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PUBLIC SECTOR

LATEST NEWS HEADLINES

‘Preparing for Pandemic Influenza - Guidance to Local Planners’
The UK Cabinet Office has published updated information on pandemic planning for local authority emergency planners.
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•Date: 14th Dec 2007• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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Letter to the editor
There is a growing awareness across the UK public sector that business continuity planning may fall short of public expectation.
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•Date: 22nd Nov 2007• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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UK local authorities failing when it comes to some aspects of disaster recovery planning
Only 8 percent of local authorities interviewed in a new survey have disaster recovery plans that include provisions for denial of access to premises.
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•Date: 12th October 2007• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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DHS publishes National Preparedness Guidelines
Establishes a vision for national preparedness and provides a systematic approach for prioritizing preparedness efforts across the US.
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•Date: 14th Sept 2007• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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‘Planning for a Possible Influenza Pandemic – A Framework for Planners Preparing to Manage Deaths’
A new draft guidance paper from the UK Home Office: feedback sought.
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•Date: 31st Aug 2007• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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ALARM Annual Awards 2007
UK public sector risk management award winners announced.
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•Date: 13th July 2007• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Operational risk
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New Civil Contingencies Act implementation guidance
Informal guidance helps with implementing the ‘communicating with the public’ duty.
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•Date: 19th June 2007 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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US gets a National Continuity Coordinator
Responsible for the coordination, development and implementation of Federal continuity policies; given 90 days to develop a National Continuity Implementation Plan.
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•Date: 17th May 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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Thumbs up for BCM at Hertfordshire County Council
A comprehensive study of Hertfordshire County Council's business continuity arrangements has found that the authority’s plans are ‘very good’. However, it called for further work with voluntary organisations to ensure they are better prepared should the worst occur. Read the story.
•Date: 17th May 2007 • Region: UK •Type: Briefing •Topic: Public sector BC
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Civil Contingencies Secretariat publishes CCA business continuity update
Bulletin gives an update on business continuity management activities related to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
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•Date: 24th April 2007 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector BC
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NASCIO develops DVD to promote benefits of continuity of operations planning
Eleven minute video downloadable free of charge.
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•Date: 30th March 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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UK local authorities honoured for emergency planning excellence
Beacon Awards given to authorities with robust risk assessment and business continuity processes in place.
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•Date: 23rd March 2007 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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UK NHS to coordinate National Workshop on Pandemic Influenza
5th March 2007 workshop will provide an update on preparing for pandemic influenza, highlighting progress and next steps.
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•Date: 27th Feb 2007 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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UK Civil Contingencies Secretariat provides an update on CCA duty to promote business continuity
Stakeholder bulletin sets out the way forward.
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•Date: 12th January 2007 • Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: CC Act
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NIC recommends NFPA 1600 standard
US State and local governments are asked to make a voluntary adoption of the disaster/emergency management and business continuity standard.
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•Date: 12th January 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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Final Katrina Workshop addresses critical role of standards for emergency preparedness
A diverse group of homeland security and emergency preparedness experts gathered yesterday (January 11) in Washington, DC, for a workshop meeting of the American National Standards Institute’s Homeland Security Standards Panel (ANSI-HSSP) on the subject of lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina.
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•Date: 12th January 2007 • Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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Scotland unprepared for disaster
According to a new report by Coventry University’s Centre for Disaster Management there are key shortcomings in current plans drawn up by the Scottish Executive, emergency services, councils, health and other public services for the management of a major incident in the country. The report's authors accuse emergency planners of misplaced confidence; over measures already in place. Read the Scotsman story
•Date: 27th Nov 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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National Capabilities Survey 2006 results published
UK government resiliency survey shows that there is a good level of business continuity and crisis management plannning in the public sector.
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•Date: 8th Nov 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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Civil Contingencies Secretariat publishes first edition of Civil Protection News
The UK Cabinet Offices’s Civil Contingencies Secretariat has released the first issue of its new publication ‘Civil Protection News’. The quarterly newsletter is aimed at civil protection practitioners and provides information related to practitioners’ duties under the Civil Contingencies Act. It includes articles and information on business continuity. Read the first edition
•Date: 8th Nov 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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FEMA publishes 2007 NIMS compliance package
The 2007 fiscal year NIMS compliance package was sent to US governors on October 23, and has now been posted in its entirety on the FEMA website.
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•Date: 3rd Nov 2006• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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New evacuation and shelter guide for UK emergency planners
The document is aimed at Category One responders under the Civil Contingencies Act, but will also provide a useful reference guide for business continuity managers in general.
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•Date: 2nd Nov 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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UK Civil Contingencies Secretariat develops Civil Contingencies Act information dissemination portal
Will enable Category 2 Responders to provide information as required under the Act.
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•Date: 4th October 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Civil Contingencies Act
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Two new reports into 7th July London attacks published
The reports attempt to capture lessons learned in terms of emergency response, crisis communications and victim aftercare.
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•Date: 22nd Sept 2006• Region: UK•Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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UK Civil Contingencies Secretariat gives Civil Contingencies Act updates
Bruce Mann and Dan Greaves have written articles looking at various aspects of the Civil Contingencies Act and its implementation.
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•Date: 12th Sept 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Civil Contingencies Act
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‘Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities’
The US Department of Justice has published an updated guide to help US local governments ensure that emergency preparedness and response programs are accessible to people with disabilities. Making such programs accessible is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. http://www.ada.gov/emergencyprep.htm
•Date: 30th August 2006• Region: US •Type: Briefings •Topic: Public sector
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Civil Contingencies Secretariat tells UK public sector to prepare for national exercise of pandemic preparedness plans
Local plans should be prepared or updated by the end of November and training and local table top exercises carried out in December and January.
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•Date: 15th August 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning UK
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Civil Contingencies Secretariat provides an update on Civil Contingencies Act progress
CCS coordinating the identification of good business continuity practice.
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•Date: 11th August 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Civil Contingencies Act
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NIST consults on changes to key systems security and availability publication
Seeking comments on a draft revision of Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems (NIST Special Publication 800-53).
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•Date: 4th August 2006• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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US National Council on Disability makes recommendations to improve emergency preparedness, response plans for people with disabilities
NCD has released ‘The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on People with Disabilities: A Look Back and Remaining Challenges.’
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•Date: 4th August 2006• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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Assessment frameworks for UK Civil Contingencies Act category one responders published
Responders’ performance will be assessed by existing mainstream frameworks.
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•Date: 2nd August 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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How prepared are US cities for disaster?
The Conference of Mayors has published the results of a survey investigating the current state of US disaster preparedness.
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•Date: 2nd August 2006• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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Developing business continuity management within a local authority
Andy Pepper, senior emergency management officer, explains how Cardiff Council has set about developing BC plans to meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
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•Date: 14th July 2006 • Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Plan development
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Civil Contingencies Secretariat launches the ‘Local Response Gateway’
‘A central gateway to improve the way that central government departments communicate with civil protection practitioners’.
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•Date: 6th July 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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DHS completes National Infrastructure Protection Plan
NIPP available for download; Sector-Specific Plans that complement it and detail the risk management framework will be released within 180 days.
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•Date: 5th July 2006• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning
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TOPOFF 4 and Forward Challenge 2006 exercise completed
Included a test of Federal continuity of operations plans.
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•Date: 23rd June 2006• Region: US •Type: Article •Topic: Testing and Exercising
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Current UK NHS emergency and continuity of operations plans are ‘vastly inadequate’
Claims Loughborough University's Charles Hancock, a leading expert in healthcare risk management.
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•Date: 13th June 2006• Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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Lords Select Committee publishes review of Government risk management policies and activities
The UK Government ‘has developed a sound and potentially useful framework for the assessment of risk. The key issue is whether this framework is applied properly.’
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•Date: 7th June 2006• Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Public sector
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‘London’s emergency plans must be changed’, says London Assembly report into 7th July bombings
Emergency plans ‘focused on incidents but not individuals and processes rather than people’.
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•Date: 5th June 2006• Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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DHS issues Notice of Change to National Response Plan
The US Department of Homeland Security has issued a notice of change to the National Response Plan (NRP), identifying items that have been recently amended. Go there
•Date: 26th May 2006• Region: US • Type: Briefing •Topic: Emergency planning
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Emergency Planning College seeking Associate Course Directors
Due to the rapid growth of its training, consultancy and international business the UK Cabinet Office’s Emergency Planning College is on the hunt for new Associate Course Directors. Subject matter expertise is required in any of the following areas: risk management, emergency planning, care of people, emergency management, CBRN, communications & media, crowd safety, health service management, business continuity, legal aspects of civil protection. More details at http://www.thebci.org/ACDadvertMay06.pdf
•Date: 25th May 2006• Region: UK • Type: Briefing •Topic: BC general
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America unprepared…
After more than five years, the responsibilities, strategies and mission of the US Department of Homeland Security are still not all clearly defined according to the majority of state homeland security officials.
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•Date: 23rd May 2006• Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Emergency management
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Federal workforce not ready to telework during influenza pandemic
According to the Cyber Security Industry Alliance.
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•Date: 17th May 2006• Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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GAO reports on the military response to Katrina and the lessons learned for future disasters
"Hurricane Katrina: Better Plans and Exercises Needed to Guide the Military's Response to Catastrophic Natural Disasters."
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•Date: 17th May 2006• Region: US• Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation Plan
The US Federal Government has published a comprehensive document describing more than 300 critical actions to address the threat of pandemic influenza.
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•Date: 4th May 2006• Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning: US
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Survey explores status of pandemic ‘flu continuity of operations planning in US Federal government
73 percent of respondents admit that they will not show up at their office.
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•Date: 12th May 2006• Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning
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