112 Review

Public sector "taking on police roles"

2008-03-13T18:01:00.002Z

Security guarding companies are increasingly taking on traditional policing roles, research shows.

This trend, however, is not just to be found in the UK. In the USA rumors abound that soon companies like the infamous Blackwater Security will be given policing roles, including street patrols.

“Research into the work of the BSIA’s Police and Public Services Section has revealed that the public sector has embraced the use of private security services with 90 per cent of respondents supplying services to educational establishments and local authorities and 70 per cent providing services to health authorities,” said BSIA Police and Public Services Section chairman, Mick Lee.

However, he said the results show more work can be done with the police.

“Despite many examples of best practice where police forces have successfully entered into partnership with the private sector, only 20 per cent of respondents are actively supplying services to the police.

“A significant aim of the BSIA Police and Public Services section is to further link with police forces in order to promote the many valuable services that security guarding companies can provide.”

Fifty per cent of respondents said they supply services to retail partnerships, while 40 per cent work with town centre management schemes.

Street patrols and public sector CCTV schemes proved the most popular areas for BSIA members, but guarding companies work on a range of projects including warden schemes, drug testing services and evidential property management.

The BSIA's Police and Public Services section aims to provide support services to the police and other public sector organisations, which are not traditional security guarding roles and form part of the wider policing family.

The slogan of the “wider policing family” now seems to encompass everything and everyone from a store security person, door guards at nightclubs and such, to community wardens and park and countryside rangers/wardens.

Security industry willing to engage wholeheartedly in the future of policing

The British Security Industry Association is highlighting the vital role that the private security industry can play in supporting the modern police service and its willingness to engage wholeheartedly in the future of policing.

While is is being emphasised that the frontline operations would still be carried out by sworn police officers and that the work done by wardening schemes, and such, release sworn warranted police officers to do just that duty, namely that of dealing with serious crime, the problem is that, in my view, this kind of policing by the private and public sector, aside from the police forces, not only puts ordinary security officers, wardens and rangers into harm's way by being, maybe, asked to tackle issues for which they are not equipped or not well enough equipped, also means that police officers may be required to be able to come to the assistance of their cousins in the private and public sector “policing” teams because they have gotten into a spot of bother due to lack of equipment, authority, power and/or training.

While security guarding and patrols by private and public sector, such as security officers, wardens and rangers, has its place as a deterrent and as eyes and ears, the enforcement should be left to those that have a warrant to carry out such duties and who know how to deal with situations in an appropriate manner and who also carry the necessary kit to deal with such issues.

© Michael Smith (Veshengro), March 2008

REVERSE 911

2008-03-10T18:38:00.006Z

What is REVERSE 911?

REVERSE 911® is a communications solution that uses a patented combination of database and GIS mapping technologies to deliver outbound notifications.

Users can quickly target a precise geographic area and saturate it with thousands of calls per hour. The system's interactive technology provides immediate interaction with recipients and aids in rapid response to specific needs.

Users can also create a list of individuals with common characteristics (such as a Neighborhood Crime Watch group or emergency responder teams, such as REACT, CREST or other kind of first responder services) and contact them with helpful information as needed.

About REVERSE 911®
Time and again, REVERSE 911® is playing a key role in ensuring effective communication, not only for general information, but also in times of crisis.

Thousands of citizens across North America are safer because their community leaders are using the patented REVERSE 911® Interactive Community Notification System.

REVERSE 911® is used effectively in thousands of communities, counties, commercial businesses, schools and non-profit organizations to dramatically improve the lines of communication to the general population and targeted groups. The system has played a key role in solving and preventing crimes, and it has a wide variety of potential uses in many organizations, such as:

Law Enforcement Agencies
Emergency Management Agencies
State and Local Governments
Utility Companies
Chemical Manufacturing Companies
Transportation Companies
Health Care Facilities
Public Safety Agencies
Universities

For more information see website.

Police reception staff to strike

2008-01-25T20:46:00.001Z

Approximately 200 reception officers at police stations in London are to stage a 24-hour strike in protest at plans to replace them with community support staff, it has been announced.

The Public and Commercial Services union said its members will walk out on January 28 in protest at moves to axe their roles.

PCS official Sevi Yesilldali, said: "Station reception staff are often the first point of contact in dealing with people reporting a crime and have specialist knowledge and experience which is invaluable in the smooth running of the capital's police stations.

General secretary Mark Serwotka added: "Highly skilled and experienced staff are angry about being told their job will no longer exist. The Met Police need to recognise the important work of reception officers and that the job of community support officers is out in our communities supporting the police."

While, I am sure, no police officer has an axe to grind against the men and women who work alongside them as PCSOs,there are some parts of the service where only a warranted officer can do the job and that also means in the reception areas.

Michael Smith (Veshengro), January 2008

Security guards hired to spy on illegal migrants

2008-01-25T20:36:00.000Z

Is this the beginning of the privatisation of the British Police Service?

This is about the same, though probably worse, as what has happened when it comes to the eviction of illegally encamped Gypsies and Travellers where private thugs, though called bailiffs, are being employed by the councils.

PRIVATE security guards have been secretly hired to spy on illegal immigrants in an apparent breach of the law, a leaked Home Office document has revealed.

The security guards will take part in “reconnaissance” missions to find suspected foreign criminals, illegal migrants and failed asylum seekers, targeted for arrest and deportation.

They will be given access to sensitive police intelligence on suspected illegal immigrants, and help to draw up intelligence reports and risk assessments, according to the document prepared by the Border and Immigration Agency.

Only authorised government law enforcement officers, such as immigration officers or police, are “warranted” to carry out surveillance and make arrests. Employees of private firms do not have the legal authority to carry out such tasks.

This is NOT the job for private agencies but a job for Customs & Immigrations and BorderPol together with the local police service.

This weekend the Home Office was accused, and rightly so, by MPs and civil liberties groups of trying to privatise the criminal justice system.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: “Privatising law enforcement is a grave step in any democracy that believes in accountability for state power. If the Home Office gets away with delegating immigration control to big business without parliamentary approval, ordinary policing will be sure to follow.”

John Tincey, of the Immigration Service Union, which represents border agency staff responsible for deporting illegal migrants, said the Home Office was “bending the law” by giving private security guards the role of government law enforcement officers.

Liam Byrne, the immigration minister, defended the move. “We will not hesitate to use every means possible to track down illegal migrants,” he said. The Home Office denied that contractors were being asked to carry out “police-style” activity.

A pilot contract to allow a private firm to conduct reconnaissance on the homes of suspected illegal immigrants was signed last month with Serco, a security company.

The ones that must be most concerned here are our colleagues in the various services, such as the police and the C&I/BorderPol, as it is jobs on the line, while at the same time the rest of us should be concerned as to where this is headed.

Michael Smith (Veshengro), January 2008

Useful business continuity websites to keep your company on the ground

2008-01-24T11:16:00.000Z

When 2007 blew in with heavy storms, car bomb attacks and tornados the pressure mounted on businesses to have a secure business continuity plan in place. This year is already set to be eventful with snow storms in the North and businesses having to use remote working to stay afloat.

Similarly 2007 proved to be a bad year for the Government with mass data record losses which failed to assure the general public that they could securely manage and safely retain information. Their data loss record was pretty abysmal with one disaster after another being exposed, with cases of senior civil servants laptops going missing, the HMRC fiasco, the numerous data loss scandals at the DVLA and DVA as well as the thousands of NHS patients who now have their records at large!

However, in the real world of competitive business in order to stay standing after an incident it has to be a very different case! You have to have contingency plans and resilience systems in place to survive and stay ahead of the game. In essence Business continuity is all about good business practice, creating a strong framework with the right IT infrastructures and procedures in place so that when a disaster of any kind does hit the business can continue to operate successfully.

As businesses are fast expanding it is proving imperative for businesses to implement an effective business continuity strategy in order to minimise business interruption and maintain operation continuity in the face of any adverse situation. Richard Fitzhugh – Content Director for Business Continuity Expo 2008 cherry picks the top business continuity websites for 2008, click online to discover how to maintain your business throughout a disaster.

www.Continuitycentral.com
Continuity Central provides a constantly updated one-stop resource of business continuity news, jobs and information.

www.bs25999.com
BS25999.COM has been created by a team of industry specialists with the intention of providing both experienced practitioners and industry newcomers relevant information, useful content and a number of interactive capabilities concerning BS25999.

www.ncc.co.uk
The National Computing Centre (NCC) is the single largest and most diverse corporate membership body in the UK IT sector.
NCC champions the effective deployment of IT to maximise the competitiveness of its members' business, and serves the corporate, vendor and government communities.

www.thebci.org
The Business Continuity Institute – (BCI) - The Business Continuity Institute’s mission is to promote the art and science of Business Continuity Management worldwide. The BCI promotes the highest standards of professional competence and commercial ethics in the provision, maintenance and services for Business Continuity Management (BCM).

www.theirm.org
Institute of Risk Management is risk management's professional education body. Established as a not-for-profit organisation, the Institute is governed by practising risk professionals and has strong links to leading universities and business schools across the world.

www.contingencytoday.com
Contingency Today is a web-based magazine and the only publication, online or print, dedicated to the challenges and opportunities of Critical National Infrastructure protection. Critical National Infrastructure can be defined as those assets, services or systems which, if destroyed or damaged, threaten the social or economic well-being of the nation, including by the infliction of mass casualties. Contingency Today covers all significant threats to the Critical National Infrastructure, including electronic attack and the sophisticated misuse of computer systems; physical attacks by terrorist organisations and other criminals; the effects of climate change; and other natural disasters, including pandemics, fire and flood.

www.cirmagazine.com
Continuity Insurance & Risk is the UK's leading bi-monthly risk management and insurance journal. The magazine has rapidly established itself as a key weapon in the risk and insurance professional's armoury. Continuity Insurance & Risk offers a unique combination of editorial elements to provide an essential, practical tool in today's business environment.

www.strategicrisk.co.uk
Magazine aimed at people who have to deal with risk at a strategic level and with the necessary responsibility for corporate governance.
“StrategicRISK is affiliated to AIRMIC, the UK-based Association of Insurance and Risk Managers, and is the only publication that receives their official endorsement."[2] StrategicRISK covers all the aspects of risk management that confront large organisations of all types throughout Europe.

www.businesscontinuityexpo.co.uk
Business Continuity Expo is the only event dedicated to managing operational risk, resilience and recovery. With a unique format combining a comprehensive exhibition, a highly popular free-to-attend seminar series and a stimulating and thought-provoking conference, the show brings together professionals spanning the growing Business Continuity and risk management industry. Business Continuity Expo is a unique opportunity to explore best practice, identify industry trends and cement vital relationships to help ensure operational continuity before, during and after an incident. The event will be held on 2-3rd April 2008 at the ExCel, London.

Plague a growing but overlooked threat: study

2008-01-15T19:58:00.000Z

Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Reuters

Plague, the disease that devastated medieval Europe, is re-emerging worldwide and poses a growing but overlooked threat, researchers warned on Tuesday.

While it has only killed some 100 to 200 people annually over the past 20 years, plague has appeared in new countries in recent decades and is now shifting into Africa, Michael Begon, an ecologist at the University of Liverpool and colleagues said.

A bacterium known as Yersinia pestis causes bubonic plague, known in medieval times as the Black Death when it was spread by infected fleas, and the more dangerous pneumonic plague, spread from one person to another through coughing or sneezing.

"Although the number of human cases of plague is relatively low, it would be a mistake to overlook its threat to humanity, because of the disease's inherent communicability, rapid spread, rapid clinical course, and high mortality if left untreated," they wrote in the journal Public Library of Science journal PloS Medicine.
Rodents carry plague, which is virtually impossible to wipe out and moves through the animal world as a constant threat to humans, Begon said. Both forms can kill within days if not treated with antibiotics.

"You can't realistically get rid of all the rodents in the world," he said in a telephone interview. "Plague appears to be on the increase, and for the first time there have been major outbreaks in Africa."

Globally the World Health Organization reports about 1,000 to 3,000 plague cases each year, with most in the last five years occurring in Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The United States sees about 10 to 20 cases each year.

More worrying are outbreaks seem on the rise after years of relative inactivity in the 20th century, Begon said. The most recent large pneumonic outbreak comprised hundreds of suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006.

Bubonic plague, called the Black Death because of black bumps that sometimes develop on victims' bodies, causes severe vomiting and high fever. Victims of pneumonic plague have similar symptoms but not the black bumps.

Begon and his colleagues called for more research into better ways to prevent plague from striking areas where people lack access to life-saving drugs and to defend against the disease if used as a weapon.

"We should not overlook the fact that plague has been weaponized throughout history, from catapulting corpses over city walls, to dropping infected fleas from airplanes, to refined modern aerosol formulation," the researchers wrote.

Source:

Happy New Year 2008 to you all

2007-12-31T18:11:00.000Z

Happy New Year 2008

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers, friends and associates, as well as our enemies, a very happy & prosperous New Year 2008.

Warwickshire St John Ambulance's new emergency response bicycles

2007-12-15T17:57:00.001Z

In August 2006, St John Ambulance (SJA) in Warwickshire started to raise money to purchase Smith + Wesson bikes and all the medical kit as a means of responding to emergencies by their Warwickshire Cycle Response Unit. The bikes were delivered in July this year. Each bike carries first aid kit, oxygen, suction and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). It has been known for one bike to carry entonox, an analgesic often called gas and air, rather than oxygen at sports events.

Eddie Stephenson, Unit Co-ordinator for Warwickshire Cycle Unit, has been speaking to the Emergency Management Portal.

"Normally we operate as a pair", he said. "We tried using our own bikes, but it didn't look good, different types of bike with various colours; we could only carry first aid kit around our waist, no AED, suction or oxygen."

It has been known for the unit to reach a casualty before a county ambulance. Earlier this year they attended a Marathon, two vehicles, a doctor and an ambulance, were sent to an unconscious patient. He couldn't be found, the cycle unit turned up and located the casualty, who couldn't be seen from the road. He was placed on oxygen after which the unit called for transport.

The cycle can also be set up as a first aid post; it doesn't have to be a mobile unit.

Mr Stephenson told us: "At the moment Warwickshire have 3 bikes, but we intend to make it 4 within 18 months."

Walking the Office Party Tightrope – A Risk-Assessment Checklist

2007-12-15T17:26:00.000Z

The Christmas office party is a traditional element of many businesses but what potential risks do these annual events present and what guidelines should be in place to ensure that revelry doesn’t turn into regret?
David Honour - a risk expert and editor of continuitycentral.com together with Business Continuity Expo 2008 have put together a useful risk assessment checklist for risk aware managers wanting to keep their jobs in 2008!

Strange as it may seem, the office Christmas party is probably one of the biggest avoidable risks that many companies take. Many of the most risk-aware and best protected companies in the world seem prepared to throw an office party without conducting the sort of risk assessment that they would for any other aspect of their business.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Litigation

Even if an organised office party takes place outside of working hours and away from company premises, the normal laws that protect workers and their rights still apply. If an employee is injured or abused in any way during an office party the company may well be legally liable. High risk areas include injuries, abuse and even death, due to alcohol and substance abuse. Additionally, the risks associated with date rape drugs, where a victim’s drinks are unknowingly spiked with tranquilising and memory impairing drugs such as Rohypnol, are an increasing concern.
There are various sensible mitigation measures that companies can take:

- Ensure that the company human resource policies and handbooks address these areas. Documents should state when and under what circumstances staff remain under employment conditions when away from company premises and out of office hours. It may prove useful to develop a specific HR policy that relates to office parties. Policies need to spell out the disciplinary measures that will be taken against staff who abuse alcohol or drugs during the event and who carry out other activities deemed as unacceptable.

- Send a friendly memo around staff prior to the party reminding them of their responsibilities and of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.

- Remind managers that they have responsibilities for implementing the company's alcohol and substance abuse policy and that they should be ready to have a friendly word with any person who is becoming intoxicated.

- Consider making arrangements to get employees home after the event. A taxi-fare is a much cheaper option than a law-suit alleging that your company failed in its duty-of-care because a drunken employee had an accident making his/her own way home.

- Companies should conduct a formal risk assessment of the office party and document the mitigation measures that have been taken. If the company should face litigation following a party-related incident this will offer evidence that the company has acted responsibly and taken all reasonable measures to prevent the incident occurring.

- Ensure that your company insurance policies cover your Christmas party activities, including the legal liability pitfalls.

Premises damage

Parties that are held on office premises are prone to office equipment damage. Simple accidents can be very costly. For example, a glass of wine dropped onto computer equipment could result in expensive damage to the equipment but could also result in lost data and significant downtime.

In general, it is to be recommended that parties are held off-site. This avoids any additional work place risks associated with the event and may result in reduced, or joint, liability should a premises-related accident occur. It also often results in a better atmosphere, enhancing the positive effects that the party aims to engender. However, parties held off-site also bring the risk of damage and subsequent compensation payments. The risk is highest where an overnight hotel stay is offered to staff who have travelled from further afield. Emptied mini-bars and trashed hotel rooms are an expensive luxury.

Employee relations

This is perhaps the highest risk area and one of the most important for the smooth-running of the company. The better that employee-to-employee relationships and employer-to-employee relationships are, the stronger a company tends to be. Activities which damage these relationships need to be avoided and the office party is a minefield when it comes to this area. Potential long-term conflicts can arise from common office party behaviour such as one-night stands; sexual harassment; verbal abuse and staff fights.

Such issues are difficult to mitigate against, but again, a clear human resource policy outlining what is unacceptable behaviour and the sanctions that will be brought into force against offenders will help in some of these areas. Good human resource management after any incident will also help reduce the personal and corporate impact.

Issues can also arise if an office party is planned insensitively. For example, a party which follows a period of cost-cutting and redundancies may be seen by the remaining staff as in bad taste.

Religion can cause problems and sensitivity needs to be shown, especially when a party is linked to a religious event such as Christmas and Easter. It may be better to rename the Christmas Party as simply the ‘Office Party’ or the ‘Holiday Party’, and it is best to avoid any use of decorations with religious themes or messages. Making the party optional is a sensible policy, allowing staff who may feel uncomfortable celebrating a festival based-upon another religion to avoid the situation.

Reputational damage

This is another minefield, especially where clients and prospects are invited to office parties. Such guests will get to see the company’s employees without their professional ‘hats on’ and the resultant informality, when mixed with the lack of inhibition that alcohol consumption brings, can result in insulted clients and lost contracts.

Once again a well-crafted human resource policy will help in this area and a reminder memo beforehand can help place staff on-guard. Better still, consider making the party staff-only, keeping customers well away from the ‘danger zone’.

The most obvious, and bluntest form of risk reduction is simply not to have an office Christmas party, but despite the risks, there are also positive benefits to the festive event. It shows staff that they are important and that the company does not have a ‘Scrooge’ mentality. They can also be strong networking events. This coupled with the simple the fact that staff are enjoying themselves together and socialising outside their normal working environment can have positive benefits on morale and employee relations. The trick is to be able to manage the liabilities and the reputational risks without negating any positive morale benefits.

For more pearls of wisdom visit www.continuitycentral.com and be sure to visit Business Continuity Expo and Conference held at EXCEL Docklands from 2- 3rd April 2008 - the UK's definitive event for managing risk, resilience and recovery. This event will explore the solutions and best practice to ensure operational continuity and protect a company's interests before during and after an incident. For further information visit www.businesscontinuityexpo.co.uk

Gloucestershire Constabulary rolls out Unifi software

2007-12-06T18:52:00.000Z

Author: Antony Savvas

Gloucestershire Constabulary is deploying a new criminal justice system to help improve efficiency.

The force has chosen the Unifi system from SunGard Vivista as part of an upgrade to its previous SunGard system.

The Unifi system will bring the force up to date with the latest standards and technologies in the field and will be supported by a five-year support contract.
Unifi is a suite of integrated modules within a single application covering an array of police business processes, from crime, custody and case preparation through to the management of driving document productions, vehicle defect rectifications and road traffic collisions.

The system also collects intelligence derived from these activities and from other sources.

Built upon a single database, the application requires no interfacing between its own modules, which streamlines the solution and helps ensure uncomplicated support and easy maintenance.

All recorded data can be shared between modules without the need for multiple data entry, thus helping to make it more user-friendly and less time-consuming.
Gloucestershire Constabulary assistant chief constable, Mick Matthews, said, "We have successfully used SunGard's Unity system for the past ten years in support of operational policing functions.

"It has proved to be a robust and reliable system and we now look forward to using UNIFI, with its enhanced functionality and updated technology, in support of providing more effective and efficient services."

Source: Computer Weekly

Business Continuity – or is it? Are we missing the point??

2007-12-06T18:40:00.000Z

By Dominic Hill, Consultant, Siemens Enterprise Communications Limited

There have been a number of papers and presentations recently looking at the nature of Business Continuity (BC) and tools used to deliver it – from the future of the BIA to the importance of building evacuations. With the imminent arrival of Part 2 of the British Standard for Business Continuity Management (BS 25999-2), there will be a defined management system – the BCMS - and a means of measuring performance of Business Continuity capabilities, should organisations choose to do so. But are we missing something? Have we created our own definition of continuity?

The Oxford English Dictionary (1999 edition) defines continuity as “the unbroken and consistent existence or operation of something over a period of time”.

In BS 25999-1:2006, business continuity is defined as “strategic and tactical capability of the organisation to plan for and respond to incidents and business disruptions in order to continue business operations at an acceptable pre-defined level”.

In this definition, the “unbroken and consistent existence” has been replaced with “plan for and respond to” and “continue”, words which imply reaction and recovery. If we look at the services offered within the BC/DR arena today, it is easy to see the focus on responding to incidents and recovering capabilities in:

The provision of disaster recovery services;
The provision of work area recovery services;
The variety of software to generate, maintain and disseminate plans;
A plethora of communications tools allowing call cascades and other abilities.

Many of these services, and the BC capabilities of the organisations that use them, are reaching levels of maturity never before seen, and are thus giving those organisations a degree of confidence in their ability to recover.

This is laudable, nay essential, as the BC manager’s maxim should be “Expect the unexpected”! But do these services really provide continuity for the business? It could be argued that this is really business recovery, although for some that term has its own distinct meaning. Are we missing something? Would it not be even better to avoid the incident or business interruption in the first place, leaving the recovery for when there is no other option?

Why have a disaster if you can avoid it?

Many organisations spend a significant amount of money and effort on recovery capabilities and the associated plans, but neglect to address the issues that would make the operation more resilient and less in need of recovery in the first place. Could that money be better spent on disaster avoidance in the first place? To a degree the answer is going to be dependent upon the state of the organisation, its ability to change and the willingness, of those in charge, to accept risk.
A key tenet of BS 25999 is “embedding the BCM culture within the organisation” and this is probably the single most important thing when it comes to being pro-active about disasters. When a system, regardless of whether it is business or IT, is designed and operated with continuity in mind, the subsequent need to mitigate risks with recovery capabilities can be reduced.

Resilience: The unbroken operation

In order for a system to have unbroken operation, the threats to that operation must be reduced or removed. When BCM is a recognised part of the daily processes, and not something that gets retrofitted in the later stages of the system lifecycle, it is easy to consider these potential threats at the start of that lifecycle. Typically the causes of threats include:

Location of the system – This has a wide scope and should consider location at all levels – both physically (geographically and within the campus and building) and logically (within the organisation). Taking as an example a new IT system, are there opportunities to implement it in a location discrete from main user population as well as from physical risks arising from location and environmental factors.
From the business viewpoint, the who and how should be considered. Does the system require input from certain members of staff whose roles make them unlikely to be available at the same time? Is specialist knowledge vested in a single individual, thus creating a potential single point of failure?

Access to the system – Again this works at both physical and logical levels. Again considering an IT example, there is little point in implementing a new system and a corresponding recovery capability if the system is situated in a location that does not afford it appropriate protection – environmentally or from a physical security point of view. A classic technology example is siting critical equipment in an IT suite that is used by members of IT staff as a shortcut to other parts of the building. A large number of incidents arise from human error in some shape or form, accidents do happen.
Similarly from a business viewpoint – especially in these days of increased concerns over the safety of data – who has access to what, by what means and for what purpose must be considered. For example, are personnel records only available as paper copies – if so where are they held, is it secure?

Design of the system – A single IT system can look cheaper than a design that addresses potential single points of failure with some sort of redundancy of functionality. On paper that is. When the cost of the corresponding recovery capability is included the picture may be very different. Similar arguments exist for non-IT tasks, where the ability for multiple teams (possibly on different sites) to carry out the same activity can address not only loss of site scenarios but also loss of staff – whether through pandemic or other cause.

Systems documentation - or the lack of it - In today’s fast moving world it is not uncommon for less than ideal documentation to be produced during the development phases, as the pressure to deploy the system increases. Limited documentation leads to a potential lack of understanding of how things work, which increases the threat of mistakes. Furthermore it is very hard to maintain and protect the system if it is not clearly understood where the interdependencies lie and the possible impacts when changes occur around it.
Understanding the business is one of the four stages in B2 25999 and is as essential to the resilience aspects of BC as to the recovery aspects. Good systems documentation has a major part to play in this.

Control of changes to the system – most systems will, after an initial period, operate in a steady state, until something changes! This is especially true in IT, which due to the ever developing nature of the technology is probably subject to more change than most business processes – the changes occurring in the form of software patches, upgrades, hardware enhancements for capacity improvements etc. The same can also be seen in the non-IT space, where changes to business process manifest as the results of mergers and acquisitions or the outsourcing of parts of the operation. By controlling the way change occurs – especially considering the impacts from all aspects – the threat from change can be minimised.

When these areas are considered throughout the whole lifecycle of a system and appropriate decisions made, the result will be a more resilient system that is fit for the purpose for which it was intended. As with anything in the BC space, this is not rocket science, just common sense, but it appears to be something that is often ignored in favour of cheaper or short-term solutions or because the challenges are too great.

Challenges associated with implementing resilience

Implementing resilience can have significant challenges associated with it, including:

Cost;
Outsourcing/Supply chain management;
How to get there from here

However, each of these challenges provides a means to it’s own solution as they can be used to improve resilience.

Total Cost of Continuity

This is a variant of the well known “Total cost of ownership” concept and is proposed here as a means to understand exactly what costs are incurred in providing true continuity for an organisation.

Typically organisations look at their recovery contracts, sum the costs and label the result as the cost of BC. This is misleading as it takes no account of the cost involved in setting up and maintaining BC within the organisation. In particular it ignores the cost of resources required for the exercising (testing) of recovery plans, both IT and non-IT. These costs can be quite considerable when the effort required for preparation and carrying out exercises across the different departments is considered, but they are often lost within the operational costs of the departments involved. Also. the more specialist the recovery processes the more resource is required, in addition to a potential for greater frequency of exercising (to ensure that all appropriate staff gain the necessary experience).

If a more realistic approach is taken and the resource and exercising costs (in particular) are included, the total cost of continuity may well look very different. This may provide sufficient justification for implementing a more robust design that negates the need for much recovery.

Outsourcing

More and more the outsourcing of discrete parts of operation is seen as a cost saving exercise. While this may be true, there may also be benefits in the form of decoupling those parts of the operation physically as well as logically. Resilience may be improved, but out of sight is out of mind as the saying goes – so the emphasis shifts to one of supplier management, which must be supported by carefully prepared and suitably detailed legal contracts. This is an area of BC that is experiencing rapid growth as organisations mature in their own continuity capabilities and start to look more closely at those suppliers (outsourcers included) on which they depend.

Change as a mechanism for delivering resilience (and hence continuity)

Applying changes to an existing system in order to improve resilience is rarely easy – especially if it involves withdrawing previous access. It is easy to argue that things “have always been done that way” and that disasters had not occurred so change is unnecessary. The point can be illustrated with statistics, but not conclusively, for either side! The governing factor must be what is best for the unbroken operation of the business in a fit for purpose solution.

Fortunately, change can work in favour of these attempts to achieve resilience. In the area of technology (not exclusive to IT) the need to refresh equipment every three or four years provides an opportunity to implement measures to improve resilience. Similarly in the business space, changes in process, whether brought about by technology or changes in business practice, can be used to improve resilience here too.

Summary

While the typical focus of BC today is arguably on recovery activities, there is much to be gained from the pro-active side of continuity – providing the unbroken operation in a way that is fit for purpose. Maybe the time has now come for attention to be paid to this much neglected area of BC; maybe it will be the next to mature? After all, why have a disaster if you don’t need to?

Siemens Enterprise Communications Limited will be exhibiting at the Business Continuity Expo and Conference held at EXCEL Docklands from 2- 3rd April 2008 - the UK's definitive event for managing risk, resilience and recovery. This event will explore the solutions and best practice to ensure operational continuity and protect a company's interests before during and after an incident.
For further information visit www.businesscontinuityexpo.co.uk

CDP – Buzz Vs Benefit

2007-11-28T19:31:00.000Z

Ian Masters, UK sales and marketing director at Double-Take Software, discusses Continuous Data Protection (CDP) to separate the buzz from the benefits. For organisations focused on solving real-world problems, understanding the distinction will help them make the best choice to safeguard their electronic assets.

There is some uncertainty in the market over what defines CDP. The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) defines CDP as “a methodology that continuously captures or tracks data modifications and stores changes independent of the primary data, enabling recovery from any point in the past. CDP systems can provide fine granularity of restorable objects to infinitely variable recovery points”.

The capabilities described by the SNIA definition of CDP are not trivial. They require a technology solution that stores all data changes as they happen and can arbitrarily return to infinite points in time to recover previous versions of data. This makes true CDP a very expensive proposition for customers. This expense may be difficult to justify when an organisation’s data isn’t perceived as sufficiently valuable and even where the value is recognised, most can’t afford these types of CDP solutions. In this sense, true true-CDP products are a solution to a problem that customers cannot afford to solve.

Companies are instead opting for near-CDP solutions or backup and recovery solutions that integrate CDP-like capabilities. While solutions based on the strictest definitions of CDP may eventually gain momentum in the market as the enabling technology comes down in price, the majority of businesses don't have a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) that requires, and justifies, this type of CDP. There is clearly a need for something that provides better recoverability than tape but is simple and affordable enough to deploy across the enterprise, not just on a few systems.

Another issue affecting take up of CDP is that it has traditionally taken a very narrow approach to business continuity. Solutions have mainly focused on file-level recovery and not application data like that created by Microsoft Exchange Server or Microsoft SQL Server. If the first line of defense in a disaster recovery solution is protecting the data, the second is undoubtedly protecting the application. Providing a real-time copy of the data and availability of the application associated with it, enables a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) significantly better than that provided by solutions like tape backup or CDP. CDP provides no provision for RTO and focuses solely on RPO, which is only half of the customer challenge.

While true-CDP solutions have not gained widespread traction, the promise of CDP, despite its problems, thrives. It does so in the form known as near-CDP. Many traditional backup vendors have differentiated themselves from their competitors by integrating CDP capabilities into existing solutions rather than attacking the concept head-on. These solutions provide many, but not infinite, points of recovery. This satisfies most customers’ RPO goals far more readily than relying on retrieval from tape-based solutions by providing snapshot copies of important data for recovery purposes.

Though near-CDP promises to be an easy way to augment the backup solutions that customers use today, it still doesn’t account for the complete recovery of a company’s business critical systems. To the end-user, recovery isn’t complete until they are able to resume their work where they left off. This means not only restoring a previous version of the data but also the operating systems and applications and all the other aspects that are required to give users access to that information. Double-Take Software believes the future of CDP lies in hybrid solutions that incorporate an overall recovery management strategy combining data replication and protection, application availability and point-in-time recovery.

Alternatives exist today that provide this unified approach to recovery. In these solutions, asynchronous file-based replication is combined with application availability and snapshot technologies to fulfill at least the spirit, if not the definition, of CDP. In terms of data protection, real-time replication provides for the continuous capture of changes to protected data and the storage of those changes separate from the production data. If needed, a company can recover to this real-time copy of the data in the event of a major disaster. Because these solutions are typically based on byte-level replication, including features such as compression and bandwidth throttling, they are more efficient at moving data across long distances when compared to the data movement technologies employed by purebred CDP solutions.

For recovery from unwanted changes such as those caused by human error, viruses, or corruption, disk-based snapshot capabilities allow rollback to multiple (albeit not infinite) copies of the protected data. Disk-based snapshots are usually difference-based (copy on write technology) and consume less storage space. Their periodic nature also further reduces storage requirements when compared to keeping infinitely accessible copies of data changes. A combination of data replication and disk-based snapshots ensure that the RPO goals for a company’s data can be met.

Where these solutions truly exceed the promise of CDP is their ability to ensure RTO goals as well as RPO goals. By continuously monitoring the availability of the production systems and failing over to a secondary system in the event of an outage, they provide an RTO of minutes rather than hours or days. Most true-CDP solutions today do not provide any high availability for the applications creating the data and instead leave recovery to the IT administrator who is most likely using a complex, manual, time consuming process.

Evaluating the Options
No solution is ‘one size fits all’. Each company’s business is unique so each business continuity recovery plan will be different. However, the high-level approach to business continuity planning is generally the same. The key to business continuity and recovery planning is to first understand the impact an outage, loss or major disaster would have on your ability to provide a product or service and then pick the right procedures and tools to minimise that impact.

The first recommendation we make is to assess and rank each of the business systems within your organisation and assign the appropriate level of protection to them. Not all systems require the same levels of protection; in fact, some may not need protection at all. Successful plans account for this and are able to restore systems defined as business-critical as rapidly as possible while making the most of limited resources. The challenge for most companies in prioritizing these systems and choosing the right solution is simply a matter of quantifying the value of the data the solutions protect and calculating the Return on Investment (ROI).

Summary
The reality of CDP is that it has not lived up to the buzz it generated. This is not because the promise of CDP isn’t appealing to customers but because CDP, as narrowly defined by industry organisations, was not permitted the opportunity to integrate with other data protection and recovery capabilities. A hybrid solution combines the best of CDP with the best of continuous data replication and application availability while keeping costs down. Successful vendors will continue to build CDP into their products where it is appropriate and successful IT organisations will learn to use the technology in a way that best addresses all of its recovery goals while staying within budget and without sacrificing capabilities.

Double-Take Software will be exhibiting at the Business Continuity Expo and Conference held at EXCEL Docklands from 2- 3rd April 2008 - the UK's definitive event for managing risk, resilience and recovery. This event will explore the solutions and best practice to ensure operational continuity and protect a company's interests before during and after an incident.
For further information visit www.businesscontinuityexpo.co.uk

BAA uses text messaging in emergencies

2007-11-24T20:42:00.000Z

BAA Gatwick, like all major international airports and airlines, has a crisis management team on standby 24 hours a day. Every year, around 30 million passengers travel through Gatwick and the Crisis Team is on hand to ensure that any event with the potential to cause major disruption is kept to a minimum.

Until now the team were contacted via pagers, but as they all now have mobile phones the airport’s Contingency Planning Manager, Barry Owen, began looking for a way to communicate by text message instead. Esendex’s simple, reliable and cost-effective ‘desktop messenger’ service offered the solution.

It enables Gatwick’s Call Centre, which is responsible for contacting the Crisis Team, to send out a short message from a network computer to the mobile phones of various user group members simultaneously and within seconds. Barry Owen says:

"The pager service we were using offered us a text message facility but it didn’t allow recipients to text back - so in an emergency we’d have a group of people all trying to call one telephone number to confirm they’d received the message.

The team’s emergency response is regularly tested through training exercises - getting the communication right at the start is key. During the busy summer months we also made use of the new system to keep the team up-to-date on how the day-to-day airport operation was running and this proved invaluable"

Are You Getting Value from Your BIA?

2007-11-24T20:23:00.000Z

James R. Mitchell, CBCP
Director, eBRP Solutions, Inc.

Cost vs. Benefit
The standard practice of conducting a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to determine the basic recovery requirements (Mission Critical Processes, RTO’s, RPO’s, Critical Applications, Suppliers, and other Resources) is a vital phase of every Business Continuity Management program.

The BIA process can be long and difficult – no matter what data collection method is used. Is the return on your BIA investment (time, manpower and resources) offset by the value of the results?

If a BIA is a fundamental part of BCM, the underlying cost may simply be a necessary evil. But, when a BIA is a one-time ‘project’ – as in many organizations – is the cost realistically proportional to the value?

Some organizations conduct a BIA expecting to repeat the process at regular intervals. However, once the initial BIA is completed and the true cost known, such expectations are often abandoned.

Focus on change
Failure to update a BIA is a leading cause of Recovery Plan failure. Change is the only constant in business. A BCM program lacking up-to-date BIA data yields Plans that don’t reflect the organization’s true requirements.

Intending to update a BIA is easy; yet the update process often fails.

Consider the effort required to complete the original BIA: questionnaire preparation, distribution and collection; interviews to “normalize” the results, plus the cost of analysis and report generation.

Often, the original BIA process “project”, may take three to eight months. Significant business changes make the prospect of repeating that lengthy process daunting. Postponing the update may be rationalized. Like most things in life, postponing difficult tasks allows them to grow more unwieldy

To streamline the process, the updated BIA must focus on the changes – rather than repeat the entire process. It is likely that much of the information from the earlier BIA is still valid. The update process simply entails drilling down to which business processes have changed, and how those changes affect the original BIA results. Of course, the method used to conduct the earlier BIA will determine just how easy – or how difficult – the update process becomes.

In Information Technology, an updating process is generally ongoing (Change Management) because IT changes have a direct impact on daily operations. In business operations, changes occur regularly, but are seldom, if ever, documented. (To be fair, no matter how robust the IT program, not every organization consistently correlates its Change Management information with its DR Plan.)

The Whole is Greater than the sum of its Parts
Is it sufficient for individual business process “Owners” or function leaders to update their own critical resource requirements? Yes, if the update method allows for the capture of changes in enterprise-wide dependencies (on other processes, applications, etc.). But no effective update can be conducted in a vacuum; any change to critical dependencies or resources is likely to have a corresponding affect upon those dependent processes.

While it may be efficient for a process team to update its own BIA, only by collecting and integrating changes across the enterprise can the true impact of business changes emerge.

The Path of Least Resistance
Frequently, the cost of updating a BIA (in manpower and time) is perceived as unjustifiably high. Not updating a BIA may become an accepted risk. BCM management may opt to focus on BC/DR Plan updating (assuming most process owners understand the impacts of change and will modify their Plans appropriately) without revising the BIA. The more burdensome the BIA process, the higher the propensity not to repeat it.

Once made, such a decision often becomes institutionalized. Later, the failure to reflect fundamental changes in the organization’s structure may result in flawed Plans and a failed recovery. With luck, flaws show up in a test or exercise – not a real life incident.

What’s in your Toolbox?
Does your existing BIA format lend itself to manipulation? Or do you have to start from scratch? Do you use software that integrates BIA and Plan development?

Does the BIA format lend itself to the use of collaborative tools? Can business process owners gain access to the original BIA survey? Network- or Web-based collaborative tools reduce the pain of updating a BIA, while enabling monitoring and auditing of the process by the BCM leaders or planners.

Assess your options, and pick a BIA updating method that works best for your situation. It may not be free, it may be time-consuming, and it may not be painless. But it will pay dividends if you have a disruptive event.

An out-of-date BIA exponentially increases the chances of Plan failure. The BIA provides the core upon which an organization’s Plans depend. Without up-to-date BIA information, the validity of Plans should be questioned, and their successful execution must be suspect.

eBRP Solutions, Inc will be exhibiting at the Business Continuity Expo and Conference held at EXCEL Docklands from 2- 3rd April 2008 - the UK's definitive event for managing risk, resilience and recovery. This event will explore the solutions and best practice to ensure operational continuity and protect a company's interests before during and after an incident.
For further information visit www.businesscontinuityexpo.co.uk

NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY – THE THREATS, THE RESPONSES, THE OPPORTUNITIES

2007-11-23T20:31:00.000Z

Insights into US homeland security science and technology priorities, expert analysis of a range of threats from terrorism to pandemics, and examination of major security programmes in the UK and overseas are all features of the International Security & National Resilience (ISNR London) conference, which will be held at London’s Olympia from 3-5 December 2007. ISNR London incorporates the former APTS show.

DAY 1

Top US Department of Homeland Security official to give insights
Day One of ISNR London is designated the US Department of Homeland Security 2007 Science & Technology Stakeholders International Conference – the first ever initiative of its type to be staged in the UK. The S&T Directorate is the gateway to the US Department of Homeland Security for private sector and academic solutions providers and this event will provide a unique opportunity for conference delegates from the UK and other European countries to meet with senior DHS leaders.

The Honourable Jay M Cohen, the Department’s Under Secretary, Science & Technology, will lead the plenary level insights into how the DHS S&T Directorate is employing science and technology to enhance security and safety. Participants will include the S&T Directors of Transition, Research and Innovation.

DAYS 2 AND 3

Highlights include:

Matching capability with threats
The plenary session will be led by Admiral Sir Alan West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security and Counter-terrorism; Dr Paul Weissenberg, Director, Aerospace, GMES, Security and Defence, Enterprise and Industry Directorate General, EU Commission and the Honourable Jay Cohen. Three of the world’s most senior government representatives will discuss how new strategies and technologies are being adopted to enhance security on a national and international level.

Terrorist attack scenarios
The key issues concerning critical infrastructure protection will be put under the microscope by leading experts. Global and generic threats, including terrorism and pandemics, will be examined, and insights provided into UK and wider European CIP policy. A significant new feature for a conference of this type is two table-top exercise scenarios on defeating the terrorist threat to CIP. The subjects are an attack on a major event and a city centre.

Illegal migration threat
E-borders is a key component of UK Government’s border transformation programme and central to its strategy for immigration and asylum. The conference stream on integrated border management will feature a session examining the major milestones of this multi-billion pound programme. There will also be analysis of the security consequences of illegal migration, a factor which is changing the social, economic and political landscapes of communities on a global basis.

The challenge of Al Qaeda
Internal security, policing and intelligence are high on virtually every government’s agenda. The challenges addressed in this stream include changing Al Qaeda operational patterns in Europe, the recruitment of terrorists via the web and the impact of global insecurity on the UK. Also examined is the role that the media can play in the event of a major crisis and how it can be used more effectively to disrupt a threat.

NATO – an opportunity
The role of the NATO Technology Development Programme is to identify national capability gaps and achieve common approaches to technology requirements. A dedicated session will highlight the requirement gaps in the NATO programme and how they can be exploited by potential suppliers.

For further information please contact Victoria Bailey or Nick Johnstone at CMS Strategic on Tel: +44 (0)20 8748 9797 or email: info@cmsstrategic.com

For more information about ISNR London please visit: www.isnrlondon.com or contact Richard Clarke, Event Director, Tel: +44 (0) 208 910 7142 or email: richard.clarke@reedexpo.co.uk

Pedalite Pedals – We are on Again

2007-11-22T20:27:00.000Z

& so are new pedals...

Having reported to you in the pages of this journal the other day, that is to say on Tuesday, November 20, 2007, the failure of one of the Pedalite Pedals of my review set and my assumption that water might have been the culprit I would like to update you on what it happening.

Firstly, it seems that it is some sort of mechanical problem rather than water and something in fact appears to have come adrift inside the pedal affected. More details on that as soon as I get the information back from the good folks at Pedalite International who now have the set of old pedals to carry out investigations up them.

I now have a brand new set of pedals on my bike and, as before, I am thrilled with the powerful flashes of light from the LEDs in the pedals. I feel so much safer riding my bicycle in the dark, and often for me this is a must; the riding of it in the dark, that is.

The nice folks from Pedalite International in fact came personally, but then I do not live a million miles away from their offices, to change the pedals on the night of Wednesday, November 21, 2007, so that investigation into the failure of the pedal could begin the next day. Now that is what I call customer relation management.

There is a chance that the set that I was given on the Cycle 2007 Show was in fact a “Pre-Production Model” and now a proper production run of the pedals and the failure could be due to that fact. We shall find out in due course I hope and think.

I have to say that I am very happy that the last report and verdict on the Pedalite Pedals is not going to be the final one as I am, in general, very fond of those pedals. We all hope that this is but a freak incident and all will be well in the end. As Simon Theobald, the Managing Director of Pedalite International, said to me on the phone, Murphy and Sod are alive and well and their law often still has bearing on things.

I doubt that there is anything out there on the market that gives the same visible protection to the cyclist as do those pedals and they are an “always on” system, with no batteries to worry about and no chance of forgetting to turning them on.

I shall keep you updated as to the outcome of the investigation and as to the further riding experience of mine with the Pedalites.

© M Smith (Veshengro), November 2007

Pedalite Pedals – The Final Verdict?

2007-11-20T15:34:00.000Z

Further to my previous article about the Pedalite Pedals here is the final? – I think – verdict on them, and it is not as good as previously thought.

After having now used the Pedalite Pedals for less a month I must say that my first impression of “Wow! I am bowled over” has rather changed.

This is due to the fact that one of the pedals, the right side one has, probably due to the amount of rain and associated mud we have had in the last couple of days, basically, ceased working, as regards to the lights. The white diode only now works – as a stationary light and non-flashing – when the pedals are actually in motion – and that only, it would appear, as and when it feels like it – and the other two diodes, the amber and the red are no longer working at all. The strobe effect is gone and there is no longer any energy left after the pedalling has stopped while the left side one, so far, is working still as well as before.

I must say that had this not been a review sample and had I actually paid good money in the form of £34.95 for it I would not only be rather disappointed but in actual fact would be demanding my money back

That these pedals, or at least one of them, should have ceased working after only such a short period of time is not a good omen.

Therefore I have to say, in all honesty now, that I have to withdraw all my previous good reviews of the Pedalite pedals, as I owe it to my integrity and especially to my readers to speak the truth.

I can therefore no longer recommend Pedalite pedals. Improvements certainly will have to be made by the manufacturer in that moisture, rain, etc. do not adversely affect the electronics and other workings of those pedals.

Considering, as said, that the pedals have only been in use with me for about a month – they were fitted on October 17, 2007 and it is November 20, 2007 at time of writing – I must now give this product a definite and absolute thumbs down.

At the retail price of £35 those pedals should be entirely moisture proof – for I can only explain the failure to the fact that I have had to cycle thru water in the recent day or so – and should not be failing like the review set that I was supplied with did.

If it is a water-related failure of the pedals then I can only say that this is not a good sign and this product falls into the same category as the “Bikehut” three-LED front-lamp that failed on me in less that 5 months due to water having gotten into the workings and shortened out the LED chip and leaching out the acid of the batteries. I was told in that instance – that light I had actually purchased and it was no review sample – that the light must be kept out of direct rain by both the retailer and manufacturer's agents. Sorry? Pardon? Do they really expect anyone NOT to use the lights on the cycles in the rain? They cannot be serious, to paraphrase a certain tennis player.

© M V Smith, November 2007

The Finger on the Trigger

2007-11-11T12:43:00.000Z

Time and time again when I see armed police officers, particularly in the UK and here especially those patrolling airports with Heckler & Koch MP 5's, for instance, slung across their chests, and the new G36 Heckler & Koch military assault rifle that, too, is being carried, having their fingers, literally, on the trigger with the weapon's safety, as it would appear in many cases, if not indeed most, in the “off” position, that is to say, ready to fire.

While this is, due to the heightened terrorist threat, understandable so as, as it seems they seem to think, to be able to respond to any perceived threat immediately, it is, nevertheless, an accident waiting to happen.

There is never, and I repeat this, NEVER, and I do speak here from experience, the need to ever have the finger on the trigger of a readied firearm while patrolling – Never! The finger belongs onto the trigger guard in front of the trigger but not, ever, on the trigger in such situations. There is enough time to move from trigger guard to trigger as and when needed.

While I am aware of the fact that this may delay the actual firing of the gun by a jiffy, and I do mean hear jiffy as to actual unit of time, which it is, it prevents the accidental and uncontrolled discharge of a gun due to a jitter from a perceived threat or such.

Even in a raid situation on a property and/or person/persons the finger still belongs onto the trigger guard just in front of the trigger and not actually touching the trigger or hovering about in the trigger guard just in front of the trigger. Only if and when the target has been positively identified and acquired does the trigger finger ever head for the trigger proper. No ifs or buts.

It actually surprise me that nothing has gone wrong so far in this and no serious accidental discharges have actually occurred.

The shooting of the Brazilian electrician incorrectly identified as a terrorist suspect and probable suicide bomber about to detonate and IED is not something that I am aiming at here (pardon the pun about aiming), as it has nothing to do with control of a weapon in the way we are discussing here. That is a different matter and does not stand to discussion here. And I have just added this as a king of a disclaimer.

However, accidental discharges like the one that his the news many years back when a small boy way shot by an officer during a raid on a house. The officer carried a .38 revolver with the hammer cocked and the finger on the then basically hair trigger of said revolver. The child under the blanket stirred, the officer perceived a non-existent threat and whether actually inadvertently, in a shock reaction touched the trigger setting off the round that killed the child simply because his finger as too close to the trigger, or because he thought it was a threat to be eliminated, though he did not actually see a proper target, and therefore fired, we do not know. The result, however, is one dead innocent child; the victim of bad firearms practice.

We all know that cock ups can and will happen; such is Murphy's Law, but good practice can reduce that risk, though it may never be able to totally nullify it.

And, to reiterate yet again, the best practice is: finger resting on the trigger guard not by or on the trigger itself, thus accidents can be avoided.

© M V Smith, 2007

Pedalite Pedals -

2007-11-09T16:39:00.000Z

- Flashing Pedals for the Cycle Cop

A Product Review

More and more we are seeing again the bicycle-mounted police officer on our streets, especially in cites and towns – though even in the villages he seems to be making a reappearance – and about time too. In addition to the police constables we now have ambulance paramedics and other first responders on mountain bikes, and then there si the humble Park Ranger and Countryside Ranger, also using bicycles for patrol and for getting about on duty.

Being seen for all of those, like for all cyclists, and not only after dark – even though it is more important when it is dark – is of prime importance. While most officers who use bicycles wear high-visibility jackets of one kind or another, more often than not with reflective strips, I would assume that any additional aids that enhance their visibility must be a bonus.

I first encountered Pedalite flashing pedals at the Pedalite stand on the Cycle 2007 Show at London's Earls Court in October 2007, which I attended with my other Editor's hat, namely that of editor of the Green (Living) Review.
One of the Directors of Pedalite, present at that stand, Mr. Chris Stimpson, kindly gave me a set of the Pedalite pedals for review and I lust say that I am impressed. Let me stress here that I do not impress easily and it normally takes a great deal to impress me and make me go “wow”, but those pedals, so far, certainly have done just that.

Pedalite Pedals are used in 22 countries around the world. They are used by emergency services, including multiple police forces, commuters, school children, students, cycle clubs, government departments, and cycling enthusiasts.

I do understand that some police forces already use Pedalite pedals routinely in their bicycles but I should think that those pedals should become mandatory for all bicycles in use by emergency service personnel, including Parks & Countryside Rangers, Town Wardens, Community Wardens and Community Support Officers.

Fitting those pedals to my general bicycle, a Raleigh Pioneer Classic, was very simple indeed once that I had managed to get the old, and by now well past use-by date, pedals that I was in fact still using on that bike off. I know I should have had new ones fitted a long time ago as the reflectors had all, bar one, broken off but I never got around to doing so. So, thanks again to Pedalite and Mr. Stimpson, the bike now has brilliant (no pun intended) pedals fitted.

Having now used the Pedalite pedals for some time now already in the dark or semi-dark I must say that I feel so much better riding my bicycle with those pedals, as the flashes are so bright and easily seen. Other people also have commented on them rather positively with interest and maybe I should be carrying some kind of information cards on me to give people a link to purchasing them.

The flashes are very bright and powerful while riding and continue for about three to five minutes once pedal movement has ceased, such as when the cycle is in a stationary position.

It would appear – with my review sample set at least – that the white, forward facing LED switches off after about three minutes when stationary while the amber colored one (side) and the red one (rear facing) continue for another one to two minutes.

In addition to that I find that the ride with the Pedalite pedals appear to be smoother underfoot – so to speak – that it has been with the previous set of pedals that I have had one that bike.

One recommendation I would make though to anyone using those pedals and that is to – definitely – also purchase the toe clips that go with them. This avoids the slips that can occur when one puts one's foot on the wrong side of the pedal, namely the one that does not have the metal studs. On wet pedals a slip could turn out nasty.

The lights retail online at www.pedalite.com at £34.99 and they are also available from good cycle shops in the UK and overseas. For more information see the company's website at www.pedalite.com.

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro), November 2007

Awareness for the professionals

2007-11-09T13:04:00.000Z

Being totally aware of one's surroundings at all times is most important when it comes to personal safety and personal security, and this is not only so on unfamiliar ground.

In our sister publication, the “Safety & Security Review” online, I have tackled this earlier in 2007, from the aspect and angle of individual, non-professional personnel, level. I shall now repeat this, so to speak, with some advice for the professionals, having noticed that amongst those similar problems seem to be present.

Your security is only as good as you are. You must always remember that. This applies to your home security, base security as well as and especially your personal security.

Nothing, not even the best technology, can ever substitute for your own vigilance.

I have seen security officer dawdling about, engaged in conversation with a partner, or on a cell phone or radio – and not just standard industry security officers – being nigh on oblivious to their surroundings, like so many civilians.

Step out of your vehicle only when you are sure there is no one lurking around in such a way that he or she could be a threat to you when exiting your vehicle. The same when you step out of a building or complex that you are guarding when going to check on the outside. It would, I am sure, not be the first time that, unbeknown to an officer, someone was lurking outside and, by pushing a guard back into the building, for instance, gains entry to a, supposedly, secure area. Check and double check your surroundings before you do anything.

You are more in danger, in my view, in surroundings that are familiar to you, such as your “home turf”, what the villains in England would call “manor”, at your place of work, than in a strange neighborhood or even town or country. This also applies to the officer on the beat. Why is that? Because on your home manor, the area that you move in every day you are more relaxed, as a rule, and your personal security perimeter is closer and you let people come closer to you than that would be the case if you were moving thru an area unfamiliar to you. On our home patch we very often let our guard down and don't perceive the threats that may be lurking as quickly as we would in other instances. But this guard must not slip. Towards people you know personally and with who you are on friendly terms even if as acquaintances only the guard can be lowered, probably, for even friends and family can and will betray you, but anyone in your own area that you do not know must be perceived as a potential threat.

For the professional vigilance in your own garden, on your landing, if you live in an apartment, in your own roads, has to be as acute and sharp as in unfamiliar territory and/or when on duty. The professional law enforcer, security officer, doorman, and the like, can be a target, because of his job on the job as well as off the job, and the family of such can be targets for the villains too. Many know that only too well, especially those that served in the then Ulster Constabulary, now Police Service of Northern Ireland, who found themselves and their families and homes targets for bombs and attacks by small arms, rocket launchers and targets for kidnap. We can never allow our vigilance to slip, not even for a moment.

Always watch your six o'clock!, as they say. Make it a habit to look behind you every so often, develop good peripheral vision and learn to be totally aware of your surroundings at all times.

I have personally made it to a habit, whether on-duty or off-duty, to come to a semi-stop and to turn around rather sharp and abruptly frequently, though in an unpredictable manner and pattern, to ensure than I am not being followed, stalked and targeted, and that not only in unfamiliar surroundings but even in places that I know and where I live. I probably do this more so when it is getting darker or in the mornings before it is fully light but I also do do that rather as a norm during daylight hours. I am sure people must think me rather strange for doing this but, if I do it for my protection and security; not to please people and I am not concerned as to what they may think.

Too many people who do become victims of a crime are not aware (enough) of their surroundings and especially nowadays are rather distracted, mostly by the fact that they have earphones on listening to their MP3 players, which are often turned up way too loud with the high volume making them deaf to their surroundings, or are chatting on the cell phones. Not only are those people deaf to their surroundings but they are in fact most of the time entirely oblivious to what is going on around them and move, it seems, entirely in a little world of their own. Anyone behaving like that might as well be wearing a sign saying, “target” on their back.

Not only is anyone who is distracted by having an MP3 player plugged into his or her ears or engrossed in a cell phone conversation a potential victim of a crime, he or she is also an accident waiting to happen. Often one can see those people totally oblivious to their surrounding stepping into the road into the traffic.

I have seen this also with LEOs jogging off-duty in the parks. They too are “plugged in” and “wired for sound” and become then entirely oblivious to what is going on around then, just like ordinary “civilians”.

Do not make yourself a victim – and this also applies to the professional. Be aware of what is going on around you at all times.

Ambulance and Fire crews too must be aware of this. We have encountered situation before where they have been targeted simple because they were there and also because they were more concerned about the incident they were attending than there own personal safety when exiting their vehicles for instance.

The ordinary First Aider gets taught in training to first check his or her surrounding before going and dealing with the victim. Why? Because personal safety and security must be paramount. You cannot help the victim, in any way, shape or form, if you yourself become a victim.

So, let's be careful out there, as they used to say in our briefings.

© M V Smith, 2007

Hidden Weapons – A Lack of Awareness

2007-11-09T12:57:00.001Z

It is amazing, and I shall only use two little items here as an example, how many professional security officers, law enforcers, airport screeners, etc. do not recognize those two little knives, that shall be using as an example here, as what they are, namely knives.

There are many more such hidden weapons, in the blank weapon, e.g. bladed weapon, category, and there are also other hidden weapons about up to and including firearms and IEDs. Often hidden again in such away that they are nigh on impossible to spot. That, we know, is the idea. While it may not be thus, theoretically, with those little knives used here, they nevertheless, fall under the category of “hidden weapons”.

Now let's look at those two little pen knives in question, part of my little collection.

The pictures above show a “key ring knife” that was given away at a trade fair. While, obviously, there is nothing wrong with that per se, that is to say the knife and the fact that it was given away at a trade fair as a business gift, this is one that even this author, who was the recipient, did not immediately recognize as being a small folding knife (the picture below shows the same knife in the open position).I wondered why it said “Key Ring Knife” on the box. Yes, even professionals can be thick at times and even those that write journals such as this, and such as this writer. I must say I looked at it then twice before I twigged it. As said, happens to all of us at times.

When attached together with a bunch of keys it is even harder to spot than when on its own.

I have shown this particular item to a number of professional security officers, doormen and police officers and – even without being attached to a bunch of keys – asked them, “what do you see”. Obviously my question and the phrasing of it put them immediately on guard. As one of them said, “it is a keyring fob but, as you ask me in the way that you did, there is something special about it”, and all were rather surprised that they did not, immediately, check it out as a knife, however small, and, therefore, a potential threat. Have someone with something like that in your cruiser to ask him questions or to take him in and there could be rather a nasty scenario.

While the person carrying one of those may not, necessarily, be carrying it with a criminal intent and may not be a terrorist what I would like to point out is how easy they can be overlooked.

While even someone barding or wishing to board a plane with this keyring on his or her person should not be seen immediately as a threat and as a potential terrorist but we must be aware that those little items exist.

The other one is a small pen knife/paper knife – again a business gift – that is made to look like a key.

While the Key Knife, as I have called it, is a lot easier to spot on its own (this one, in fact, came with its own little vinyl pouch), as the folded blade is quite visible and should get one's attention, together with a bunch of keys, on a key ring, it becomes virtually invisible to anyone, even the trained professional, unless the same is aware of such items that could be hidden there. This, however, does mean that one would have to, physically, pick up, say, a bunch of keys and actually check through them as to whether something like that may be hidden amongst the keys. That, however, takes time and, therefore, slows down check ins and such like, and thus is not done routinely, methinks.

© M V Smith, 2007

Airport security is 'little better' after 9/11

2007-06-27T18:05:00.001Z

27 Jun 07

By Steven Vickers

A top security analyst is expected to launch a damning attack on airport security when he chairs the TranSec World Expo Aviation Security Conference in Amsterdam today.

Chris Yates, the Principal of Yates Consulting, believes that the current regulatory framework is stifling important advances in the global aviation security regime.
Speaking before the event, he said: “Six years on from the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington DC security is little better. The cosmetic changes, including the nonsensical ban on sharps which has now thankfully been lifted, the equally ridiculous present restriction on cabin baggage which should be lifted and the vaguely ludicrous limitation on the quantity of liquid, gel or paste products which gives rise to much confusion and ire amongst the travelling public, has and continues to cost this industry dear.”

He continued, “These cosmetic measures generate no appreciable gain in security and underscore the fact that regulators are devoid of answers to modern day threats”.
“These cosmetic measures generate no appreciable gain in security and underscore the fact that regulators are devoid of answers to modern day threats.”
Chris Yates, Principal of Yates Consulting

According to statistics from the International Air Transport Association, worldwide expenditure on airport security has risen by US$5.6 billion annually since September 11th 2001.

The IATA and Airports Council International have raised concerns that despite investment, national regulators have continued to thwart appropriate responses to the threats the industry faces. Instead they believe that the regulators are favouring a one size fits all policy which hurts passengers, airlines and airports.

Yates, who is also due to chair the expo’s workshop on biometrics and access control said, “Regulators must take onboard technological advances, harness those advances and deploy or require deployment accordingly.”

Security Services Visit Chichester To Advise Businesses On Protecting Against Terrorism

2007-06-10T09:01:00.000Z

Introduction

The National Counter Terrorism Security Office, which is part of MI5, will be simulating a terrorism attack in Chichester on Tuesday 12 June 2007, in order to advise businesses on how to prevent, handle and recover from an attack.

The event, named Project Argus, which is being organised by Chichester District Council in partnership with Chichester City Council and Sussex Police, is free to all businesses on a 'first come, first served' basis. It will take place at the Assembly Rooms, North Street, Chichester (City Council Offices) at 6.00 pm.

The simulation, using audio-visual effects as well as film footage, will take businesses through the immediate aftermath of an attack and how they can plan to respond to ensure the safety of their staff and customers. It will cover the response by the emergency services and how this, and the subsequent investigation, may give rise to business continuity issues – issues which following the bomb in Manchester City Centre caused 80% of the businesses who had no plans in place, to cease trading within 18 months of the attack.

Those taking part will be given a series of questions and challenges throughout the session to tackle both individually and in groups. There will be a panel of senior representatives available, including Emergency Planning Officers, from the Security Service, Emergency Services and District Council, to answer questions and offer advice.

Whilst centred around a terrorist incident, the evening will provide valuable information and advice that can be equally useful to prevent local crime and to recover, and be able to continue to trade, following a fire, serious crime, flooding or other more common incidents than could affect the city centre.

John Cherry, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Resources at Chichester District Council, said,

'This is a unique opportunity for proprietors and managers of businesses of all sizes to get together to prepare for any serious emergency, regardless of the cause, that could affect Chichester and their ability to trade normally. There are still some places left and so we would encourage local businesses to contact the Council and book onto this valuable course.'

Managers or proprietors wishing to attend, can book a place by contacting the City Centre Manager, Kim Long, on 01243 534677, or email klong@chichester.gov.uk Refreshments and sandwiches will be available for those people coming directly from work.

Date of Release: 3 June 2007

China confirms bird flu outbreak

2007-05-19T21:50:00.000Z

China has confirmed a new outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus in the central province of Hunan, state media has reported.

More than 11,000 poultry died of the virus in Shijiping village near Yiyang city, the Agriculture Ministry said.

Some 53,000 birds have since been culled and officials say that the outbreak is now under control.

China's last reported case was in March, when chickens died at a poultry market near the Tibetan capital, Lhasa.

There were no reports of human infection in the latest outbreak.

A total of 15 people have died in China from the H5N1 virus and millions of birds have been culled.

Officials are working to vaccinate billions of domestic poultry by the end of May in preparation for the northward migration of wild birds in the summer, Xinhua news agency has said.

Since the H5N1 virus emerged in South East Asia in late 2003, it has claimed more than 180 lives around the world. Indonesia has been hardest hit, with more than 70 deaths.

Scientists fear the virus could mutate to a form which could be easily passed from human to human, triggering a pandemic and potentially putting millions of lives at risk.

Systemcare's Avian Flu/Anti Virus Developments - PRESS RELEASE

2007-04-20T17:49:00.000Z

Systemcare's Avian Flu/Anti Virus Developments

In response to the emergency contingency planning by major blue chip companies to protect against global pandemics.

Systemcare has been very quick to respond to dealer requests by launching a core range of Personal – Office hygiene and virus protection products.

Doug Skeggs, Marketing Director states - “Major global companies and institutions have been giving enquiries to their dealers for this type of product for several months now and we are able to offer a variety of products that comply with the relevant official guidelines to help with protection. The West appears to have been lucky so far this year not to have had a voracious virus that the World Health Organisation is tracking the development of Avian Flu.

No one knows whether the preparedness is sufficient to avert significant human and economic damage. What history teaches us is with a virus, and in particularly Flu expect the unexpected.

With this type of product quality standards are more important than cost.

The indications are since the Sars and recent Avian Flu threats that many large blue chip companies where they have large numbers of staff working together are already taking precautions as part of their emergency contingency planning to protect staff and the business continuity should an outbreak occur.

The superbugs like MRSA in hospitals are also creating similar opportunities for the Office Products Dealers where the media ensures that personal hygiene on hands and surfaces is kept clearly on the agenda creating consumer awareness and sales.

Systemcare can be contacted at:

www.systemcare.co.uk

Enquiries@systemcare.co.uk

The Address of their head office is:

6-7 Maybrook Industrial Estate, Walsall Wood, Walsall, WS8 7DG, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1543 454 872 Fax: +44 (0) 1543 454 184

BOOK REVIEW - Resuscitation for the Citizen

2007-03-30T17:32:00.000Z

“Resuscitation for the Citizen”
Seventh Edition March 2006
Resuscitation Council (UK) Trading Ltd.
5th Floor, Tavistock House North,
Tavistock Square
London WC1H 9HR
www.resus.org.uk
Price 1-49 copies £4.00 per copy (p&p included for UK)
40 pages Broshure 8.25” x 8.25”

Reviewed by M Veshengro Smith

This booklet is based on the Resuscitation Guidelines 2005 but is aimed at the lay rescuer and, I would say, the standard, dare I use that term, First Aider at Work, the Occupational First Aider, as that was once know at.

The brochure covers the essential skills needed to maintain life in an emergency situation and as it is fully illustrated throughout “walks” the reader thru the scenarios.

Aside from CPR the booklet deals with placing an unconscious but breathing casualty into the correct recovery position, as well as with choking and heart attack, etc.

In my view this brochure is useful booklet to have to hand as a memory jogger – but please do not try to use it when faced with the situation – for those those who are not called upon on a regular basis to use those skills.

© M V Smith, March 2007

P.S. This review copy was kindly provided for us as a gift by the London Ambulance Service

Basic First Aid for Burns

2007-03-25T16:41:00.000Z

By Medicine Man
Green Beret - Combat Medic - Paramedic

What are burns?

We all wonder what to do for someone who has been burned. What do we do to lessen the pain? What do we do to stop the ‘burning’. What do we do the help the burn heal more quickly.

Burns can be caused by many things. Exposure to the sun (sunburn), exposure to radiated heat (a pot-bellied stove), exposure to open flame such as from a candle or stove burner, exposure to hot water more than 106Fº/41.1ºC in temperature, exposure to steam, exposure to hot metal, exposure to electrical current and exposure to chemicals (acids or bases). There are thermal burns (from heat), chemical burns and radiation burns (from ionizing and non-ionizing radiation).

Burns happen when the skin comes in contact momentarily with something that is hot, or, as in the case of sunburn, a long enough exposure to the (ultraviolet) rays of the sun. We, as humans in our infinite wisdom, have decided that there are three degrees or levels of burn in relation to live skin, tissue and muscle. There are first degree, second degree and third degree burns.

First degree burns show up as a ‘reddening’ of the skin. The best and most common example is a sunburn. They are surface burns affecting the first layers of skin.

Second degree burns show up as blisters surrounded by reddening of the skin. The blisters will contain ‘water’. The ‘water’ is actually the clear liquid (or serum) part of the blood and tissues. They are burns affecting the first and second layers if skin.

Third degree burns show up as black and charred or white (blanched) skin. They are burns that cause damage to at least the first, second and third layers of skin and many times go much deeper to damage the muscle tissues and bone. Third degree burns are not, contrary to common thought, painful. They are not painful because the nerve endings, which feel pain, are found in the third layer of skin and when the third layer of skin is destroyed, so are the nerve endings. Hence, no pain. Around any third degree burn are second degree burns and first degree burns.

First degree burns happen when the skin comes in contact momentarily with something that is hot. The normal reaction (reflex) is for the body to pull away (recoil) from the offending object. If it (the reaction) is not quick enough, a burn results. It is painful; remember the last hot pot you picked up. In my experience, it doesn‘t take long to look at a hot pot!

Second degree burns happen when the skin comes in contact for a longer period of time (sometimes only a matter of fractions of seconds to seconds) with something that is hot. It is long enough to cause damage to the first and second layers of skin. The body rushes fluids to the affected area and the pressure created causes serum to invade (leak into) the area between the first and second layer of skin causing blisters. This burn too, is painful.

Third degree burns happen when the skin is in contact with open flame, hot/boiling water, steam, or radiated (thermal) heat long enough to kill the cells in the first, second and third layers of skin.

Ultraviolet rays can cause burns that resemble burns caused by thermal energy (heat). Again, we are all painfully aware of the consequences of spending too much time in the sun. I do not recall ever having seen or heard of third degree burns resulting from exposure to the sun. This does not say, though, that it is impossible.

Ionizing radiation includes alpha rays, beta rays, gamma rays, neutrons, X rays and other atomic particles. The burns received from these rays and particles are different from the other sources. The end result, however, after a period of time may resemble the appearances of thermal burns. That is about all I will be saying about this topic.

How do we treat burns?

In a word... Carefully.

If you chance to talk with fourteen different people, you will come away with at least nineteen different opinions. How do we cut through all the fecal matter? Let me tell you what not do. Let me take you back to mom’s cookbook and make a very simple comparison. Then I will walk you through some procedures I have both witnessed and utilized in treating various types of burns. I apologize that my methods are not holistic in that I do not know of herbs and poultices that are used in treating burns. I base some of my treatment on having trained and worked as a State Certified Paramedic in the State of Arizona, USA for eight years. And, I base some of my treatment on acquired knowledge from others that I have used successfully on myself, my family members and others.

First how do we not treat burns and why?!

DO NOT!!!
Put oils (of any kind) on burns.
Put lard on burns.
Put butter on burns.
Put mayonnaise on burns (it has oils in it).
Warm or hot water on burns.

Why???
Oils, lard, butter and mayonnaise have will keep the heat in and allow the burn to worsen until removed. How do the doctors (and we) remove these things? They are removed with soap, water and a brush (OUCH!!!)

Mom’s cookbook tells us that after you have cooked your beef or pork roast, you should remove it from the oven and leave it set (untouched) for one-half hour. What does this have to do with burns, you ask? What is cooking a roast but controlled burning. But, say you, I still haven’t answered your question.

As they say in the King’s vernacular, “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”, or words to that effect.

When you are burned by heat or electricity the temperature of the tissues is raised to a temperature that can cause them to ‘cook’. That cooking continues for approximately one-half hour, just like mom’s roast. What we need to do is bring the temperature of the tissues down below that cooking temperature and keep it there for the ‘magik’ one-half hour. How do we do that? We use large amounts of clean, cold water.

Standard treatment in hospital emergency rooms is to place ice in a basin or sink, fill the basin/sink with water and place towels in the ‘ice water’. The towels are loosely wrung out and placed over the burned area to keep it moist, cool it down and keep it cool. How long do they do it? Right you are, one-half hour or more. Now, not only does the water cool the burn area down it has another magical quality, it greatly relieves the pain in the burned area. Without the excruciating pain the victim can relax and not only physical, but also psychological healing can begin. And they didn’t have to scrub off that oily mess that some well-meaning idiot put on the burn.

After they cool the burn area for the right amount of time they cover it with a gauze (preferrable TELFA gauze) that has been swabbed with Silvadene Cream. Silvadene Cream is a prescription medication here in the U.S., elsewhere it may not be. It is extremely important to keep any open burn wounds clean and free of contamination.

If you are competent medical assistance is available to you and it is close by, you should get them rolling in your direction while you begin any First Aid treatment you intend to give.

Now I have for you a treatment for sunburn that will make it much more bearable in the first and second stages. I have suffered full-body sunburn (not including my genitalia) and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I have also suffered a bout of what I was told was ‘sun poisoning’, whatever that is. My ‘sun poisoning’ resulted in my being able to literally peel off ‘sheets of skin’ from the area of my shins. The peels were about 2 inches/4-5 cm. wide by 3-5 inches/7-12 cm. long and 1/32nd of an inch/0.8 cm. thick. Believe me, it was freaky.

My sunburn treatment is somewhat of a torture too (not really) to help the victim remember (as if he really needs any kind of reminder). Have you ever heard of Epsom Salts? Here in the states (U.S.) we can buy it in a waxed cardboard container similar to the one a gallon of milk can be found. The container weighs 4 pounds/1.81 kg. You take about one-half (2 pounds/.9 kg) and place it into a tub (bathtub) you can immerse your body in. Put enough warm/hot water into the tub to easily dissolve the Epsom Salts. Then, you fill the tub with enough water (cool to the touch) so the victim can fully submerge themselves (except, of course, their head). There is still that old problem of having to breathe.

The victim (cookee) enters the E.S. water where (s)he will stay for one-half hour, exit the water and dry off. Do not drain the E.S. water yet. In about one hour the cookee will again enter the water torture, um, tub and again soak for about a half hour. Don‘t drain yet. Still another half-hour dip to come in another hour. The first dip is to cool the burn and stop the skin from ‘cooking’. The second and third dips are for good measure and to treat the skin with the Epsom Salts. I can tell you what the Epsom Salts are (Magnesium Sulfate, MgSO4 • 7H2O) but, I can’t honestly tell you what it does. I can, however tell you what it does for the cookee.

We all know that the general symptoms of acute (bad) sunburn is intense pain all over your body and no matter what touches your skin (even the breeze) makes it hurt even worse. “Don ‘t touch me or I’ll kill you!”, comes to mind as a suitable epithet when someone has been foolhardy enough to get even a little bit too close. What the treatment appears to do is virtually eliminate the initial pain, tightness of the skin, burning sensation and overall physical distress of sunburn. If you’ve been sunburned badly enough to ultimately result in peeling, the treatment will not stop it from happening. Nor will it stop the accursed itching that happens as the little blisters are forming before the peeling starts.

Remember the hot pot I mentioned earlier in the story? Well, the next time you goof and pick it up wrong or touch it with your finger and wind up talking at god because of your mishap, try this little cure. Go to the refrigerator (American term) or wherever you can find an ice cube or small piece of ice. Pick up a small chunk of ice and hold it between the thumb and burned finger. You can wrap the ice in a paper towel so that two layers of the paper towel are between the burn injury and the ice. This will have the added benefit of keeping you from dripping water all over the place. Hold the ice against the burned area until it melts (the ice) and if it is not yet a half-hour get another piece of ice to hold. You will most likely not blister but will still have the characteristic ‘hard area’ at the site of the burn. You will have relatively little pain and you can go on about your business.

I haven’t gotten into electrical burns or chemical burns. The reason for that is that they should each be treated differently as well as separately as topics. The bottom line is, the best way to treat a burn is with care enough to avoid having one in the first place. If someone has second or third degree burns on the head, face, hands, genitalia or over more than 15% of their body surface they must be seen by competent medical help. If someone has burns to their facial area there is a very great probability that they will have burns in the mouth, throat and lungs.

In any emergency situation, you must keep your head about you and cause no additional injury.

Homeland Security chief challenges logic of screening all cargo

2007-03-25T10:45:00.001Z

By Chris Strohm, National Journal's Technology Daily

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Tuesday attempted to refute arguments that the U.S. government should ensure that every cargo container entering the country is physically inspected or scanned at a foreign port for radioactive materials.

Speaking to the American Association of Port Authorities, Chertoff emphasized the need for a balanced, layered security regime that can identify high-risk cargo containers. He noted the call for screening all cargo.

"How many here want us to do that?" he asked an audience of port employees, federal officials and contractors. Nobody replied, save for some who laughed.

Although Chertoff did not specifically mention it, legislation dealing with cargo security is pending in Congress.

More...

Reed Exhibitions launches ISNR - an all-encompassing approach to homeland security

2007-03-25T08:04:00.000Z

A new series of international events addressing the terrorist threats and homeland security challenges facing governments, police forces and businesses around the world has been launched by Reed Exhibitions Aerospace & Defence Group. ISNR (International Security National Resilience) has been created to promote a climate of understanding, knowledge-sharing and cooperation to help combat these situations.

The first event in the series will be ISNR London, a conference and exhibition at Olympia on 4 and 5 December 2007. This will be followed by ISNR Abu Dhabi, which will be held in the city’s International Exhibition Centre from 2-5 March 2008. More events are anticipated as the ISNR portfolio grows.

ISNR London is founded on the rationale that there’s a paramount need for an integrated approach to security issues. The concept has emerged out of Reed Exhibitions’ recent acquisition of the Air, Port and Terminal Security (APTS) exhibition and its co-located events, which include Counter Terror World.

Reed Exhibitions is broadening the scope of these existing events into a single platform that will cover the entire spectrum of the homeland security arena. This includes: intelligence and threat assessment, border & transport security, counter terrorism, critical infrastructure protection, crisis management and resilience, plus emergency preparedness and response.

ISNR Abu Dhabi will incorporate the former Security and Safety Middle East, Infosecurity and APTS Middle East exhibitions, in response to requests by exhibitors to streamline the region’s security events calendar.

Each ISNR event will consist of a high-level conference, practical workshops and an exhibition area supported by companies that specialize in high-end security technology, systems and services. ISNR London will be hosted in the UK but is a truly international event featuring speakers and other contributors drawn from around the world, in recognition of the international nature of the issues being discussed.

ISNR will provide a forum for current policies, practices and lessons identified by the international security community, as well as an opportunity to evaluate the latest security solutions and technologies. The event will also provide opportunities for networking with colleagues from across the spectrum of international government agencies and the private sector.

'Borderpol is dedicated to making borders safer and smarter the world over so as international communities increasingly work together to combat terrorism and threats to border security there's a huge need to be able to access cutting edge technology in this field as well as understanding how nations can put theory into practice. ISNR is the ideal forum to discuss homeland security doctrine and the training needs that lie behind the policy decisions in crucial areas such as critical infrastructure protection and emergency preparedness and response. It’s also an opportunity to learn about current and future potential of technology and systems that will help support these ideas,' said Les Bonnay, Business Development Director for Borderpol.

PRODUCT REVIEW - TU 05 "BELT KNIFE"

2007-03-24T17:43:00.000Z

PRODUCT REVIEW

Toerags Untility Equipment T.R.U.E.
TU 05 "BELT KNIFE"

Toerags LTD
8a Wharfdale Road
Service Rd
Westbourne
Bournemouth
Dorset BH4 9BT
England
Tel: +44 (0)1202 766333

info@toerags.com
www.toerags.com

The term "Belt Knife" for this little 2-inch liner-lock folder with one-hand opening stud on the blade and steel clothing clip may be somewhat of a wrong and exaggerated term but, folks, I did not name it thus, the manufacturers did. The name, obviously, stems from the ideas that the knife would be attached by means of the clothing clip to a belt and worn thus via the clip, I find, being rather strong, works best on clothing, like the watch pocket of a pair of jeans, for instance.

First of I should also say that I did not receive this little blade from the manufacturer for review purposes but, actually, purchased it. This is no big deal really at only £6.99 in a store near my home. I had seen the T.R.U.E. range in their window display for some time and had intended for some time to buy one of those little blades just for the heck of it, so to speak. I am glad I did.

I cannot tell the reader where the blade and knife was actually made as no manufacturing country is given. All it says on the blade is "stainless". However, for the price it is a very well-made little piece of kit. The blade is a Bowie-style hollow ground that take a nice keen edge and it appears to sharpen up best on a steel than anything else. The handles appear to be brushed aluminum with rubber inlays. No rivets have been used throughout instead the blade pivots on a screw rivet that also holds the clothing clip, which means that it can be retightened should this be necessary, and the scales are held on also with small Hex screws recessed into the scales. There is no wobble in the blade and the liner lock holds very solid indeed. Seeing that the slots of the main screw rivet had the marks of a screwdriver having been used I would assume that those knives are actually hand-assembled and checked.

The knife comes in a cardboard "presentation" box with a 10-year warranty and I can only say that I am rather impressed, and I do not impress easily, with this little blade. I am currently putting it thru its paces in using it here and there at work and elsewhere. Already out of the box the edge on the knife was not bad at all but with a little help on a smooth carborundum stone and a an old style steel it got even better.

All-in-all, having now had the occasion to wear and use it regularly I can say that it is a useful little blade and comes in handy for many tasks, especially seeing its one-hand opening facility.

While this little knife probably was never intended – more than probably in fact – for the emergency service personnel market it, nevertheless, in my opinion, would be a useful little backup knife for a variety of tasks, though being a small knife one should really only use it – like in fact all knives – for cutting tasks and nothing else. After all a knife is no screwdriver, pry bar, or tool for a purpose other than what it was made for, namely cutting things.

© M Veshengro Smith 2007

LED Lenser V2 Triplex - A Product Review

2007-03-23T16:03:00.001Z

LED Lenser V2 Triplex - A Product Review

With new light chip technology
Cloverleaf reflector system
3 high quality LED’s, in fact a high intensity LED light chip
Solid metal casing
Durable nylon pouch and lanyard included

Burn Time: Up to 10 hours from 1 AA alkaline battery.
Dimensions: 141mm x 37mm
Weight: 160gms
Power Supply: 1 x AA alkaline battery (Two sets of batteries included: 2 x AA)

The patented pure metal housing is ergonomic and extraordinarily smooth to the touch. The patented photon tube reflectors cause the high power diodes to shine with undreamed of brightness. Due to its low power consumption, 1 x AA alkaline battery will provide up to 10 hours of light.

Price: approx. GBP 24.99
Agents in the UK: Ledco Ltd. www.ledco.co.uk

Manufacturers: Zweibrüder Optoelectronics GmbH www.zweibrueder.com

Well, so much for the information from the manufacturer and UK distributor. However, I must say that I am most impressed, as as I have mentioned before on occasions, I do not impress easily, with the design and especially the light output from this little light. It is about the size of the so-called “Mini Maglite”, the one that uses 2xAA batteries as power source, but that is about where the comparison ends. The power source in this one that I have tested and am using is one single AA alkaline cell and considering that, the light output is awesome and then some more.

The light source is a three LED light chip in a cloverleaf pattern (see picture) and the diodes produce an extremely bright and intense white light.

As far as I understand this version of the flashlight is also available in Mossy OakTM camouflage.

The only drawback that could be mentioned is that the beam cannot be focused but, then again, there are others of the same manufacturer where this is indeed possible and I do hope to be able to review – should the manufacturer/agents be prepared to furnish me with the samples for review – some of their tactical flashlights, including the new one that is aimed at the law enforcement market. I have seen it and handled it already but have not been able to put it thru its paces properly, not having a review sample to hand.

All I can say is that this surely is a lot of light in a small package and don't let the price deter you. This is a solid little flashlight made of solid stuff and I am sure it will give many, many years of reliable service.

Reviewed by Michael Veshengro Smith ©