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 Google Now Posting Emergency Alerts via Google Maps

CNET by Lance Whitney  25 January 2012

Google's new Public Alerts page now offers information on emergencies around the world.

(Credit: Screenshot by Lance Whitney/CNET)

People looking for information on a natural disaster or other emergency anywhere in the world can now stay abreast of the latest details courtesy of Google Maps.

The new Public Alerts page, which Google is launching today, aims to keep you informed of emergency alerts for floods, tornadoes, winter storms, and other dangers that may be headed your way.

The idea is tell you what's happening, when and where the disaster may hit, how severe it will be, and what resources are around to help you, according to a Google blog post.

You can search for a specific item by going directly to Google Maps and typing the name and location of the potential disaster. For example, typing "winter storm alaska" displays "Winter Storm Warning in Northern Alaska" at the top of the search results with a "more info" link that you can click on to view the full details.

You can also go directly to the Public Alerts page to view of a list of current emergency warnings throughout the world. Each warning is displayed on the map as a hotspot, which you can hover over or click on to view more information.

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Transportation security
Hackers Attack U.S. Railways

Homeland Security News Wire  25 January 2012

Last month hackers took control of passenger rail lines in the Northwest, disrupting signals twice and creating delays

Hackers have seized control US railways // Source: webpronews.com

According to Nextgov, which obtained a summary of a 20 December meeting of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials , on 1 December train service on an undisclosed railroad "was slowed for a short while," resulting in a fifteen minute delay across the system.

The next day, hackers once again disrupted signals, but their actions did not result in any delays.

Local rail officials immediately alerted DHS and TSA sprang into action, investigating the incident and providing critical intelligence to train operators to mitigate any potential damage.

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FEMA Urges Greater Public-Private Cooperation in Disaster Response

Homeland Security NewsWire 24 January 2012

Speaking at the International Disaster Conference and Exposition, Craig Fugate, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), urged emergency planners to take a broader view of disaster response and include the private sector.

"Why is it one minute after the disaster, we think government is going to do everything?" Fugate asked the audience of public and private sector emergency mangers. "The more goods and services that the private sector is able to provide to meet the needs, then (government) can focus on the most needy and vulnerable areas."

To illustrate his point, Fugate discussed what he called the "Waffle House indicator." Prior to serving as FEMA's chief administrator, Fugate was the director of Florida's emergency management agency, which is where he and his staff noticed that whenever they visited an area hit by a disaster a Waffle House diner would always be open for business while other businesses would still be crippled.

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Hospital security
Spike in Violent Incidents in Hospitals

 Homeland Security News Wire 23 January 2012

Over the past decade, hospitals across the nation have been subject to an alarming increase in violent incidents; in the last five years alone, there has been nearly a 300 percent increase in the number of reported homicides, assaults, and rapes compared to the previous five years

Nurses are particularly concerned about the increase in hospital violence // Source: hestand.org

"There was that day when hospitals were safe havens but what we've seen in the past eight or ten years is that has shifted," said George Mills, director of engineering at the Joint Commission, which accredits more than 19,000 hospitals nationally. "People will now go to hospitals to finish whatever [crimes] may have started somewhere else. Hospitals have more lock-down situations."

According to statistics from the Joint Commission, there were 177 reported assaults, rapes and homicides at hospitals in the last five years, compared with 61 cases in the previous five years. The actual number of violent incidents is likely higher as many go unreported.

Most recently, on 6 January, a man walked into the intensive care unit of a hospital in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and killed his estranged wife and mother-in-law.

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