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When wildfires strike, firefighters are called upon to tame massive blazes, often without the benefit of significant financial support. That could change if a recent proposal from President Barack Obama is approved. The potential budgetary plan would allow the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior to access a FEMA disaster fund for aid when fighting the largest wildfires.

Over the past few years, cybersecurity has grown into a major concern for federal government and law enforcement. Two-thirds of federal CIOs and CISOs place cybersecurity as one of their top priorities, and FEMA listed it among its five core capabilities in the organization's latest preparedness report. Although high-profile data breaches involve larger organizations, there is growing concern that smaller agencies will be targeted with greater frequency in the future.

Prior to a disaster, public safety officials try to equip residents with the proper information and resources to survive catastrophe. Some communities are cultivating a volunteer-driven response by training citizens how to act during an emergency. These initiatives-such as the Citizen Preparedness Corps in New York, Operation Rescue Ready in Virginia and FEMA's Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)-are intended to help communities withstand the interim between disaster and the arrival of first responders.

In emergency services, cooperation is not negotiable. In order to be successful, members of a team must work together, including collaborators outside of an organization and across federal, state, and local levels. Unwillingness to collaborate can have serious consequences. Joint effort results in more streamlined resolutions and strengthens the foundation for future collaboration. By refusing to work together, emergency agencies waste crucial time and information. Technology can play a significant role in building that foundation, by providing agents with accurate locations of incidents, optimized performance, and real-time updates of criminal appearance descriptions.