Emergencity :: admin: July 2008

Coach Ron Tunick, afternoon drive-time host of "The Business of Life" on AM1400, is going to have me join him today at 5:30pm.  Tune in and see what we have cooking.

Says Coach Ron: "This radio show is for you... the business person.  If you own a business or work in a business we will shine a light on the world of business in Ventura and Santa Barbara County."

Emergencity received a nice mention in the Pacific Coast Business Times as a company to watch during these troubled economic times.  Full article here...

In the Pacific Coast Business Times, July-18-24, 2008, VCEDA President Bill Buratto's column President's Message was titled "Innovative companies key to economic rebound."  Emergencity was one of five companies spotlighted in the article.

By all measures and reports, the economy is in trouble, in Ventura County and across the nation... One bright spot in this equation is innovation and entrepreneurship.  There are a number of companies in the region that are working on new solutions to address some of our most pressing problems such as energy, emergency response, port security and education.  These companies and others like them will be the foundation of future economic growth in the region.

Times are tough - is the economic climate a speedbump that prevents an increase in disaster preparedness?  In a recent survey, 56% of coastal residents said they had no family emergency plan and 67% said they had no survival kit.

People struggling to pay for gas and groceries may feel "much more pressing needs" than an extra three-day cache of water and food, plus expensive first-aid supplies and extra prescription medications (which insurers may prevent people from obtaining anyway).

(hat tip Jason Womack)

Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a fee that would be added to homeowner insurance bills to pay for disasters in California. While costly wildfires rage, debate also rages in Sacramento over whether the fee should be levied.

Guests on KQED's "Forum" with host Michael Krasny include:
- Bill Stewart, cooperative extension specialist in the UC Berkeley Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Natural Resources
- Carroll Wills, sitting member of the Blue Ribbon Fire Commission Task Force, a commission established by the governor to issue recommendations for fire protection and prevention efforts
- Henry Renteria, director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services
- Roger Niello, member of the California State Assembly, District 5 (R-Sacramento) and vice chair of the Budget Committee

Stream or download the program from July 16th.

There's a nice site up for the Northern California wildfires with well-aggregated information at norcalemergency.com, which has been created and coordinated by PIER Systems, where there is an interesting white paper titled “Welcome to the Post-Media World.”

This is a creative solution to a challenging situation, where the remote and rugged landscape of the Ventana Wilderness creates many communication challenges for firefighters trying to contain the Basin Complex Fire. From the US Forest Service today:

...Incident Commander Mike Dietrich says they have found a unique way to address at least some of the problems.

Thanks to FEMA funding, the fire managers were able to call upon the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) to provide one of their vessels as a floating platform for radio communications.  Equipped with a portable radio repeater provided by the National Interagency Fire Center, the 58-foot Steelhead is now patrolling roughly 26 miles up and down the coast, significantly improving communications among firefighters in the rugged backcountry.

“This is the first time a California Department of Fish and Game patrol boat has been used to provide critical support to firefighters,” said DFG Captain Doug Huckins.