Disaster Tip of The Week:Have Flashlights Ready, With Plenty of Extra Batteries

The timing of this week's disaster tip could not be better, since the power went out in my neighborhood last night for about 45 minutes.

Having flashlights or battery powered lanterns near by during a power outage or during a disaster is very good for helping to keep people calm. Being able to see what you are doing is a great help too.

Some people suggest propane lanterns and candles, and being from the North East these were common in my house as a kid and great for when storms knock out the power.

However, during major disasters these are not the best choice, since there is a fire danger. Gas leaks are very common.

If you are going to use a candle, lantern or even before you light a match or lighter, be 100 percent sure it is safe to do so.

So, if you can use battery powered, or even hand cranked powered lights, at least until you know it is safe to use other sources.

I keep several battery powered lanterns with batteries in them at all times. I also have a few other lanterns and lights ready but without batteries in them.

I also have enough batteries for each light source along with back up batteries for each which some may say is a little over kill, but hey, it's about being prepared right?

Obama's Marine One Classified Data Leaked Over P2P, Found On Iranian Computer

The highly classified Helicopter that carries the President of the United States, known as Marine One has been leaked, compromising its security and usefulness.

According to Gormley, Tiversa first found information about Marine One's avionics floating around on file-sharing networks last summer and notified the contractor and the authorities about the discovery. Last week's search shows that copies of the document are still available on P2P networks to anyone who knows how to look for it, he said.

To read more please refer to the Computer World Reference Below.

National Disaster Summit Currently Taking Place Around The Country

The 2009 National Disaster Summit is underway making the rounds around the country. The next National Disaster Summit event is taking place in Nashville, TN on March 19th.

If you are looking for an excellent event or confreence on disaster preparedness I recomend that you attend this event.

From the National Disaster Summit site:

Whether you are just starting to think about creating a disaster plan for your business or looking to update your current plan, our educational seminar will provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to create a complete and efficient plan. More importantly, the information you receive will give you confidence that your business, employees and property will survive and recover in the event of a disaster.

Join them as they discuss

* Business continuity plans, procedures and project management tools
* Business risk analysis and impact of potential disasters
* Developing business unit management plans and procedures
* Implementing disaster plans through detailed testing and employee training
* Environmental issues and air quality control following a disaster
* Deploying emergency response and recovery teams to ground zero
* Insurance claims management to ensure maximum benefits under a policy
* Procedures to follow in reconstructing and restoring your structure and operations
* Life/safety techniques and proper triage training
* Effective communication systems during emergencies
* Pandemic, avian flu and other dangerous viruses
* Private/Public partnerships and government funding
* County fire department planning and resources available
* Federal, State and Local Government disaster planning and preparations

To Register for one of the events Follow the links below, and be sure to check out their website:

National Disaster Summit

The remainder of the 2009 venue schedule:

March 19 - Nashville,TN

April 16 - Fort Lauderdale, FL

May15 - Chicago, IL

July 16 - Houston, TX

September 17 - Seattle, WA

October 22 - Philadelphia, PA

Disaster Tip of The Week:Maintain A Land-line Based Phone

Many people have made the switch to internet based telephony services (VOIP) for both business and personal use. These services are great for everyday use but during a disaster or emergency situations they do have some drawbacks.

Though VOIP has some positives as well, none of these will be beneficial during a time of crisis, and the two biggest drawbacks of VOIP is that it is dependant on the internet being operational, and requires a separate working power source.

More people are using only cell phones, that are also dependant on cellular towers working, and the limitations of the technology.

Land-line based phone systems are not susceptible to these drawbacks and is still one of the best ways to stay in contact with people. Land-line phones systems also carry their own electrical current to power the communications systems.

If you do not currently have a land-line phone, I would highly suggest that you get one. You can typically call your phone company and tell them that you plan on maintaining the system just for emergencies and they will provide the service for a nominal fee.

IAEA: Iran Has Enough Fuel To Make Nuclear Bomb

The United Nations Nuclear watchdog, IAEA announced through a report yesterday that Iran has enough fuel to make a bomb and show that Iran had amassed about 2,227 pounds of low-enriched, or reactor-grade, nuclear fuel by late January.

Physicists estimate that producing the 55 pounds or so of highly enriched, or weapons-grade, uranium needed for an atomic warhead requires 2,205 to 3,748 pounds of low-enriched uranium.

The announcement seems to come as a surprise even to scientists, diplomats and arms control experts alike, who all thought that it would take Iran until the end of this year to amass the fuel needed to create a weapon.

One expert, David Albright of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, said he was "blindsided" by the report.

"We are surprised," Albright said. "We did not expect this."

By crossing the 2,205-pound threshold, experts say, Iran has improved its "breakout" capacity, the ability to renege on treaty obligations, kick out inspectors and quickly build a bomb.

Albright said, the uranium stockpile signifies "a capability, not a decision." And even if Iran made such a decision, it would face numerous major hurdles to building a bomb.

In reading other reports about this I personally am not surprised, See our other post: Iran To Have Nukes Within Three Months

and: Irans Secret Nuclear Ambitions Not So Secret and also: Cause For Concern? Iran States They Successfully Launched Satellite Into Space.

The last story if true give Iran the capability of not just having a nuclear weapon, but also of being capable of launching an ICBM.