Colorado’s Wildfire Season Places Spotlight on Mobile Connectivity

This summer’s wildfire season in Colorado continues to place a spotlight on the state’s communications infrastructure and the need for consistent, capable and reliable networks.  As residents and first responders have found time and again, dependable connectivity via mobile device is the key to more reliable emergency response. Whether it’s calling for help or sending evacuation alerts, all-clear signals and traffic advisories, mobile networks have proven essential to sharing critical safety information efficiently. 

Over the past decade, mobile connectivity has become paramount to public safety, specifically disaster mitigation and response. Today, 80 percent of 911 calls to police, firefighters, and other first responders are initiated on mobile phones. Further, “mobile alerts” have become the default method for first responders to notify the public of critical real-time safety information – these alerts are now utilized for everything from active shooter to weather to missing child emergencies.

The most obvious example of connectivity being at the heart of emergency service is the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system, which enables government officials to target emergency alerts to specific geographic areas – Denver’s LoDo, for example. Since its launch in 2012, the WEA system has been used more than 33,000 times nationwide to alert Americans of potential dangerous situation via mobile phone.

It’s no secret that the demand for mobile connectivity is growing exponentially in Denver and across the Unites States.  According the Centers for Disease Control, over half of American households are wireless only and the average household has 13 connected devices – and this is just the tip of the iceberg. As smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices become more advanced and new technologies like 5G enable lightning-fast data speeds, the appetite for mobile will only continue to grow. According to Cisco, in North America alone mobile data traffic will reach 6.4 Exabytes per month by 2021 (the equivalent of 1,599 million DVDs each month).

Understanding the reality that we are only going to become increasingly reliant on mobile connectivity for safety, the natural question becomes, what must be done to ensure these systems don’t fail? While there is no silver bullet to make these systems fail-proof, there are common sense upgrades to our communications infrastructure that must take place to minimize the likelihood of a breakdown.

To deal with the increased data traffic, we must modernize our existing infrastructure to handle more capacity by supplementing existing infrastructure with small antenna or nodes known as small cell solutions or just “small cells” for short. Small cells are exactly what they sound like, small low powered antennas located near the end user, usually on a utility pole or streetlight, that add much needed capacity to our existing networks.

While small cell networks will certainly make videos, texts and games download faster which has broad economic implications, the real value of creating a robust and resilient wireless network is in times of crisis. The ability to call for help or to reach a loved one to make sure they are safe during a disaster is unquantifiable.

A recent example of small cells at work during in a disaster can be found in Houston, Texas. Houston upgraded the city’s wireless infrastructure for the February, 2017 Super Bowl, however that network also helped with emergency communications just seven months later when Hurricane Harvey hit the city. Metrics show that the long-term investments in permanent infrastructure improvements made by the wireless industry increased both network resiliency and performance.

The good news is that companies are already deploying small cell infrastructure in Denver. Major wireless carriers and communication infrastructure companies alike are deploying nodes across the city.

Another benefit of small cell infrastructure upgrades is the technology will serve as the backbone for future networks such as 5G, which promise to turn innovations including IoT (the Internet of Things), autonomous vehicles, and citywide data sharing into reality.

Finding better ways to employ mobile technology that ensures Coloradoans remain safe during an emergency needs to be a top priority for our community leaders. But we need the infrastructure to take advantage of that. Our communities deserve access to the best communication tools available when they need it the most.

Dan McVaugh

President, Colorado Wireless Association

Summer is here, but are you staying "sun safe?"

 
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Written by Sasha Campbell and Susan Barney

Summer 2018 is well underway, and we can imagine many of our fellow Coloradans are taking advantage of the beautiful weather and longer days by engaging in a variety of outdoor activities and attending myriad local festivals. While everyone is out enjoying the sunshine, however, it is important to ensure your skin is properly protected – especially given our community’s higher altitude and average UV index of 9. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a UV index of 9 poses a “very high risk of harm from unprotected skin exposure.” [i]

That is why we want to provide our neighbors with the following tips to ensure you stay “sun safe” all summer long:

  • Use Sun Protection Daily with SPF 30: Given the higher altitude and UV index, Denver residents should use sun protection of at least SPF 30 every day, making sure to apply at least 30 minutes prior to sun exposure and reapplying every two hours thereafter. For use in daily creams, products with SPF 15 to SPF 30 are ideal for protecting your skin. For parents, you may want to consider sunscreen spray to protect your child. If possible, try to minimize exposure to the sun between 10:00am and 4:00pm given the high UV index.
  • Speak with Your Pharmacist About Skin Sensitivity: It should be noted that certain medications, like some antibiotics, antidepressants and antihistamines can increase the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Be sure to speak with your pharmacist about additional precautions you may need to take to ensure your skin is properly protected in the sun if you’re taking certain medications.
  • Apply Water-Resistant Sunblock for Outdoor Activities: If you participate in a high-intensity outdoor activity like biking or running where you’ll be sweating excessively, use a sunblock that is water-resistant. In general, look for products that include ingredients such as zinc and titanium in mineral-based sunscreens, and avobenzene, homosalate, and octisalate in chemical-based sunscreens.
  • Treat Sunburn with Aloe and Healthy Hydration: If you do get a sunburn, get out of the sun immediately. Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated, take a cool bath, and blot your skin dry. Then apply an aloe-based gel to help cool and ease the painful burning of the skin. There are also cooling sprays available to help moisturize your skin. If your skin is severely blistered, seek help from a medical professional
  • Avoid Exfoliating Products to Prevent Skin Infections: As a sunburn begins to heal, the skin will begin to peel. During this time, avoid any exfoliating products, gloves, puffs and wash cloths, which can carry bacteria or mold and potentially cause skin infections. To keep your skin moisturized, use gel-based moisturizers and hydrating mists. Ultimately, patience is the name of the game – you need to allow time for your skin heal. During this time, it’s best to avoid re-exposure to the sun over extended periods of time. 

Ultra Violet rays can be very damaging to the skin if proper precautions are not taken. In as little as 10 minutes, UV rays can cause skin to redden, lose moisture and thicken. Prolonged exposure to the sun can lead to permanent changes in skin pigment and even some forms of cancer. Remember to protect your skin with SPF every time you go outside and you’ll be “sun safe” the entire summer.

Sasha Campbell, Walgreens Beauty Consultant in Highlands Ranch

Susan Barney, Walgreens Pharmacist in Highlands Ranch

Walgreens, a trusted provider in communities since 1901, has joined The Skin Cancer Foundation on the road this year in support of its Destination: Healthy Skin mobile education program – a national effort to educate consumers about the importance of effective sun protection for skin cancer prevention, and the importance of early detection. During the nationwide tour, consumers will have the opportunity to enter an innovative, customized RV with private exam rooms where trained dermatologists will provide FREE full-body skin cancer screenings. The RV will be in Denver Tuesday, July 17 and Wednesday, July 18. For more information on Destination: Healthy Skin visit: https://www.destinationhealthyskin.org/tour-schedule/    

[i] Sun Safety Monthly Average UV Index, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Last accessed: July 10, 2018. https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/sun-safety-monthly-average-uv-index#tab-7.

 

For Astronaut Safety NASA Should Look To Colorado

Author: Jeff Wasden

Colorado doesn’t always come to mind when people think of America’s space legacy. After all, no one ever said, “Denver, we have a problem.” Meanwhile, our researchers and aerospace manufacturers are quietly shaping the state’s economy, America’s space future, and astronaut safety. 

Employees from eight of the country’s top aerospace manufacturers are hard at work right here in Colorado preparing NASA for 21st century spaceflight. One of those companies, Denver-based United Launch Alliance, has nearly 130 successful launches – a remarkable accomplishment in contrast to some recent flame-outs on the launch pads. Independently, Boeing is working to build the Space Launch System for NASA, to begin the journey to Mars.

Amidst this friendly competition, it is easy to forget about the safety of the astronauts who put their lives in the hands of Colorado’s engineers amongst others.

It is shocking to many to learn that SpaceX plans to fuel their rocket with the astronauts already onboard. This ‘load and go’ method needlessly risks astronaut lives in an effort to cut corners and eke out power from an undersized platform. SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 exploded on the launch pad in 2016 using this exact same fueling technique and a NASA safety panel has urged this risky proposal be reconsidered.

It’s not the first safety question mark to be raised about SpaceX’s hurry up approach to development.  The company lost a Falcon 9 rocket and (thankfully unmanned) Dragon capsule in 2015 and one of its Merlin rockets exploded during testing late last year.

Elon Musk recently stated in “The Verge” that, “We certainly could load propellants and then have the astronauts board Dragon.”  If SpaceX can do this, why don’t they eliminate the high-risk operation?  In this case it appears the SpaceX ideology of risk taking is prioritized over safety.  

NASA’s requirements demand that the odds of dying can be no greater than 1 in 270 flights. Counting the 2016 explosion and another in 2015 with the Falcon 9, SpaceX does not meet that criteria if they intend to carry our most precious cargo, America’s astronauts. Space travel will never be completely safe, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

And given Colorado’s central role in America’s leadership in space, this is a discussion our state need to be leading. After all, Colorado boasts the country’s 2nd largest aerospace economy, with nearly 190,000 space related jobs which puts us number one in the nation per capita.

And our universities in Colorado are a key driver for cutting-edge space research. In fact, there are twenty former NASA astronauts affiliated with the University of Colorado and two are currently on staff. This commitment to space education explains why CU receives more NASA research funding than any other public university. And just down the road at the U.S. Air Force Academy you will find the nation’s 2nd ranked aerospace program. 

Thankfully, Colorado companies, like Boeing, and ULA, our researchers, and our students understand this, and are committed to putting men and women in space and bringing them safely home. When NASA calibrated the chance of a fatal incident on the historic Shuttle flights, it came in at 1 in 12. While some cargo like Facebook’s communications satellite can be insured, human life is far too valuable to leave up to chance.

Source: https://www.denverpost.com/2018/06/01/for-...

Get Used To Low Unemployment Rates - Thanks To The Federal Tax Cuts

Author: Jeff Wasden

Friday’s jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the national unemployment rate is 3.8 percent, the lowest rate this century. Colorado’s is even better at 2.9 percent. Even the best forecasters couldn’t have predicted such a strong labor market six years ago when the unemployment rate was twice this level. Currently there are 6.6 million unfilled jobs across the nation, suggesting the unemployment rate could fall even further.

This strong labor market is largely a result of the current economic expansion. Economic growth in recent quarters has finally been near the 3 percent level this country is used to, following many years in the 2 percent range. Again, Colorado’s economic growth is even better —  at 3.6 percent last year. But solid economic growth alone can’t account for this historically low unemployment rate. For that, we should thank the recent Republican tax cuts, which have added fuel to the economic fire.

The tax cuts included a new 20 percent small-business tax deduction — the biggest small-business tax cut in the nation’s history. Like me, you probably know of several small businesses just barely hanging on in today’s competitive economy. This tax relief will allow them to protect one-fifth of their earnings from taxes. These saving can then be directed to the expansion, capital expenditures, and hiring they need to become more competitive and stay in business.

This deduction should also help address the historically low small-business startup rate. In contrast to nearly all other economic indicators, the startup rate has not recovered from the Great Recession. The new small-business tax cut will give potential entrepreneurs extra incentive to follow their dreams. Because these small firms account for two-thirds of all new jobs created, such a small business expansion will help the labor market even more.

No wonder small businesses support the tax cuts by a 10-to-1 margin, according to a recent survey conducted by the Job Creators Network.

The tax cuts also brought the nation’s corporate tax rate in line with international standards. This allows American businesses to better compete with their foreign counterparts, which ironically have often been in a better position to invest in the U.S. because their home governments tax away less of their earnings.

Instead of American companies “investing” abroad to try to better compete in today’s global marketplace, companies are now returning to — and expanding in — the U.S. because the tax climate is finally fair again. These include major employers such as Bayer, Amazon, Ford, and Broadcom.

In these conditions, it’s easy to see how the unemployment rate has fallen to a historic low. But it’s not only jobs that these businesses are providing with their tax cuts. They’re also delivering higher wages. Over 500 businesses, including some of the nation’s biggest employers such as Walmart (1.5 million U.S. employees) AT&T (200,000 employees) and Starbucks (250,000 employees), have directed part of their tax cut savings to increased employee compensation. As a result, median wages are growing at their fastest pace in a decade after many years of stagnating.

Congressional Democrats — led by Colorado Rep. Jared Polis — have promised to repeal these tax cuts if they retake power on Election Day this fall. They complain these are merely tax cuts for the rich. That is not true. The share of taxes paid by the rich actually increases under this law. Not only are ordinary Americans benefiting from reductions in their individual income tax, but they are also benefiting from the greater prosperity, more job opportunities, and higher wages spurred by tax cuts.

An unemployment rate below four percent may be an anomaly. But as long as the tax cuts remain in place, stimulating the economy, expect to see this far more frequently in the future.

Source: https://coloradopolitics.com/get-used-to-l...