NG9-1-1: The Changing Face of Emergency Calling

What public safety leaders need to know about how to make the move to Next Generation 9-1-1 services, and how best to take advantage of the benefits these services provide.

The FCC estimates that 70% of 9-1-1 calls are placed by wireless callers. Couple that with the increase in Voice Over IP (VoIP) phone services and you can quickly see that being able to fix a phone number with a specific location is nowhere near the majority of these calls anymore. Furthermore, the increased capabilities associated with these wireless and VoIP networks has led to the idea that we should use data, images and video to improve the effectiveness of transmitting a 9-1-1 “call” to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP).

 That idea has been driven into fruition by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), who has developed the Next Generation 9-1-1 initiative (NG9-1-1). Through the initiative, the NHTSA is looking to incorporate these new technical capabilities and drive the marriage of them with existing PSAPs.  Yet being able to tie Emergency Services IP Networks (ESInets) to legacy networks, and ensuring that PSAPs can handle video, streaming, data, texting and voice, plus obtain the location of a mobile phone and/or a VoIP phone, is a potentially daunting task.  But with the right tools, it is possible. 

So what do public safety leaders need to know about how to make the move to next-generation 9-1-1 services?  And how can they best take advantage of the benefits these services provide?

 Setting the Stage for the Future of Emergency Calling

9-1-1 services are not something to be taken lightly.  Channeling important calls through the network is critical to ensuring the safety of lives across the U.S.  With today’s emergency services, or E9-1-1 services, the public can only make emergency voice calls and Teletype calls. This means that only minimal data is delivered, including the Automatic Number Identification, which enables subscribers to display or capture the billing telephone number of a calling party, subscriber name and Automatic Location Identification, if available.

However, in the NG9-1-1 environment, the public will be able to make a wide range of emergency “calls,” including voice, text and video from any device – wired or wireless – over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.  In addition, PSAPs will be able to obtain data from personal safety devices like medical alert systems and sensors.    Not only do these services support a constantly increasing mobile user base, but they also support the deaf and hearing impaired, who frequently communicate via text message, as well as non-English speaking callers.

 The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) understands the importance of emergency calling and is tracking the progression of 9-1-1 services within the U.S., and is setting the stage for the future of emergency calling. In fact, on June 16 NENA announced the approval of the i3 standard which explains, “how networks and devices will eventually work together to enable voice, text, picture, and data exchange between citizens and first responders.”  It is essentially a long-term plan to ensure that all public safety networks are successfully transitioned from legacy networks to next-generation IP networks to allow for the more advanced services like video, streaming, data, texting and voice communications. The protocol for delivering these “calls” across the ESInet will be the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS, which incorporates SIP).  The functional and interface standards developed by NENA describe general SIP and IMS-based architectures that allow responsible agencies flexibility in developing an infrastructure to support the envisioned features of NG9-1-1 calling.

As a result of the i3 standard, and NENA’s emphasis on the importance of transitioning legacy networks to IP, public safety agencies are on the move to make this transition. 

But with more than 6,000 PSAPs in the U.S., it goes without saying that transitioning every single PSAP from TDM to IP comes with its challenges.  Just how to make this transition has been an ongoing topic of debate, and budget is a primary concern.

However, if done correctly, the operational and fiscal advantages of NG9-1-1 networks will be significant.  In addition to offering new ways of communication for PSAPs and the general public, the new environment provides for much easier, much more effective call routing and transfers.

The goal for many PSAPs is to become part of a larger regional network, including other PSAPs, thereby reducing the cost and maintenance burden. This could take place in a physical or virtual manner – where several counties work together to consolidate their physical networks, or via virtual IP networks, counties could leverage resources to connect various emergency call centers.  This would lift the budget concerns, creating a more efficient and effective architecture – and reducing operational expenses. 

Making the Transition

There are two options for making the migration from TDM to IP.  Public safety agencies can choose to run two networks in parallel – a TDM and an IP network – until they do the final switchover.  However, this requires an extensive amount of hardware and as a result this option tends to be extremely expensive and less efficient. 

That being said, it is important that as public safety leaders make the transition, that they consider not just the replication of what their networks can accomplish today, but what their networks can accomplish in the future.  That way, as innovative, new services are introduced they can essentially build on their network rather than having to recreate it again in the future.  The key to this option is to implement the right network equipment that can support both TDM and IP services, so that they can complete today’s E9-1-1 services, while transitioning to new NG9-1-1 services – without having to rip and replace their network.

When PSAPs are looking at building on top of their existing network, there are a few key elements that they should look at within their network – those that can support both TDM and IP as they make the migration so that PSAPs can support emergency services now and in the future. 

Legacy Network Gateway (LNG)
The Legacy Network Gateway is a media gateway solution with additional 9-1-1 specific features that allows legacy, TDM-based carrier networks to access the emergency services available in the ESInet. 

Legacy PSAP Gateway (LPG)
The Legacy PSAP Gateway is a media gateway solution which provides similar features to the LNG, and is critical in providing protocol conversion from the NG9-1-1 ESInet to the E9-1-1 PSAP equipment. 

Emergency Services Routing Proxy (ESRP)
The ESRP is the base routing of function for emergency calls for NG9-1-1.  As needed, the ESRP queries the Emergency Call Routing Function (ECRF) for routing instructions and queries the PRF for applicable policy.  The ESRP forwards the modified SIP signaling to the appropriate node.  The ESRP is also used for calls originating in the PSAP that are bound for responders.  It is important to select equipment that supports the necessary recording and media anchoring requirements for the ESRP and the ability to deliver video services, as this will be key in the future of NG9-1-1 communications.

Border Control Function (BCF)
The Border Control Function provides a secure entry into the ESInet for emergency calls presented to the network.  It incorporates firewall and admission control, and may include anchoring of sessions and media as well as other security mechanisms to prevent deliberate or malicious attacks on PSAPs or other entities connected to the ESInet. 

Each of the functions described above are key to making the migration from E9-1-1 to NG9-1-1 without having to rip and replace an entire network.  They make it possible to tie ESInets to legacy networks to ensure PSAPs can handle video, streaming, data, texting and voice, obtaining the location of a mobile phone and/or a VoIP phone – taking the public safety industry to the next level. 

 Summing it Up

While NG9-1-1 has been talked about for quite a long time, the passing of NENA’s i3 standard represented a significant step forward for the public safety industry.  Now more than ever, public safety leaders must be aware of the various ways to make the transition from E9-1-1 to NG9-1-1.  From incident notification to mass reporting and coordinating response, NG9-1-1 will only enhance the public safety of citizens throughout the U.S. and it is important that public safety leaders understand which core components of the network will enable them to do so – without breaking the bank.  Building on their existing network with equipment that supports both TDM and IP and therefore existing and future services, is clearly the best way to do so. 

Jim Machi is Senior Vice President of Marketing for Dialogic Corporation, responsible for developing marketing strategy and driving marketing communications for Dialogic.  He is also responsible for long term product planning and strategy for all Dialogic products.  Dialogic develops open systems based voice, video and signaling products targeted for both the enterprise and service provider market segments.  For more information see http://www.dialogic.com

“HOW HAVE WE CHANGED AS A NATION”

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and an open field in Shanksville, PA? Can you recall your thoughts when you heard the news? After 9/11 each of our lives changed and we now have a “new normal” that encompasses our daily lives.

 The events of September 11, 2001 are vivid in our minds today and are so entrenched that none of us will soon forget. Whether it is the image of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or in a field in Pennsylvania; the imploding of the World Trade Center buildings or the pride Americans felt as firefighters raised flags at the Pentagon or the raising of the flag on the pile of the World Trade Center. The events of 9/11 can shake the foundation of our great structures but it cannot be allowed to shake the foundation of American society and the values that we as a nation hold. In its emotional impact, September 11, 2001, may have been the most horrifying single day in American history. As bloody as some of the great battles and disasters of the past have been, the news about them tended to trickle out: most Americans read detailed accounts of Antietam, Hunter’s raid on VMI or Pearl Harbor well after the event. On September 11, Americans watched on television, in real time, as the twin towers of the World Trade Center burned and their fellow citizens flung themselves to their deaths from 100 stories up. Americans all watched as the towers imploded, and they all knew that they were witnessing, in seconds, the deaths of thousands of their compatriots in the nation’s front yard.

 Today, Americans gather at the Pentagon, a field in Shanksville, PA, near the site of the New York World Trade Center, and Kandahar in Afghanistan, here, and at hundreds of other places around the country and the globe. United in purpose, we gather to remember the victims of the horrific terrorist attacks against this nation ten years ago today. We also gather to remember those in and out of uniform who continue the daily fight against those who would harm us for no other reason than the United States stands as a bright shining light of freedom in the world.

When the al Queda terrorists struck at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center, they sought to topple the world’s mightiest symbols of military power and economic prosperity. And while those blows hurt, they did not cripple the far reaching capabilities or the effectiveness of our Armed Services and our financial institutions. United, we grieve for the 3,000 innocent people who perished in those surprise attacks against our nation. They came from all walks of life, all races, and all ages.

Among the youngest victims were three sixth-graders from the Washington, D.C. area. Bernard Brown, Asia Cottom and Rodeny Dickens took American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington’s Dulles Airport on their way to California on a National Geographic-sponsored education trip to learn about the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara. Their young lives were cut short when their hijacked jetliner flew into the west side of the Pentagon, we can only imagine the greatness that could have been contained in the souls of these three children. Who can forget Todd Beamer leading a group of passengers against the terrorists to save thousands of lives in Washington D.C. on that faithful day.

We all witnessed the tragic events of that day and many of us felt helpless, some from fear, others wanting to help and not knowing where to begin, some tried all day and night to reach family members who were in New York, or Washington; not knowing whether they were alive or dead. There was a fear of the unknown that descended over the nation and into every household as the events unfolded, as the day progressed we were reassured by our leaders that America would survive and prosper in the future. Many of us realized that the events of September 11, 2001 had changed our lives forever. Some of the changes were immediate and many more have evolved over the years.

 Since the events of 9/11 we have begun the process of improving how we are prepared for terrorist’s attacks, natural, and man-made emergencies. Much of the focus has centered on the preparation of the federal government. We as citizens must realize that at the local level we play a vital role in carrying out the mission of preparedness. We have to take the necessary steps to ensure that we live in a safer community. The government will provide guidance and leadership in the area of preparedness but it is the responsibility of each citizen to prepare for their own safety, especially at home. We are safer and better prepared since the events of 9/11 but there is still work to accomplish (such as interoperability for first responders) and it is up to each and every one of us to support new measures that will be forthcoming to enhance our safety and security within the nation’s borders. Some of these measures will cost thousands of dollars and others will cost millions of dollars and we must not let our leaders refuse to provide the necessary measures simply because of the cost, no life in the world has a price and government leaders must understand and be held accountable to the new standards.

 It was not long ago that we could attend school without the fear of security measures to ensure our safety but after 9/11 there was a push to ensure the safety of our school age children. School leaders must now plan for increases in gang activity, spikes in violence at athletic events, and a rise in internet and technology crimes. As technology has improved and made our lives more advanced so too has crimes against children increased. It is now up to administrators to ensure that sensitive information is removed from the school districts web sites that can be used to harm students. Changes included more supervision from adults, the use of cameras to ensure student and faculty safety. More resource officers were allocated for schools, crisis plans were mandated from the state, safety and security training is part of staff development. Crisis teams are mandated to be used by schools, administrators are responsible for providing the necessary training to their staff to ensure that all students can flourish in a safe environment and faculty can provide a quality education in a safe and orderly environment. School leaders now must understand that the concept of school safety is as important, if not more so than instructional leadership. Simply put we cannot educate our children if they are not in a safe and secure learning environment.

 I like many of you can remember the days of attending sporting events and not having to worry about your safety. That too has changed, even at high school athletic events we are exposed to more uniformed security. If you have ever attended a college athletic event, a NASCAR Race, a professional athletic contest you will notice that you must arrive early and proceed through a series of security checkpoints. Prior to 9/11 most security was in place to ensure that no one became unruly during the contest, now security is there to ensure your safety. More uniform police officers, K-9 dogs, bomb squads; these include local, state, and federal authorities.

 Since the events of 9/11 we as citizens have encountered increased security measures, especially in the transportation industry. Many people have complained about the changes, and, they consider these measures to be invasion of privacy, but as citizens we should be grateful that there are people who want to ensure our safety. As long as citizens have nothing to hide then they should be willing to encounter the new safety measures. We must understand that these measures are necessary for our well-being, I for one do not mind the security procedures at an airport, yes these take time but if it will ensure that I will live another day then I am fully supportive of the measures and each citizen should be fully accepting of the measures.

 In the emergency services profession there has been much change both internally and externally. First responders no longer can take for granted that when they pull up on the scene of a fire or motor vehicle crash that the people will accept their assistance. First responders must be suspicious of every event when they respond; in particular when they are responding to calls that involve bomb threats or explosions they must be aware of secondary devices that may have been set to harm them. We must now be trained in weapons of mass destruction, chemical, biological, and radiological emergencies that can affect thousands of people. We must be prepared for mass evacuations that can occur, health emergencies that include the possibility of a pandemic; which could result in death to a large number of the population and even death to the first responder.  Emergency services used to be based on the philosophy that each agency preformed the duties as outlined in their Standard Operating Procedures. Today each agency is integrated and must work jointly within the concept of an all hazard approach to ensuring the safety of the citizens that they are responsible for serving. Each agency must “EMBRACE AND SHARE THE PROCESS” and works side by side with each and every citizen to protect their community.

 While many changes and safety measures have come into our lives in the past 10 years, change has been slow in some areas of the country simply due to a lack of financial support to implement the safety measures. Many say that the country is spending too much money on safety and security of citizens, I would argue that the money is well spent because there have been no new attacks the magnitude of a 9/11 event. How does one place a value on another human’s life, whether it is a terrorist attack or a lost hiker in the mountains of Rockbridge County it is important that the community understand that first responders need the tools to perform their jobs effectively; this includes Federal, State and, Local Governments, along with law enforcement agencies, and fire and rescue agencies?

 In closing let me say that courage and strength are key components of American citizens, and this has been exhibited on 3 occasions in American history that stand out in my mind. July 4, 1776; December 7, 1941; and September 11, 2001.

Thank you and “GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”.

Augusta County to explore legal options on FEMA maps

VERONA — With flood insurance for nearly 300 properties in Augusta County hanging in the balance, the Board of Supervisors delayed a decision on adopting new maps in the Sherando area to determine which properties are likely flood.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires the county to accept by Monday the agency’s flood plain maps for the Back Creek area to keep insurance for properties throughout Augusta that are part of the federal program.

FEMA’s flood plain maps are important because most landowners with property inside flood plains must pay for federal flood insurance.

Supervisors voted Wednesday to explore legal options in an attempt to gain time to contest map changes in Back Creek that would move dozens of properties out of designated flood plain areas and place others inside them.

FEMA expects the county to adopt the new maps for Back Creek by Monday or the entire county would be ineligible to participate in the federal flood insurance program. About 280 properties in Augusta are covered under the federal flood insurance program.

The county had asked FEMA for a one-year extension to study the area, but the agency balked, supervisors said at Wednesday’s regular meeting.

Board Chairman Jeremy Shifflett last month wrote a letter to FEMA asking for a one-year extension on adopting the federal agency’s revised map that determines which areas are in 100-year flood plains.

When FEMA sent Augusta County its revised map last August, the county didn’t get a 90-day appeals period where by local government officials or individuals could dispute the flood-plain mapping. Supervisors learned of the missed appeals chance only last month, Shifflett wrote.

However, supervisors tabled the vote and decided that the area needed further study to ensure accurate flood-plain maps, Shifflett wrote.

The chairman asked for time to have a study done while maintaining county homeowners’ eligibility for flood insurance.

Places in 100-year flood plains are determined by statistics to be prone to at least one major flood every century.

Federal law requires that properties within the plains that have federally backed mortgages participate in a government-run flood insurance program that helps cover damages when they’re over-run with water.

Suspension from the program for failure to adopt FEMA’s maps would make all of Augusta ineligible for some disaster relief funds from floods, county officials said.

FEMA Encourages Americans to Participate in September’s National Preparedness Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council, today announced the launch of new web tools that will make it easier for individuals and organizations throughout the nation to join the 2011 National Preparedness Month (NPM) coalition and pledge their support to help prepare their families, businesses and communities for emergencies of all kinds.

The eighth annual NPM will kickoff this September, using the slogan: “A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare.” The campaign seeks to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

“As we move forward with planning for this year’s events and activities, we also recognize that this September marks the ten year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “By doing what we can to ensure that our communities, and our nation, are prepared to respond and recover from all types of disasters and hazards, we honor the memory of those who were lost that day.”

Individuals and groups can now register to become NPM coalition members by visiting community.fema.gov.  Once registered, members have access to a toolkit that includes suggestions for activities and events, templates, articles, banners and customizable materials. Coalition members also have access to an events calendar allowing them to post and promote preparedness events, share success stories, and participate in national and regional discussion forums to engage with fellow coalition members and FEMA representatives.

By hosting events, promoting volunteer programs and sharing emergency preparedness information, coalition members can help ensure that their communities are prepared for emergencies. Becoming a coalition member is easy and free, so register now to get started. Nearly 2,000 coalition members have already joined this year’s campaign.

While NPM is held each September, FEMA’s Ready Campaign promotes individual emergency preparedness at home, in the workplace, and throughout America’s communities throughout the year. Ready is a national campaign, produced in partnership with The Ad Council, designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks.

The Ready Campaign’s websites (ready.gov and listo.gov) and toll-free numbers (1-800-BE-READY and 1-888-SE-LISTO) provide free emergency preparedness information and resources available in English and Spanish. Additionally, through FEMA’s partnership with the Ad Council, public service announcements are available to increase the American public’s involvement in preparedness.

Follow FEMA online at blog.fema.gov, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.  Also, follow Administrator Craig Fugate’s activities at www.twitter.com/craigatfema.

The social media links provided are for reference only.FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards

New risk to first responders: chemical suicide

First responders and HAZMAT teams are becoming aware of a new threat: chemical suicide. This new type of suicide is increasing in popularity as a result of instructions being posted on the Internet; the suicide is carried out by mixing household cleaners and detergents to produce a cloud of toxic gas; trouble is, after killing its intended victim, the cloud of gas remains present, threatening to kill those who attempt a rescue

 

First responders and HAZMAT teams are becoming aware of a new threat: chemical suicide. This new type of suicide poses a deadly threat to first responders. The High suicide is carried out by mixing household cleaners and detergents to produce a cloud of toxic gas. Trouble is, after killing its intended victim, the cloud of gas remains present, threatening to kill those who attempt a rescue. According to an article from FireRescue1.com, the incidence of chemical suicides in the United States has risen from three in 2008 to more than thirty in 2010. It is believed that chemical suicides originated in Japan in 2007 — in Japan, this form of suicide is called “detergent suicide — and have spread around the world, mostly as a result of instructions for mixing various chemicals to produce toxic gases being shared on the Internet. According to a June article in the New York Times, at least 80 percent of chemical suicides have resulted in injuries to first responders exposed to the gases. Last year, several Henrico County, Virginia, first responders were hospitalized after arriving on the scene of a woman who killed herself with methyl bromide fumes.

James Demby Leads the Way for FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program

 

By: Jim McKay on March 01, 2011

James Demby is the senior technical and policy adviser and program manager for the FEMA National Dam Safety Program. He advises Sandra Knight, FEMA’s deputy federal insurance and mitigation administrator for mitigation, on matters pertaining to national dam safety.

Demby is a professional engineer registered in Virginia and has worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His work for the corps included geotechnical design projects; analysis of military construction; and civil works projects such as barracks complexes, military family housing projects, hazardous waste sites, highway bridge foundation design, federal navigation channels, and levees and flood control structures.

What is the role of the National Dam Safety Program?

The purpose of the Dam Safety Program is to reduce the risk to life and property from dam failure; that’s the short answer. Part of that is bringing together expertise and resources from federal and nonfederal communities. In the Dam Safety Program we have participation from various federal agencies that have some type of role in dams — in ownership, regulating dams or building dams; they have some role from the federal perspective. Then you have state dam safety representatives who bring expertise from the state perspective, and you have representatives from the private sector. You bring in these experts to look at dam safety issues from a national perspective.

One state doesn’t have a dam safety program. What’s the significance of that?

In Alabama dams are regulated by the state. That means they’re not being inspected, and there’s not a requirement for emergency action planning for high hazard-potential dams. That means that within the state, they don’t necessarily have a good sense of the hazards that dams potentially pose to people downstream.

By not having a dam safety program that’s legislated by the state, it can’t participate in the National Dam Safety Program, whereby FEMA provides state assistance grants that go to dam safety activities.

Alabama — although it does not have a legislated dam safety program — has begun actions over the last couple of years to identify the state’s dams, and to establish, inventory and provide that information to the National Inventory of Dams. The state is taking steps toward getting a program. The first step is getting a sense of what the need is.

What about the lack of knowledge of the people across the country who live below dams, in terms of the danger they’re in?

We provide national assistance grants to state dam safety programs. The hope is that they will coordinate with local and state emergency managers to identify the risks within their state, and with that coordination with the state dam safety officials and emergency managers, develop specific strategies within their state to address the dangers. One area within the Dam Safety Program is public awareness. That’s one of the functional activities identified in the National Dam Safety [Program] Act.

That’s one of the things we realized we need to improve on with the Dam Safety Program — providing more of an outreach strategy to communicate the risk from a broad perspective [of the dangers] to populations downstream of dams. On our current grants that we put out for 2010, we have some language to try to address the gap in awareness of dangers downstream. One of the initiatives in the 2010 state assistance grants was to encourage state safety officials, once they identify dams that are unsafe or at risk, to coordinate and provide that information to state and local emergency managers and local decision-makers, like mayors or city council members, so they’ll have the situational awareness of a dam that poses a threat to a community.

You’ve said money probably should be distributed differently. Can you elaborate?

Currently money is distributed based on the language in the Dam Safety Act, and that’s based on a distribution of the number of dams in the state and the number of dams nationally that fall under the National Inventory of Dams.

One concern that’s been raised from the states is that it might be more effective if the money is based more on risk as opposed to just a straight formula based on the number of dams. That way you make sure the federal investment is going to the areas that have the most risk.

What areas are most at risk? Do people in those areas know how at risk they are?

The states are the front line for dam safety because 85 percent of the nation’s 83,000 dams are regulated by states. With that said, state officials should have a good understanding of the dams that are at risk in their states.

It’s imperative that state dam safety officials communicate that information and work with state and local emergency managers so that there is good situational awareness at the state and local levels of dams that potentially threaten populations downstream.

From a national perspective, that is information we don’t collect as part of the National Dam Safety Program. With the National Inventory of Dams, what we do have is information on the hazard-potential classification. But that’s not really a risk-based classification. It’s a classification on: If the dam fails there is — say, for high-hazard classification — probably loss of life. Significant hazard potential means if that there’s a dam failure there would be substantial economic impact downstream. There’s a low-hazard classification; that is if the dam fails, there would be no impact to life or property. But those are not risk-informed classifications; they’re based on consequences.

How concerned are you about the threat of a terrorist attack on the nation’s dams?

The Infrastructure Protection Office in the Department of Homeland Security primarily addresses the terrorist threat. The whole dam sector is broken down into two parts: FEMA has the responsibility of dam safety and DHS specifically looks at the security side — so they’re more focused on the terrorist-sabotage area.

With that said, as far as the critical infrastructure and the sectors identified as part of the critical infrastructure, dams are one of the critical infrastructure areas, so there is great concern. We want to make sure that there is a national framework and approach to make sure that our critical infrastructure is being hardened and protected from terrorist threats.

Area Under a Tornado Watch

Lexington- The National Weather Service in Blacksburg has issued a tornado watch for Buena Vista, Lexington, and Rockbridge County until 4:00 p.m.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARRIVING LATE THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS. LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALSO POSSIBLE…ALONG WITH LOCALIZED FLOODING. AHEAD OF THESE STORMS…SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL GUST TO 45 MPH THIS AFTERNOON.

More information can be found at http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rnk/