popular logistics

Another outstanding resource from Brian Steckler from the Naval Postgraduate School and the Center for the Study of Hastily Formed Networks for Humantarian Assistance/Disaster Relief    -

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been compiling a Responder Knowledge Base, much of which is non-classified,  has what appears to be an encyclopedic collection of information about:

• equipment
• equipment grants
• standards
• best practices

If you’re a registered user (first responder, paid or volunteer, planner - someone with a verifiable legitimate use), there’s an “ask an expert” submission form - and the staff promises to try to answer questions, via email, within a week. I’m going to submit a couple of questions that have been, of late, frustrating my attempts to do some communications planning and budgeting.

As our  blogroll has grown, I’ve been increasingly concerned that it isn’t  particularly useful as a research tool. So I’m going to try to write short introductions as we add links to the roll. While the posts won’t stay up - they’ll still be searchable via the archives.

Ernest B. Abbott is a former General Counsel at FEMA, and is the leader of a specialized practice called FEMA Law Associates.

From the firm’s website:

FEMA Law Associates provides legal and regulatory consulting services to help those who are eligible for FEMA assistance understand and navigate FEMA’s processes successfully. Key client groups that benefit most from the services of FEMA Law Associates are:

• Government entities, public authorities, and such non-profit organizations as utilities, hospitals, and educational institutions that are eligible for FEMA assistance programs.

• Vendors providing services funded directly or indirectly by FEMA programs.

• Insurance companies participating in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program through the Write-Your-Own Arrangement.
• Associations representing companies and institutions that are eligible for assistance under FEMA programs and are affected by FEMA’s regulatory and legislative initiatives.
• Law firms and other service providers requiring specialized legal and regulatory advice on FEMA matters.

The set of attorneys with repeated experience dealing with FEMA is probably very small - since by definition FEMA dealings are often the result of unusual events - i.e. disasters.