FEMA Joins Community In Unveiling Interactive Emergency Software
Program Enables Real-Time Information Sharing During A Catastrophic Event
Release Date: July 10, 2003
Release Number: HQ-03-144
Laurel, MD -- An information technology milestone for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was announced today in Laurel, MD. With the installation of disaster management software in the Laurel Emergency Operations Center (EOC), first responders and emergency managers are now able to share disaster response and recovery information online during a catastrophic incident.
The Disaster Management Interoperability Services (DMIS) program, which is managed by FEMA, allows the emergency response community to share real-time information during an incident in a secure, web-based environment.
As part of Laurel's grand opening ceremony for its new EOC, first responders ran an emergency "virtual" drill with neighboring counties through the use of DMIS and computers provided by the federal government. The software was provided to Laurel as part of the Presidential Disaster Management E-Government Initiative.
"This initiative will ultimately reduce the loss of life and property through the use of enhanced communication and response," said Acting Regional Director Patricia Arcuri, FEMA Region III, which covers the states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Through a collaborative effort of FEMA, the General Services Administration and Department of Defense, excess computers were donated to Laurel for the creation of an EOC. Laurel, the first city to obtain the comprehensive DMIS package, has received computers, training, and DMIS software for multi-county, multi-discipline, real-time communication during a crisis.
E-government is an integral part of the President's Management Agenda to simplify the process for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, to save taxpayer dollars and streamline citizen-to-government transactions. A copy of the President's E-government strategy and information on the E-government Initiatives can be found at www.omb.gov.
On March 1, 2003, FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. FEMA's continuing mission within the new department is to lead the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates proactive mitigation activities, trains first responders, and manages Citizen Corps, the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration.
Last Modified: Thursday, 10-Jul-2003 11:57:39