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April 13, 2004
GovPro Newsletter
Tuesday, April 13, 2004 Volume 3, Issue 15
If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Fargo Visual Security
This Week Bridge Reconstruction Defies Schedule Automation Reduces Bid Rejections NSA to Increase Ranks by 1,500 STB Announces Change in Procedure Funds to Restore Florida Lagoon FAA Invention Predicts Deicing Needs News of The Weird
Features
Bridge Reconstruction Project Triumphs Over Time Constraints
With a population of 722, Webbers Falls, OK, was once little more than a dot on the map to area highway motorists speeding past on their way to points east and west. Now, the tiny town is a stopping point for some, a place for travelers to reflect on the Memorial Day weekend tragedy that took place there on May 26, 2002.
Two barges, heading north through the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System early that Sunday morning, veered from the river's navigational channel and collided with the Interstate 40 bridge that crosses the waterway near Webbers Falls. To witnesses, the crash looked deceptively slow, but the barges hit with such an impact that a third of the heavily traveled bridge collapsed, sending 10 cars into the water 60 feet below. Fourteen people died.
Not only did the accident result in the loss of life, it devastated one of the most vital east-west transportational links in the United States. With an estimated total user cost of $430,000 per day for each day the bridge remained closed, there was no time to waste in getting the bridge back in operation.
As the initial action agency on the scene, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol coordinated rescue and recovery efforts until the last body and vehicle were retrieved from the river. Control of the site was then transferred to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) on May 30, just five days after the accident.
Tim Gatz, Division Manager with ODOT's Project Management Division, estimates that hundreds of ODOT workers were impacted by the accident.
For full text, visit: http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/27726/
For Secure Government IDs, Go with Fargo.
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Proactive Measures Reduce Bid Rejections
In an effort to enhance efficiency and reduce bid rejections, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) automatically distributes and tracks electronic notifications of changes to the technical documents exchanged during its bidding process.
By Ohio law, state government agencies must notify all plan holders (anyone who purchases a plan set and is defined by ODOT as a potential bidder) of any addenda. A plan holder who did not receive or is unaware of any addenda will have its bid rejected. This may require ODOT to restart the bidding process.
"Bid rejections are incredibly disruptive and can set a project back by weeks, even months, whether it's a small project or a multimillion dollar project," says Tina Collins, IT Consultant, ODOT.
Though the possibility of a bid rejection is very unlikely, by taking proactive steps ODOT has further reduced the possibility. "This is just another aid to prevent a problem," Collins says. "There are several steps that we have in place in our process, and the automated, electronic notification system is just another safeguard against bid rejections."
Upon release of an addendum, plan holders and ODOT personnel involved in the project automatically receive notification via e-mail.
Automated e-mail notification is one segment of ODOT's multifunctional docQuest system.
For full text, visit: http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/27728/
MEYER PRODUCTS
Meyer Products offers more than 35 steel and polyethylene snow plows to fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Choose from 7 spreaders for sidewalk to highway coverage. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com/
News
NSA To Hire 1,500 People
The National Security Agency (NSA) intends to hire approximately 1,500 people by September 2004 in an effort to meet the increasing needs of the ever-changing intelligence community. Under the direction of the newly appointed chief of human resources, Mr. John Taflan, the agency is looking to increase the number of new hires by 37% compared to just one year ago and almost 50% more than in 2002.
Mr. Taflan and his team are looking for people who are experienced in foreign language, especially in Arabic and Chinese; intelligence analysis; signals analysis; the technical fields (mathematics, computer science, engineering and physical sciences); and acquisition. Non-technical jobs are also available, and job seekers are encouraged to submit their resumes on the NSA Web site at http://www.nsa.gov. This is the largest recruiting effort since the 1980s, and NSA is averaging about three new employees a day with an increase to four to six a day in the summer months.
Surface Transportation Board Announces New Procedural Rules
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Roger Nober announced that the Board will accept electronic filings and would no longer require practitioners before the Board to submit filings in Wordperfect.
The formal announcement of the changes was published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2004. The Board's decision in the case entitled Electronic Filing Option for Certain Documents, STB Docket No. Ex Parte 641, is available for viewing and downloading via the Board's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. A printed copy of the Board's decision also is available for a fee by contacting ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706, telephone (202) 293-7779, or via asapmd@verizon.net.
Lagoon Restoration Wins Florida Approval
Florida Department of Environment Secretary Colleen Castille has signed off on a $1 billion joint plan by the state and federal government to restore water flows to the Indian River Lagoon.
When complete, the project will restore more than 53,000 acres of wetlands, reduce pollution and provide water storage to return a natural flow of fresh water to the St. Lucie and Indian River estuaries.
The Indian River Lagoon is recognized as an estuary of national significance and is a Florida Aquatic Preserve and an Outstanding Florida Water. Part of the $8 billion, 30 year plan to save America's Everglades, the project now requires federal approval by the U.S. Congress.
Once complete, the restoration project will return historic flows of cleaner water across 90,000 acres of natural land spanning Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.
The plan includes construction and operation of 12,000 acres of inland reservoirs and 9,000 acres of pollution-filtering treatment marsh. To restore habitat within the estuaries, the plan also recommends removing more than 5 million cubic yards of muck from the waterways.
Together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Florida water managers plan to build miles of pumps, levees and canals to capture and redirect water.
The reservoirs and treatment marshes, which will provide 170,000 acre-feet of water storage, offer an alternative to discharging excess water into the St. Lucie River that can harm habitat and degrade water quality.
Source: Environmental News Services (ENS).
FAA Develops Tool to Predict Icing
Predicting in-flight icing just got a little easier, thanks to a new tool developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Using the new, web-based Forecast Icing Tool, aviation meteorologists and airline dispatchers can warn pilots about icing hazards up to 12 hours in advance.
"One of the best ways to manage the effects of bad weather is to avoid it altogether. With information provided by this automated tool, pilots flying aircraft under 18,000 feet can make critical flight decisions," said FAA Administrator Marion Blakey.
In-flight icing is most hazardous to private pilots and air taxi and commuter aircraft operators flying at lower altitudes. Those aircraft may not have sophisticated wing-deicing equipment used by larger commercial aircraft. The FAA tool provides a high-tech color weather map and/or a flight route display of icing potential at flight levels from 3,000 to 18,000 feet. The user can select forecast times from three-, six-, nine-, and twelve-hour intervals to plan safe routes of travel.
News of the Weird: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/28659/
Links Facility managers around the globe use Screenflex Portable Partitions to help the make better use of their available space. Create instant training rooms, portable bulleting boards, meeting or processing areas in seconds, with easy to use, easy to store, economical Portable Partitions! To learn more, please visit us at http://www.screenflex.com
. DENIOS manufactures Spill Containment, Chemical Storage and related equipment. Systems provide safe, compliant, and efficient storage of flammables, corrosives and other hazardous chemicals or materials. Visit: http://www.thehazmatpro.com
Easi-Set Industries, based in Midland, VA, provides Easi-Set and Easi-Span Precast Concrete Buildings throughout North America and around the world. Visit: http://www.easi-set.com
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription
Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify.
To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.15.1jf8.5c17
To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.16.1jf9.5c17
GovPro Newsletter, 1300 E. 9th St., Cleveland, OH 44114-1503
Copyright 2004 Penton Media, Inc.
If this message was sent in error or you wish to unsubscribe, see the unsubscribe information below.
Sponsored by Fargo Visual Security
This Week Bridge Reconstruction Defies Schedule Automation Reduces Bid Rejections NSA to Increase Ranks by 1,500 STB Announces Change in Procedure Funds to Restore Florida Lagoon FAA Invention Predicts Deicing Needs News of The Weird
Features
Bridge Reconstruction Project Triumphs Over Time Constraints
With a population of 722, Webbers Falls, OK, was once little more than a dot on the map to area highway motorists speeding past on their way to points east and west. Now, the tiny town is a stopping point for some, a place for travelers to reflect on the Memorial Day weekend tragedy that took place there on May 26, 2002.
Two barges, heading north through the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System early that Sunday morning, veered from the river's navigational channel and collided with the Interstate 40 bridge that crosses the waterway near Webbers Falls. To witnesses, the crash looked deceptively slow, but the barges hit with such an impact that a third of the heavily traveled bridge collapsed, sending 10 cars into the water 60 feet below. Fourteen people died.
Not only did the accident result in the loss of life, it devastated one of the most vital east-west transportational links in the United States. With an estimated total user cost of $430,000 per day for each day the bridge remained closed, there was no time to waste in getting the bridge back in operation.
As the initial action agency on the scene, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol coordinated rescue and recovery efforts until the last body and vehicle were retrieved from the river. Control of the site was then transferred to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) on May 30, just five days after the accident.
Tim Gatz, Division Manager with ODOT's Project Management Division, estimates that hundreds of ODOT workers were impacted by the accident.
For full text, visit: http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/27726/
For Secure Government IDs, Go with Fargo.
How far do you need your photo ID system to go? From simple photo ID badges to advanced card identity solutions, Fargo can provide the right card printer/encoder, identity software and system integration to fit your needs. Make your security and budget go farther with Fargo. http://www.fargo.com/gov
Proactive Measures Reduce Bid Rejections
In an effort to enhance efficiency and reduce bid rejections, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) automatically distributes and tracks electronic notifications of changes to the technical documents exchanged during its bidding process.
By Ohio law, state government agencies must notify all plan holders (anyone who purchases a plan set and is defined by ODOT as a potential bidder) of any addenda. A plan holder who did not receive or is unaware of any addenda will have its bid rejected. This may require ODOT to restart the bidding process.
"Bid rejections are incredibly disruptive and can set a project back by weeks, even months, whether it's a small project or a multimillion dollar project," says Tina Collins, IT Consultant, ODOT.
Though the possibility of a bid rejection is very unlikely, by taking proactive steps ODOT has further reduced the possibility. "This is just another aid to prevent a problem," Collins says. "There are several steps that we have in place in our process, and the automated, electronic notification system is just another safeguard against bid rejections."
Upon release of an addendum, plan holders and ODOT personnel involved in the project automatically receive notification via e-mail.
Automated e-mail notification is one segment of ODOT's multifunctional docQuest system.
For full text, visit: http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/27728/
MEYER PRODUCTS
Meyer Products offers more than 35 steel and polyethylene snow plows to fit exact vehicle frame and weight specifications for exceptional performance in all applications. Choose from 7 spreaders for sidewalk to highway coverage. Visit: http://www.meyerproducts.com/
News
NSA To Hire 1,500 People
The National Security Agency (NSA) intends to hire approximately 1,500 people by September 2004 in an effort to meet the increasing needs of the ever-changing intelligence community. Under the direction of the newly appointed chief of human resources, Mr. John Taflan, the agency is looking to increase the number of new hires by 37% compared to just one year ago and almost 50% more than in 2002.
Mr. Taflan and his team are looking for people who are experienced in foreign language, especially in Arabic and Chinese; intelligence analysis; signals analysis; the technical fields (mathematics, computer science, engineering and physical sciences); and acquisition. Non-technical jobs are also available, and job seekers are encouraged to submit their resumes on the NSA Web site at http://www.nsa.gov. This is the largest recruiting effort since the 1980s, and NSA is averaging about three new employees a day with an increase to four to six a day in the summer months.
Surface Transportation Board Announces New Procedural Rules
Surface Transportation Board Chairman Roger Nober announced that the Board will accept electronic filings and would no longer require practitioners before the Board to submit filings in Wordperfect.
The formal announcement of the changes was published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2004. The Board's decision in the case entitled Electronic Filing Option for Certain Documents, STB Docket No. Ex Parte 641, is available for viewing and downloading via the Board's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov. A printed copy of the Board's decision also is available for a fee by contacting ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706, telephone (202) 293-7779, or via asapmd@verizon.net.
Lagoon Restoration Wins Florida Approval
Florida Department of Environment Secretary Colleen Castille has signed off on a $1 billion joint plan by the state and federal government to restore water flows to the Indian River Lagoon.
When complete, the project will restore more than 53,000 acres of wetlands, reduce pollution and provide water storage to return a natural flow of fresh water to the St. Lucie and Indian River estuaries.
The Indian River Lagoon is recognized as an estuary of national significance and is a Florida Aquatic Preserve and an Outstanding Florida Water. Part of the $8 billion, 30 year plan to save America's Everglades, the project now requires federal approval by the U.S. Congress.
Once complete, the restoration project will return historic flows of cleaner water across 90,000 acres of natural land spanning Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties.
The plan includes construction and operation of 12,000 acres of inland reservoirs and 9,000 acres of pollution-filtering treatment marsh. To restore habitat within the estuaries, the plan also recommends removing more than 5 million cubic yards of muck from the waterways.
Together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, South Florida water managers plan to build miles of pumps, levees and canals to capture and redirect water.
The reservoirs and treatment marshes, which will provide 170,000 acre-feet of water storage, offer an alternative to discharging excess water into the St. Lucie River that can harm habitat and degrade water quality.
Source: Environmental News Services (ENS).
FAA Develops Tool to Predict Icing
Predicting in-flight icing just got a little easier, thanks to a new tool developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Using the new, web-based Forecast Icing Tool, aviation meteorologists and airline dispatchers can warn pilots about icing hazards up to 12 hours in advance.
"One of the best ways to manage the effects of bad weather is to avoid it altogether. With information provided by this automated tool, pilots flying aircraft under 18,000 feet can make critical flight decisions," said FAA Administrator Marion Blakey.
In-flight icing is most hazardous to private pilots and air taxi and commuter aircraft operators flying at lower altitudes. Those aircraft may not have sophisticated wing-deicing equipment used by larger commercial aircraft. The FAA tool provides a high-tech color weather map and/or a flight route display of icing potential at flight levels from 3,000 to 18,000 feet. The user can select forecast times from three-, six-, nine-, and twelve-hour intervals to plan safe routes of travel.
News of the Weird: Bizarre but true stories about real people. http://www.govpro.com/GPRONewsletter/Article/28659/
Links Facility managers around the globe use Screenflex Portable Partitions to help the make better use of their available space. Create instant training rooms, portable bulleting boards, meeting or processing areas in seconds, with easy to use, easy to store, economical Portable Partitions! To learn more, please visit us at http://www.screenflex.com
. DENIOS manufactures Spill Containment, Chemical Storage and related equipment. Systems provide safe, compliant, and efficient storage of flammables, corrosives and other hazardous chemicals or materials. Visit: http://www.thehazmatpro.com
Easi-Set Industries, based in Midland, VA, provides Easi-Set and Easi-Span Precast Concrete Buildings throughout North America and around the world. Visit: http://www.easi-set.com
You may qualify for a FREE Magazine Subscription
Complimentary subscriptions to Government Product News, a product-driven resource, and Government PROcurement, editorial targeting the public sector purchasing professional are available to those who qualify.
To subscribe to Government Product News visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.15.1jf8.5c17
To subscribe to Government Procurement visit: http://r.pm0.net/s/c?ij.75qj.16.1jf9.5c17
GovPro Newsletter, 1300 E. 9th St., Cleveland, OH 44114-1503
Copyright 2004 Penton Media, Inc.
