by Alice Johnson - ae.zawya.com - February 1, 2012

Thad W. Allen, senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton, recently retired from the United States Coast Guard. As the 23rd Commandant of the US Coast Guard, Admiral Allen was selected by President George W. Bush to lead the response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as the Principal Federal Official. In 2010, he was selected by President Barack Obama to lead the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, as National Incident Commander. He spoke to Zawya about effectively handling large-scale catastrophes.

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Use Twitter hashtag <#Crisis 30>  and email <***@***.***> to submit comments and questions to the speakers during the session between noon and 2 PM.

Use Twitter hashtag <#Crisis 30>  and email <***@***.***> to submit comments and questions to the speakers during the session between noon and 2 PM.

Remote Webcast Begins at 12:00 Noon (Eastern Time) - (See Link Below)

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/crisis-management-30-social-media-and-governance-times-transition

(Some viewers might need to download the JW Player in order to view the webcast - see the link below)

http://www.longtailvideo.com/players/

On February 16, the Science and Technology Innovation Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, Global Health Initiative, Inc., and the National Defense University will host a forum and webcast examining the role of social networks for preventing, responding to and managing large-scale crises. The discussion will focus on how governments and other institutions can leverage the power of intelligent social networks to proactively engage citizens in democratic processes and to enhance resilience and sustainability in extreme crises.

VizCenter - San Diego State University

February 8, 2012 - 8:00am

Purpose of X24 México

Exercise 24 (X24) México is the third iteration of a primarily virtual, open-invitation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise with real-world functional components that is hosted by San Diego State University’s “Immersive Visualization Center” (VizCenter).

Participants include DHS/Office of Health Affairs, NORAD-NORTHCOM, US Customs and Border Protection/Global Borders College, Mexican Army and Navy, Mexico Federal Police, Ministry of Defense from Vietnam, India National Disaster Management Agency, World Shipping Council, Red Cross, Pacific Disaster Center, NYK Logistics, National defense University, and growing.

X24 México Goals

'It's day after day after day' ... two stranded common dolphins being rescued at Herring River in Wellfleet, Cape Cod. Photograph: Julia Cumes/AP

The worst spate of dolphin strandings in a decade will be brought to the attention of Congress

by Suzanne Goldenberg - The Guardian - February 3, 2012

Scientists in Cape Cod are trying to determine what is causing dolphins to swim dangerously close to shore, with more than 100 becoming stranded in the last three weeks.

Members of Congress are due to be briefed on Friday about the strandings, the worst such event in more than a decade. Volunteers are maintaining coastal vigils and trying to get the animals back to sea.

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submitted by Mike Kraft

gsnmagazine.com - by Mark Rockwell - February 1, 2012

The next generation public safety communications network should be managed by a non-governmental, non-profit organization that could impartially reconcile the myriad standards and procedures affecting emergency responders nationwide, said a report by an independent government advisory committee.

It also recommended that such a network should take advantage of “assigned public safety spectrum.” Congress has been trying to get spectrum for a national public safety network for years, battling over whether to assign the spectrum directly to first responders or auction it off to communications companies, so they can share it with responders and manage its back-office functions.

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