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As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, the importance of contact tracing becomes even more undeniable. Veoci hosted a webinar alongside the City of New Haven Public Health Department to discuss how they’re using contact tracing to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.

Numerous industries will see direct aid as a result of the CARES Act, but what that aid looks like differs. This blog will take a look at how the CARES Act helps healthcare, governments, higher education, and airports.

Contact tracing has become an increasingly popular topic as the world searches for ways to battle COVID-19. The primary goal of contact tracing is to decrease the amount of people who are infected by someone who already has COVID-19.

On Thursday, May 14, 2020 Veoci conducted a webinar led by Veoci’s Jennifer McTiernan, General Counsel, and Nathaniel Ellis, Co-founder and Director of Strategic Solutions. Together, the two discussed how enforcement of HIPAA has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and how Veoci’s solutions can help organizations with the changing landscape. Nothing in this webinar should be interpreted as legal advice, nor is it a substitute for legal advice.

Society is not going to return to pre-COVID status right away. Quarantining, social distancing, and self isolation are still norms in countries that are beginning to reopen. They’re also focused on bolstering the health system, increasing testing, and relying on contact tracing.

After action reporting (AAR) takes a look at everything that went well and everything that needs work. It looks at the crisis holistically and determines what needs to be done to prevent certain lags in response for next time. Technology can be an excellent tool for supporting after action reporting because it enables you to collect data as a crisis unfolds, and then aggregate it for review in the end.

Making sure people have access to regular meals is an essential function of COVID-19 response. Schools and municipalities have had to find ways to organize the distribution of food to students and members of the general public.

A fire department in Connecticut identified a need to track personal protective equipment (PPE) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Veoci teamed up with them to create a solution that would meet their needs.

During these uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic it’s not only important to protect the physical health of essential employees, but the mental health as well. Inspired by Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) practices in healthcare organizations, Veoci created a solution to facilitate reach out when essential workers need mental health support. 

A major university in North Carolina acknowledged the importance of case tracking and contact tracing early on in the COVID-19 pandemic. They established a case tracking system, which Veoci identified as a best practice.

Veoci’s office status solution helps combat breaches in communication that might result during a crisis, such as a global pandemic. The solution offers a map display that shows all branch locations color-coded by status. 

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the creation of Earth Day – a holiday meant to call people to action to demonstrate their concern for the planet and promote conservation. As most of the nation practices social distancing, many may be wondering how to celebrate this important holiday.

Veoci’s latest webinar focuses on Virtual Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and how they can be used for long term crisis management. A team of Veoci practitioners spoke about their experiences in the field of emergency management and working with physical and virtual EOCs. 

One public health organization in Connecticut was getting a very high volume of phone calls from the public. People were reporting cases of COVID-19, asking about symptoms, and making general inquiries about the virus and staying safe. This public health department quickly realized that they needed a way to manage all of the calls that were coming in and to log inquiries that would serve as data down the road. They asked Veoci to help put together a solution to help them manage it all.

Emergency management plans no longer exist solely within a single municipality or organization. Now, every emergency management response from organizations across the country must take into account the entire general public. It’s not enough to have individual plans and responses, we must all work as a unit to fight COVID-19.

Without a COVID-19 vaccine, it is crucial that doctors and scientists use all the tools at their disposal to try to treat this virus. The antibodies found in plasma donations from recovered COVID-19 patients could be a very valuable resource in ending this pandemic. Therefore, it is crucial to have a tool that can organize the process of collecting and managing blood plasma.

Communicating with remote employees is a key part of sustaining this continuity. This is where 2-Way SMS Notifications come in. This technology not only allows your organization to spread your message in the most efficient way possible, but also hear back from employees during the response, helping you to collect crucial information that will inform your efforts. 

It seems that the people who have been most affected by this pandemic, besides those who have unfortunately contracted COVID-19, are those who are still reporting to work everyday. We should all recognize the sacrifice they’re making on a daily basis, and help them find ways to combat the stress of performing their jobs during this pandemic.

What is your organization doing to keep operating as normally as possible? As part of our normal operations, Veoci implemented our own internal business continuity management program based on practitioner expertise and industry best practices. The Veoci Team’s COVID-19 response was launched as the result of a BCP activation, and we continue to use the tools and features it created to keep things running as smoothly as possible. We practice preparedness as much as we preach it.

Staff turnover can often lead to a loss of essential knowledge about the inner workings of a utility, thus affecting the operations of the organization. However, by changing the way they preserve internal talent and by bolstering communication, utilities can limit the loss of institutional knowledge.

Roughly 1.4 million people gather in the streets of New Orleans every year to partake in the Mardi Gras festivities. And while it's a culturally rich event, the nature of the celebration makes it easy to see how things could go wrong. The emergency management department and first responders in New Orleans have to be well prepared for Carnival season. 

Brian has lived a life full of adventure and discipline, which has instilled in him a strong work ethic and respect for the field of emergency management, and which has ultimately led him to become the Aviation Client Success Manager at Veoci.

Think of all the departments and organizations you have operating within your jurisdiction. Currently, each organization is likely functioning independently, with brief communication crossovers with other departments when necessary. But what if you could bring all of these entities under a single umbrella?

At Veoci, we already have an impressive number of skilled practitioners involved in the development and implementation of our software, so we are thrilled to welcome Anthony DeGeorge to the team. Nearly 20 years of experience as a first responder and emergency manager (who used Veoci in the field) has prepared him to create and implement solutions that will improve operations for our healthcare clients.

Recently that world has been watching, and lending a helping hand when possible, as Australia is ravaged by wildfires. Australian citizens have lost their homes, businesses, and loved ones to the raging flames, and wildlife on the island may never be the same. As Australia battles these bushfires, one question is on many people’s minds: What can we do to prevent a wildfire crisis of this magnitude from happening again?

We all love our furry friends, but it can be easy to overlook their safety in times of crisis. Sometimes we aren’t even prepared ourselves, let alone prepared for our pets. Fortunately, there are some basic steps you can follow to ensure your pet’s safety during an emergency.

Snow, sleet, ice, and freezing temperatures can halt our daily lives in their paths, affecting power, roads, and personal safety. However, with a few basic safety tips, civilians and utility companies alike can prepare for and recover from the harsh realities of winter weather.

Veoci is all about preparedness, even during the fun and joy of the winter holidays. So, as an extension of our preparedness, take some of these Thanksgiving safety tips back to your kitchen as you get ready to celebrate (and don’t be afraid to use them after Thanksgiving, too).

As part of our ongoing practitioner’s profile series, here’s more on Lisa’s career in emergency management and her philosophies as to what makes an emergency manager successful.

At many universities, the largest events are athletic-related, drawing in crowds of students and fans alike. As a result, athletic departments, emergency management, and public safety professionals always engage to ensure these events are a success.

UT Dallas came together with Texas Woman’s University over their shared use of Veoci, our leading emergency management software platform. The two groups collaborated over their processes and UT Dallas was eventually able to come to the aid of TWU during multiple emergency situations.

John Duddy and Rich Smith are subject matter experts in emergency management and response. They’re not just Veoci team members, but first responders who gear up and run towards a crisis while everyone else heads in the opposite direction. They are firefighters: brave individuals who frequently put their lives on the line to protect the personal safety of complete strangers.

In honor of National Preparedness Month this September, we decided to brush up on our internal company preparedness at Veoci!

CERT is a volunteer organization that aims to teach citizens about emergency preparedness. The goal is for CERT members to be familiar with how to respond to risks specific to their area. Volunteers are trained in disaster response skills, such as light search and rescue, first-aid, and fire safety.

In the past, you may have heard the terms “business continuity” and “disaster recovery” used in conjunction, or even interchangeably, but what do they really mean? You probably won’t be surprised to discover that they have many similar goals when it comes to recovering from an unplanned incident and restoring essential functions, but it is the nuances of their differences that are really crucial to understand.

Much of the strength behind a BCMP solution lies in the institutional knowledge it inherently establishes. There are many platforms out there that can help you build your BCMP components, but it is essential that you find one that also has the capacity to foster institutional knowledge.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be front and center in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC). So when the opportunity presented itself, I accepted without hesitation. I’ve always found that experience is the best teacher.

Human error and unintended disclosure cause the majority of data breaches. Educating your employees should be a top priority when it comes to cybersecurity.

Hartford HealthCare System uses Veoci to digitize Emergency Operations Plans (EOP), and make sure they meet Joint Commission, CMS, and OSHA standards.

Preparation isn’t just a one-time deal. An emergency plan can’t just be written down and placed at the back of a file cabinet. It needs to be constantly reviewed, updated, and very importantly, tested.

Picture this: Almost 50 people are gathered in a hotel meeting room in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Much of the group is wearing oversized headsets, listening intently to the voice being broadcast in their ears.

The work Mary Loftus has done and continues to do is emotionally taxing. However, it is abundantly clear that she is truly passionate about reentry services.

Within the next two years, the Warren A. Kimbro Reentry Project (WKRP) aims to help 320 individuals rebuild their lives after being incarcerated. This is an intensely complex task with many moving parts.

Of the 16,286 men and women released from Connecticut Department of Correction custody in 2008, 64% were rearrested within the next three years.

We had a chance to catch up with Veronica Genao, Senior Account Executive at Veoci, about her time at the 65th annual International Association of Emergency Managers Conference (IAEM). She shared her favorite moments, lessons learned, and what she noticed made IAEM unique.

UVA Health System's medical center was a mile away from where the violence broke out during the Charlottesville protests in August of this year. We had a chance to speak with Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Truoccolo, CEM, about how the hospital utilized Veoci in their emergency response.

Warmer days are finally here as we head towards summer and away from the record-breaking winter of 2015 with its blizzards, storms, massive snow accumulations, and various lingering effects (have you counted the number of new potholes in your neighborhood?).

In January 2013, after living and working in Sao Paulo, Brazil for a year, I came back home to Bridgeport, CT just in time for the Blizzard of 2013, aka Winter Storm Nemo.

The University of North Dakota (UND), in Grand Forks, ND, and founded in 1883, is the state's oldest and largest university, with more than 15,000 students.

I've worked with many airports on various projects, and whenever the topic of the Federal Aviation Administration's Safety Management System (SMS) directive comes up, there is apprehension.

Mass Notification Systems are now an accepted and integral part of many institution and organization emergency response plans. In response to demand, over 100 companies now offer mass notification systems, accompanied by the expected drop in pricing, with some even offering rates below 1 cent per message.

In order to test emergency response plans and the coordination of airport staff with local first responders, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all Part 139 certified airports to conduct, every 3 years, emergency exercises that simulate potential real-life incidents.

The structure of crisis response is often the same for any given type of situation. Our past experiences with system outages and security breaches in the Information Technology sector, and our current experiences with natural disasters and events like Hurricane Sandy, have proven this.

We worked with the City of New Haven, Connecticut, to prepare for and respond to Superstorm Sandy a few weeks ago. This post is Part 3 in a series in which we discuss our experiences and what we learned as we helped New Haven through this crisis.

Last week we worked with the City of New Haven, Connecticut, to prepare for and respond to Superstorm Sandy. This post is Part 2 in a series in which we discuss our experiences and what we learned as we helped New Haven through this crisis.

As Hurricane Sandy is making its landfall on the east coast, utility companies must be gearing up to handle fallen trees, damaged electric lines, flooding, and reports of other outages. Here’s a scenario of how Veoci can help a utility company better manage the situation.