Purchasing Program Supports First Responders
State and local governments have a new way to purchase supplies and services for all types of emergencies under a program established by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
The Cooperative Purchasing Program allows state and local agencies to buy law enforcement, security and first responder goods and services a GSA contract Schedule 84.
The GSA Cooperative Purchasing Program began in 2003, letting state and locals procure IT equipment, software and services found under Schedule 70 and Consolidated Schedule contracts containing IT special item numbers. Under the expanded program, state and locals can also buy total solutions for law enforcement, security, facilities management, fire, rescue, clothing, marine craft and disaster response equipment.
For more information, visit the GSA Web site.
New Notification System
Virginia Tech unveiled a new mass-notification system, consisting of more than 200 mounted LED displays installed on campus. The deployment satisfies a new state law requiring schools to have a comprehensive first-warning and notification plan by Jan. 1, 2009.
The initial installation included 220 Inova Solutions' OnAlert displays in classrooms and common areas. The displays show the time and date unless an emergency message is needed. The displays are powered by existing network connections using standard Power over Ethernet technology. The system is centrally networked, easy to manage and visible from 100 feet, according to a press release by Inova Solutions.
A lone gunman killed 32 people and wounded 17 during two separate incidents in a dormitory and classrooms on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg on April 16, 2007. It was the deadliest shooting in U.S. history.
For more information, visit Inova Solutions.
Rare Collaborative Training
Montana made a strong showing recently at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP), a Federal Emergency Management Agency all-hazards training center. More than 30 health-care responders and several fire service disciplines were represented in the Hospital Emergency Response Training (HERT) course. The large group represented 18 Montana counties. According to Dayle Perrin, hospital preparedness coordinator for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, they rarely have the opportunity to train together because of Montana's large land area.
The HERT course afforded the emergency response providers an opportunity to share experiences, develop networks and bring their own challenges to a common arena. Perrin's message to other response providers that are considering CDP training: "I would say go for it. I would actively encourage [responders of all disciplines] to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. The instructors are excellent, the staff takes excellent care of students and it's a great environment for training. Everyone at CDP goes out of their way to ensure the students get the most out of their time spent at the training facility."
The Montana group also attended the HERT Train-the-Trainer course, following completion of HERT training. The course provided students with an instructional overview of adult learning, task analysis, testing, evaluations and other information. This offers the jurisdictions another asset and avenue of training in their home jurisdiction through teaching portions of the HERT curriculum.
Health-care courses are offered at the CDP's Noble Training Facility, a former U.S. Army hospital that was converted into a training site for health and medical education. It's the only U.S. hospital facility dedicated to training hospital and health-care professionals in disaster preparedness and response.
For more information about the CDP, visit the CDP Web site.
Campus Violence Erupts in Arkansas
In late October, two students were killed and a third was wounded after a shooting at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). According to The Huffington Post, the victims were shot in an alley between a dormitory and the Snow Fine Arts Center.
Shortly after the incident, faculty and students were notified via an automated system, warning them about the shooting and imploring them to stay indoors.
The lead investigator confirmed that four suspects, who are unaffiliated with the university, are in custody and that the incident didn't appear to be random, according to the university's Web site. University police said they hope video cameras that were installed at UCA after the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech will reveal what sparked the violence.
