Today is not only the day to change our clocks, it's also the day to replaced smoke alarm batteries, according to an timely reminder from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission as Daylight Saving Time ends.
The great advantage of this system, according to NIST researchers, is that you don't need to expose the array to every chemical it could come in contact with in order to recognize and/or classify them.
As the weather grows cold and people start planning for the holidays, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have released two new research videos that illustrate the benefit of having sprinkler systems in homes. Scientists exposed two dry Christmas trees to an open flame in a living room mock-up built inside their laboratory and recorded the results.
Choosing individuals primarily from the post-World War II era, the Institute's short list of top 100 chemical engineers are categorized for their technical achievements, leadership of the profession, or pioneering work at the frontiers of technology.
Application procedures have been announced for the 2009 Harvard program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. The program is once again sponsored through a partnership between the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the International Fire Service Training Association/Fire Protection Publications (IFSTA/FPP), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Department of Homeland Security - United States Fire Administration (USFA). Each organization will fund the tuition costs of two individuals for a total of eight fellowships.
A 2008 appropriations bill directed the agency to "regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate by an ammonium nitrate facility . . . to prevent the misappropriation or use of ammonium nitrate in an act of terrorism." DHS is taking comments until Dec. 19.
The renowned risk insurer has added a major flood to its set of Realistic Disaster Scenarios for 2009. Up to now, Lloyd's has used earthquakes, windstorms, and airlines colliding over large cities to test the strength of individual syndicates and the market as a whole.
The federal government recently announced it is making $679 million available immediately to states across the nation to cover costs incurred to repair roads and bridges damaged by a variety of natural emergencies and catastrophic events.
APHA's "Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks" campaign offers materials and tips aimed at raising awareness of the importance of ensuring that each family has a stocked emergency preparedness kit.
The agency says it has surpassed congressional expectations mandated through the 9/11 law of screening 50 percent of cargo on passenger-carrying aircraft by February 2009 and 100 percent of cargo by August 2010.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has adopted two additional NFPA standards for first responders: NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents and NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents.
Combining previous references to storm shelter and safe room construction published by NSSA, the FEMA, and the Red Cross, the new standard increases minimum wind resistance requirements and provides basic safety and health requirements.
A new CDC-funded study in the October issue of Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness says medical professionals, emergency departments, and hospitals aren't trained sufficiently to respond to a radiological attack.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has launched its food defense awareness training kit for first line food industry employees.
The U.S. Fire Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have completed a report--titled "Technical Note 1499, Performance Metrics for Fire Fighting Thermal Imaging Cameras – Small- and Full-Scale Experiments"--that provides information on the research conducted as part of a project partnership on Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC) imaging performance metrics and test methods.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has released a new 23-minute safety video, titled "Half an Hour to Tragedy," based on the deadly propane gas explosion at the Little General convenience store in Ghent, W.Va., in January 2007.
"The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are more than 21.2 million people who have mobility impairments and by understanding their special evacuation needs, safety can be improved in the workplace and home," said Paul Tobin, president of The United Spinal Association.
"It is our intention that our efforts through the Academic Research Initiative, combined with the support efforts of other federal agencies, to help cultivate the nuclear scientists and engineers of the future," said Vayl Oxfod, director of the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
Health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society has released a report that lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, with potential impacts to both human and wildlife health and global economies.
As part of the initiative, firefighters this week are giving students a full demonstration of the fire truck and imparting practical fire safety tips they can use to make sure they have fire-safe homes. The experience will be capped off with a fire-safety poster contest.