Home  |  Email Updates
 
Upcoming Events

April 2010 - "Achieving Homeland Security: The Promise of the Public Safety Model"


April 14, 2010 1-3pm
Room 610T,
899 Tenth Avenue

The Public Safety Model, which ranges from a single official overseeing police and fire, through full integration of the police and fire/EMS functions, has the potential to achieve better coordination and promote efficiency. Dr. Straub, formerly of of the NYPD and City of White Plains Department of Public Safety, is recognized for the innovative strategies used to coordinate police and fire to achieve measuable results in crime reduction, public safety, and homeland security preparedness.

Speaker

Frank G. Straub, PhD, Commissioner of Public Safety
City of Indianapolis, Indiana

Moderator

Gerard P. McAleer
Associate Director
State of New Jersey
Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness (OHSP)


May 2010 - "Recent Developments in High-Rise Building Evacuation"


May 5, 2010 1-2pm
6th Floor, Room TBA,
555 West 57th St (BMW Building)

The safety of high-rise buildings continues to be a concern from both a fire safety and criminal or terrorism perspective. This panel brings together distinguished panelists to discuss the latest developments int his rapidly-evolving field.

Panelists

  • "Use of Elevators for High-Rise Evacuation"

    Norman Groner, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Protection Management, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)
    Member, American Society fo Mechanical Engineers Committee on Use of Elevators for Evacuation

  • "New Code Provisions, Local Legislative Update, and New Technologies to Assist in Planning and Incident Response."

    Jack Murphy, Consultant and Representative, Fire Safety Directors Association of New York

  • "Security Risk in High-Rise Buildings"

    TBA, New York Police Department

  • Charles Jennings, PhD, Director, Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies, Moderator


News Publications


March 2010

RaCERS staff attend christening of the Applied Science Center of Innovation and Excellence in Homeland Security (now named Morrelly Homeland Security Center) in Bethpage, New York. The Center, which will include City University of New York as a partner institution, will bring together industry, government, and academic researchers. The ceremony was attended by numerous elected officials, and Emergency Management Commissioners or Directors from the State of New York, Nassau, Suffolk, and New York City. Commissioner Sal Cassano, FDNY, gave the keynote address. The Center will be headed by John Jay alum Richard Rotanz.


November 2009 – RaCERS seminar on "Modeling First Response"

Prof. Robert Till presented his innovative research utilizing eye tracking technology to better understand and document first responder activity and decision aids under simulated emergency conditions. He also presented his work on agent-based models for simulating emergencies in subway, stadium, and campus environments.


October 2009 – Former Philadelphia Fire Commissioner, Arlington County (VA) Emergency Communications Director share observations and thoughts on MOVE Incident, Pentagon Attack

The October Conference, held in conjunction with an Advisory Board meeting, included presentations on incident management at the MOVE siege of 1985, and the Pentagon Attack of 9/11/01. Former Philadelphia Fire Commissioner William Richmond, and Steve Souder, then-Director of Emergency Communications for Arlington County, Virginia offered their first-hand experiences in these events. The audience enjoyed a moving and thoughtful discussion on elements of police and fire coordination in these two milestone events in American public safety history.


September 2009 – Seminar by visiting researcher Erika de Guttry

Erika de Guttry presented a comparison of US, Italian, and European Union (EU) approaches to management of disasters. Her presentation is also posted under our publications page.


July 2009 – RaCERS Hosts Inaugural Visiting Scholar

RaCERS hosted its first visiting scholar. Erika de Guttry, (shown with James Manahan, Chief of Operations, FDNY) a post-graduate of the University of Pisa, holds a position sponsored by RaCERS, John Jay College. Her position is being hosted by the Fire Department of New York, where she is studying emergency incident planning. Ms. De Guttry studied legal and administrative aspects of response to disasters in Italy. She will be resident through October 2009.

Fire Chief

Erika de Guttry and James Manahan, Chief of Operations, FDNY


June 2009 – RaCERS Representative Visits US Army Lessons Learned Center

RaCERS Director Charles Jennings attended briefings on the Center for Army Lessons Learned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in June 2009. These briefings and discussions with CALL staff are being used to help refine RaCERS methodology for developing lessons learned for civil first responders.

Call Logo

June 3, 2009 – RaCERS faculty observe Empire '09, a full-scale exercise involving a radiological dispersal device in the Albany, NY area. The exercise, overseen by the New York State Disaster Preparedness Commission, involved local, State, and federal assets including the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) and US Department of Energy.

FRMAC

May 17, 2009 – RaCERS faculty observe PATH Drill held at World Trade Center

This exercise was designed to simulate a bomb attack on a PATH train in the tunnel between the World Trade Center and Exchange Place stations. The exercise was jointly organized by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New York City officials. Numerous supporting agencies participated.

People at Port Authority

May 7, 2009 – Battalion Chief Michael Buckheit, FDNY Marine Division, presents an overview of rescue efforts or the crash of USAirways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River.



March 2009 – RaCERS received donation of artwork at its inaugural Advisory Board meeting.

Audrey McMillan, a friend of the Center, donates “A Prayer for My Brother” by renowned aviation artist William S. Phillips.

Ms McMillian

Ms. McMillan, shown on the left, presents the artwork to Prof. Glenn Corbett (center) and Sally Regenhard, mother of Christian Regenhard.


March 19-20, 2009 – First Advisory Board meeting held

The meeting included a dinner and all-day meeting the following day

Advisory Board

Advisory Board members and RaCERS staff take notes during a presentation at the Board meeting.

Attendees at a Meeting

Attendees at the close of meeting.


Sept 8, 2008 – Press Conferences Announcing Formation of Center

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Chief of Department Sal Cassano, and others joined the Regenhard family and President Jeremy Travis of John Jay College for the announcement of the formation of the Christian Regenhard Center for Emergency Response Studies. The event was attended by friends and colleagues of Christian Regenhard, as well as members of the emergency services community in the New York area. Visitors came from as far as Oakland, California for the event. NY1 news network coverage of the event.

Jeremy Travis

Pres. Jeremy Travis, flanked by Chief Sal Cassano and FDNY members, announces the College's commitment to the new research center.

Press

Members of the press in attendance for the press conference

Jerrold Nadler

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who with Senators Schumer and Clinton, were instrumental in getting initial funding for the Center, speaks to the press following the event.

Regenhard Family

Members of the Regenhard family pose with Pres. Jeremy Travis around a portrait of Christian Regenhard

Terms of Use Webmaster Contact