Jaws Official Trailer

There's a great white shark patrolling the Jersey Shore. The Jersey Devil was sighted.  Derechos and tornadoes were forecast this week, and some of that good old East Coast thunder and lightning even shut down the U.S. Open for half a day (not a good idea to be waving metal sticks around in a storm). And yesterday, my local nuclear power plant was ordered to make upgrades to avoid a disaster., and an alligator was found in a Philadelphia sewer (for real!).

All that kind of made me want to rewind to last week, when I was safely ensconced at DRI2013 -- in classrooms and the exhibit hall, among old friends and new, having fun while learning an awful lot (and far enough away from a building collapse; oh no, I think I may be a disaster magnet!). But I'm not a turn-back-the-clock kind of person because wishing you could turn back time is futile and because now I've got that Cher song in my head. So instead, I'm looking forward.

I'm looking forward to hearing from more of you about DRI2013 and using your feedback to plan DRI2014 so that we can make our conference the absolute best it can be. For those of you who did attend DRI2013, thank you! You will be receiving a post-conference survey next week, along with a link to all of the presentations. But you don't have to wait to participate. In fact, you don't even have to have been at DRI2013 to take our DRI2014 location survey (see below).  We'd like you to help us choose next year's city. It'll just take a minute and by Friday you must have an urge to tell someone where to go.  Make it us!  

 

Buffy Rojas

Where would you like to go for DRI2014?  We're searching for a site right now, and just as we've done in the past, we'd like your input!  The front runners are: Atlanta, Miami, Charleston, Dallas, Chicago, and Washington D.C., but our ears are open and your ideas are welcome.
Click here to take the super-quick, one-question survey.

How do you feel about disaster tourism?  Tasteless gawking?  Revenue source for recovering areas? Somewhere in between? This week, Fox News ran a piece about a new travel trend: disaster tourism. It seems travelers are interested in visiting disaster sites, from tornado-ravaged New Orleans to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. Fox provides a Top 7 list.

The 9/11 Memorial was created with the knowledge that it would be a destination and a place to show respect for the victims and responders. In fact, within months of opening in 2011, it had been visited by millions. But what about places like New Orleans?

Visitors must be appropriate and sensitive, Kelly Schulz, spokesperson for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, told Fox, adding that her family home of 30 years was devastated in the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. "I think the most important thing is to approach the situation and the local people with respect," she said.

Why the fascination? "A lot of people feel very sympathetic to victims of disasters, yet feel incapable of helping or supporting people who have suffered," Dr. Michael Brein, a travel psychologist and author, told Fox. "To some extent, when you go to revisit the scene of a disaster, you're paying homage, expressing sympathy with what has happened. Some of us feel, if we can revisit the scene of these disaster areas, we can maybe get a more genuine, more hands on, more sensory input of what has happened," he said.

Personally, I found a Post-Katrina trip (just months after the flooding) to be sobering and heart-wrenching. But it was also educational, and I think there's an argument to be made for BC professionals (especially those who haven't been on the front lines of a response and recovery) to get a feel for the magnitude of such an impact as well as the aftermath.  Your thoughts?

A study released Monday reveals that IT executives nationwide, fearful of security breaches and natural disasters, are beefing up BC/DR plans and adopting wireless, cloud, and mobile applications and services.

The annual study, conducted by AT&T, found that:

• More than half of executives surveyed (63%) cite the looming threat of security breaches as their most important security concern for 2013.
• 84 percent of executives are concerned about the use of mobile networks and devices and its impact on security threats.
• 88 percent of those surveyed understand the increasing importance of security and indicate that their companies have a proactive strategy in place.
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of companies include their wireless network capabilities as part of their business continuity plan.
• 87 percent of executives indicate their organizations have a business continuity plan in place in case of a disaster or threat - a slight uptick from last year (86%).

The results for the latest AT&T annual business continuity study brings to light several trends regarding how businesses are preparing themselves for potential disasters and threats. AT&T has conducted this study for twelve consecutive years, surveying IT executives from companies in the United States with at least $25 million in annual revenue to measure the national pulse on business continuity planning.

For more information and a year-over-year comparison, click here.

University of North Texas engineering professors are developing software that will "provide vital information on 911 calls through smartphones and help first responders better do their jobs," according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The app is called Life Guard, and it's being developed at the university with support from National Science Foundation grants of about $1.1 million. It is designed to give on-the-spot information to emergency operators so lifesaving decisions can be made, Ram Dantu, a professor at UNT's College of Engineering told the Star-Telegram. "The app will measure various vital signs and transmit to the operator," Dantu said.

The app offers text-to-speech technology and remote control of smartphone cameras so an operator can view an emergency scene. It also provides breathing and vital sign monitors and a CPR monitor so a dispatcher can accurately coach callers who are aiding those in need.

Read more about it here.