Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

This series of publications was developed in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Center and the subsequent events that led to the formation of DHS and an increased emphasis on preparedness and mitigation of terrorism-related hazards. One issue that FEMA began shortly after that was to examine whether lessons learned in response to natural hazards could be effectively applied to protect building occupants from human threats. Important similarities between seismic and blast loadings (e.g., both can impose extreme horizontal forces on a structure within a small time frame) lend themselves to such examination.

Residents of areas that could be affected by a dam failure or operational incident have a risk of loss of life, injuries, and damage to property from a failure or operational incident. The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines for the preparation of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to facilitate the development of plans that are comprehensive and consistent. The purpose of an EAP is to protect lives and reduce property damage. The intended readers of this document are dam owners and emergency management authorities who work together in the response to dam safety emergencies. An EAP is a formal document that identifies potential emergency conditions at a dam and specifies actions to be followed to minimize loss of life and property damage. The EAP includes: Actions the dam owner will take to moderate or alleviate a problem at the dam Actions the dam owner will take, and in coordination with emergency management authorities, to respond to incidents or emergencies related to the dam

Women have a long history as firefighters, yet only recently have significant numbers of women begun to choose the fire service as a career. While some volunteer fire departments have included women for years, many others are beginning to do so only now. A woman considering volunteer service or a career as a firefighter often has many questions. What does the work involve? How can I best prepare myself for it? What are the challenges and rewards of firefighting? How will the fire department and the other firefighters accept me? This handbook was created to help women who would like to become career, volunteer, or seasonal firefighters, as well as those who have just started on the job and are seeking guidance. It offers insights and suggestions from women who have been there: female firefighters, officers, and chiefs from all across the country. It attempts to present firefighting as it really is--neither glamorized nor trivialized--and to share answers to questions women commonly have...