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 Community
Coordinator Program
Newsletter
HAM Radio Contact
To go to your hometown Emergency Information Page or to signup to receive free
emergency notifications, enter your 5 digit zip code below:
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International Emergency Preparedness, Notification and Communications Organization
About EMCOM...
Based in and around the Kansas City area, and with facilities around the country, EMCOM is a public service NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) and project of Technical Legal Consulting, Inc. (TLC) dedicated to providing for three key elements of nationwide emergency
preparedness at the family / neighborhood level:
- A nationwide network of neighborhood based, volunteer Community Emergency Preparedness Coordinators whose objectives include bringing their respective neighborhoods to at least a minimum level of Emergency/Disaster Preparedness as
defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Their tasks include
passing out Red Cross/FEMA disaster information and checklists, creating
neighborhood rosters/phone alert lists, designating neighborhood post emergency
assembly/triage areas, and establishing back-up emergency communications
for the community.
Specific Goals and Objectives can be found by clicking HERE.
- Providing the administration, operations, training, coordination and
communications for its coordinators, including technologically advanced
notification / communications systems to instantly (within seconds) notify
any/all coordinators of emergency situations, and systems to provide for
live, simultaneous, audio/visual interactive training of large groups of coordinators
in geographically diverse locations.
Click below for more information concerning:
- Providing a single, integrated notification/bulletin transmission
methodology for municipalities, and public and private emergency organizations
to communicate information for and between themselves, to the media, to
neighborhood coordinators and/or the public. Communications may be for natural
or man-made emergencies, or for everyday occurrences like water main breaks
which require emergency "boil orders". Such messages can be transmitted to
neighborhood coordinators in the area to relay to residents, or directly to
participating residents themselves.
Messages will appear as "pop-up" bulletins on the computer screens of the
targeted audience, or be delivered to their message capable pagers or cell
phones.
Additionally, messages from these entities can be delivered directly via
satellite to WeatherAlert 2000 radios, and beginning in April 2000, to
satellite based pagers.
Click below for more information concerning:
- Providing specifications and guidance for creating neighborhood based
back-up emergency communications which interface directly with existing
public/private emergency communications networks including ARES/RACES.
(See Communications Specification)
EMCOM Project Director
The EMCOM Project is headed by TLC founding partner Eric Forsman. Mr. Forsman is a world renowned systems designer with over 30 years experience designing,
developing and integrating advanced, state-of-the-art systems. His
experience for both government and industry includes:
- Space Systems
- Nuclear Systems
- Automated and Robotic Systems
- Advanced Communications Systems
- Nationwide/Worldwide Networks
- Political Campaign/Election Systems
- Information, financial and accounting systems
- Internet based systems (currently controls well over 950,000 internet web pages)
Mr. Forsman specializes in Requirements Analysis and Design, and is a
published author and keynote speaker on the subject. He has taught seminars
and workshops world-wide (6 continents) on the subject, and speaks 5 languages. His
experience in emergency management spans not only natural disasters, but
extensive training in nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC), and terrorism
based incidents. Mr. Forsman also has experience in all facets of law
enforcement including forensic investigations, is a pilot (instrument rated) and holds
a general class amateur radio license. He is a veteran, having spent 7 years with the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force (4 during Vietnam).
Mr. Forsman and his work have been featured in numerous newspaper, technical and business journals, and his
innovative approaches to network based notification, communications and
training systems have been the enabling factor in creating a system capable
of providing the coordination needed in the development of the EMCOM
nationwide network of Community Emergency Preparedness Coordinators, and
the interfaces with emergency agencies at all levels.
Proprietary Systems
Integral to the the system is the secure, encrypted instant
Notification and Emergency Warning System (NEWS) to public and private agencies which
provides a means enhancing coordination of diverse and geographically separate
offices, organizations and/or personnel. It is the foundation upon which
the National Emergency Alert Notification System was built. The system allows a single message
to be delivered to points world-wide within seconds, by 'popping up' a
window on computer screens of all persons designated to receive the messages,
regardless of the computer hardware type, operating system, or internet
browser being utilized by the user. The system also incorporates notifications
via email, satellite based WeatherAlert All-Hazard radios, text messaging notifications to pagers, cell phones, PDA's, FAX notifications, voice notifications via telephone and radio relay, and 'LiveAlert' targeted webcast technology.
The system requires NO hardware or
software installation by recipients, and virtually no training of users to be
able to utilize the system; as such, a world-wide, private, secure coordinated
communications network can be implemented within days, and a fraction of the
cost of other systems.
The system incorporates a virtually unlimited user defined set of
communications channels, such that grouping of communications to various
types of receiving points is a simple task. Additionally, the system includes
channels designated for receipt by the public, and by media organizations in
their newsrooms. Other features include the built-in capability for all
users (including public and media channels) to receive any bulletin issued
by the National Weather Service for their own area, as well as
breaking news bulletins from major media outlets.
The system provides an exceptional means of coordination through
instant communications with locations anywhere in the world. In chaotic
emergency situations, organizations can quickly provide guidance and
information within their organization (intra-agency), between participating
or interested organizations (inter-agency), or to the media or public.
Messages can be finely targeted to specific groups/organizations, types of
groups/organizations, by geographic locality or within a user defined
proximity of a geographic location, or down to single individuals.
Utilization of the system is simple. Users simply click on the NEWS button
or link on an organization's internet web page, and an icon button will pop
up on the user's screen in a separate, small window. The icon itself provides
all of the monitoring capability needed for the system to operate. Users can
then use their browser to continue utilizing the internet, or may go on to use
any other applications on their computer. If any type of bulletin/notification
is issued, it will appear in a window that pops up on the user's computer
screen.
Messages/notifications may include photos/video etc. within the bulletin,
and additional documents can be attached, just as with e-mail. Additionally,
senders can designate that the user's internet browser automatically display
any WWW page accessible through the internet.
With the enhanced system, users may also designate that a copy of all
bulletins/notifications be sent to their email, and/or be sent to their
text messaging capable cellular telephone if they are going to be away from
their desk/computer.
The system also incorporate detailed, chronological logging of all messages
by channel/incident, etc., available to user authorized personnel at any
time.
For more information, see the System Presentation.
Contact EMCOM for more information.
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