Disaster Response

https://vimeo.com/835459614/c02402ee43?share=copy 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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Complex emergency management is fundamentally a lesson in organized chaos where accountability is a core foundational element of shared situational awareness. Knowing where to find what you need can be as chaotic given that response assets — the vehicles, equipment, autonomous platforms — are rarely in one place and scattered throughout an area of operation. Asset inventory coupled with resources and capability on a “single...

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While "domain awareness" has been a long-standing requirement for military and counter-terrorism operations, Blueforce has been hearing this more and more for incident management in the public safety and emergency management spaces. Domain awareness is of paramount importance for emergency managers as it provides a comprehensive understanding of the operating environment in which emergencies or disasters occur. Here are several reasons why domain awareness is...

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The importance of keeping our first responders safe during severe weather events cannot be understated. Access to timely and detailed weather alerts is crucial when deployed to any natural and/or manmade disaster or critical incident, especially when it comes to ensuring the safety of those on the front lines. The National Weather Service Severe Weather Plugin for BlueforceEDGE provides hyperlocal alerting for a host of...

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During complex emergencies or events, first responders often face several map-related challenges. Some of these challenges include having to utilize offline maps, data layers, and other geospatial data that contains important details and/or real-time data. During these events, first responders from different agencies, departments, towns, and even states may be called in, which means some responders and agencies will be responding to completely unfamiliar territory...

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Radio frequency management and shared awareness play a major role in the management of any mass casualty and/or special event. Given the inter-agency mashup that these events create, shared awareness of the radio frequencies used by the variety of responder organizations is important so that the Incident Commander and team are not overwhelmed by a constant stream of requests for frequencies used by a specific...

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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...

Read More