that lets all responders communicate with disparate types of radios. “This is the brain of our communication system,” Schuler explained. “We have 800 MHz radios, UHF, VHF, marine, aircraft, amateur radio. We can talk to any personnel — public safety, amateur or otherwise — in the region.” — CHAD VANDER VEEN, ASSOCIATE EDITOR on the Govtech.com Hot List Here are the 10 most popular stories on Govtech.com from March 14, 2008 to April 14, 2008. Calif. State Workers Protest Salary Database Publication Sacramento newspaper comes under ﬁre for publishing salary information on California state workers. www.govtech.com/gt/275170 FEMA Funding Priorities Shift Mobile Command Center Helps Air Show Soar SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — In March, Sacramento skies were torn asunder by mighty ﬂying machines. The third annual California Capital Airshow drew nearly 80,000 people to Mather Field (formerly Mather Air Force Base). Onlookers marveled at the technological achievements and performers’ piloting skills. Government Technology got a look inside the mobile command center deployed for the show. Operated by the Folsom, Calif., Police Department (PD), the mobile command center facilitated communication between local police, sheriff, ﬁre and the National Guard. “The COM 7401 was built for command and communications. We have 32 radio resources we can bring in — radios, phones, satellite phones. Major command staff, ﬁre captains, police lieutenants would sit in here and make decisions on a major disaster,” 1 3 5 4.2 Million Credit, Debit Card Numbers Exposed Supermarket chain says hackers accessed customer card numbers. www.govtech.com/gt/ articles/275456 Funding: Winning Homeland Security Dollars From Your State Nearly $4 billion is available for ﬁscal 2008. Here are strategies for getting your fair share. www.govtech.com/em/articles/279634 Virtual Worlds Help Public Safety Ofﬁcials Practice for Real-Life Threats Simulated mass casualty exercises cut cost and add ﬂexibility. www.govtech.com/em/261426 Wireless Sensors May Help Governments Monitor Health of Aging Infrastructure Minneapolis bridge collapse spurs monitoring innovations. www.govtech.com/dc/articles/261440 7 9 Entire Elgin, Ore., Planning Commission Resigns Volunteer commission members quit rather than consent to new ethics requirements. www.govtech.com/gt/articles/278639 American ITIL Oklahoma City implements ITIL principles to strengthen its technology operations. www.govtech.com/gt/95672 Chicago Fusion Center Gives Police New Criminal Investigation Tools New Crime Prevention Information Center helps city prevent terrorist attacks and revolutionize investigations. www.govtech.com/dc/articles/261463 12 Server and Desktop Virtualization Cuts IT Costs Virtual servers and desktops squeeze more work from less computer hardware. www.govtech.com/gt/268805 10 JUNE_08 j Telework Helps Virginia and Arizona Recruit and Retain Employees Telework strategies strengthen continuity of operations. www. govtech.com/pcio/articles/265781 2 4 j j 6 8 http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com http://www.govtech.com/gt/275170 http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/275456 http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/275456 http://www.govtech.com/em/articles/279634 http://www.govtech.com/pcio/articles/265781 http://www.govtech.com/pcio/articles/265781 http://www.govtech.com/em/261426 http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/261440 http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/278639 http://www.govtech.com/gt/95672 http://www.govtech.com/dc/articles/261463 http://www.govtech.com/gt/268805

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Government Technology - June 2008

Government Technology - June 2008 Contents Point of View The Last Mile Big Picture On the Scene Four Questions For... 3 Technologies That May Change Your Job ...And Your Life Loosening Medicaid's Grip Better Living Through Technology Immersive Itineraries Help Yourself Taking the Bait Shared Connection Up Close Spectrum Products Personal Computing signal:noise Digital Communities Contents Digital Tactics for a U.S. Recession E-Dilemma Stifling Community Innovation Leadership Interview Estonia Becomes E-Stonia If It Were Up to Me …

Government Technology - June 2008

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