In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog

In a New York Times op-ed today, “Defend America One Laptop At A Time,” Harvard Law Professor (and former director of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel)  Jack Goldsmith argues that the everyday  computer user can play a key part in the nation’s cyber security initiative. Cyber security is seen as an increasingly vital piece [...]

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The National Weather Service has declared June 21-27 “Lightning Safety Awareness Week” to highlight the dangers of lightning and show what people can do to prevent being struck. So far in 2009, 15 people have been killed by lightning and many others have been injured.

To avoid being struck by lightning, the National Weather Service recommends [...]

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The American Red Cross and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have just released results of a survey showing a majority (79%) of Americans are concerned about the rising cost of heating their homes, and may use an alternative heating source to reduce their bills this winter. That, according to the Red Cross and NFPA, could [...]

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Looking for a wedding gift for that difficult to buy for bride and groom?
Stacy Gerlich, a Los Angeles Fire Department Captain, has a creative and useful suggestion. And, she says two-thirds of recipients love it. 
According to Chip Jacobs’ Los Angeles Times story:

Newlyweds receiving a wedding gift from Stacy Gerlich these days can expect a little disaster [...]

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Below are the randomly drawn winning entries for the “Send In A Preparedness Tip, Win A Preparedness Book” contest. The first six winners will receive the audio book for Amanda Ripley’s The Unthinkable, and the next three will get copies of Michael Sheehan’s Crush The Cell. Thanks to Amanda, Mike, Crown Publishing, Random House and those who [...]

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For the last week, I have been one of several Guest Bloggers for the American Red Cross’ “Red Cross Chat” blog. I thought I would bring to your attention two interesting posts from two of the other Guest Bloggers, David Stephenson and Robin Parker, two of the most innovative people I know when it comes to [...]

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Readers of this blog know that I am a big advocate of the potential of personal technology in helping the public prepare for and respond to emergencies, whether they be small everyday incidents or major disasters. So, I am very happy to see that the Wireless Foundation, the Wireless Association’s charitable arm, has just created a terrific new [...]

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A ‘near miss’ like yesterday’s Los Angeles earthquake often doesn’t motivate people to prepare. Sometimes, it requires something major to actually happen to you before doing anything.  
Yet, as Part 1, the Times-Picayune collection of preparedness tips I posted on Monday, indicates, the testimony of disaster survivors can also be very compelling and helpful. That’s why Pinellas [...]

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One of the simplest but most ingenious uses of the internet for disaster preparedness is the New Orleans Times Picayune’s list of reader hurricane preparedness lessons learned mostly as a result of Hurricane Katrina.
The Times-Picayune, which did such heroic coverage during and after Katrina, solicited these ideas from readers in 2006 and printed them weekly [...]

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Earlier this year, James Karl Buck, a graduate student arrested in Egypt while documenting local riots, sent out a one word Twitter message — “Arrested” — just before he was taken in custody by Egyptian police. As a result of the message, members of Buck’s Twitter network were able to get the word out, mobilize and then create enough outside [...]

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