February 14th, 2006

More details on FEMA tech upgrades

Posted by ZDNet @ February 14, 2006 @ 2:39 PM

Categories: Disaster recovery, Government technology, Homeland security

Tags: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Government Computer Week, ZDNet

Government Computer Week has some details on Homeland Security Sec. Chertoff’s pledges to beef up FEMA technology. Yesterday he said:

“Within the immediate future, we will significantly enhance and strengthen FEMA’s disaster registration and processing systems, its Web site and its 1-800 call-in number so that we build the capacity in FEMA to handle up to 200,000 disaster registrations a day. That is our objective,” Chertoff said in prepared remarks. “We will also begin the process of upgrading FEMA’s outdated information technology and computer systems.” 

In a little more detail, here’s the fix-it list:

• A more sophisticated and specialized logistics management system to better track materiel, inventories, distribution and delivery of supplies to disaster areas

• Improvements to FEMA’s customer service system, now provided chiefly by the agency’s National Emergency Management Information System, to help register eligible users, prevent fraud and adjust as the needs of people affected by disasters change during recovery operations
• Hardened communications systems using interoperable equipment that will help leaders assign priorities to resource requirements.