Tuesday, September 29, 2015

U.S. Green Building Council Study Says "Green Building is Outpacing Overall Construction Growth"

"The green building sector is outpacing overall construction growth in the U.S. and will account for more than 2.3 million American jobs this year, according to a new U.S. Green Building Council study from Booz Allen Hamilton.
The 2015 Green Building Economic Impact Study, released today by USGBC and prepared by Booz Allen, finds the green building industry contributes more than $134.3 billion in labor income to working Americans. The study also found that green construction's growth rate is rapidly outpacing that of conventional construction and will continue to rise.
By 2018, the study finds, green construction will account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs–more than one-third of the entire U.S. construction sector–and generate $190.3 billion in labor earnings. The industry's direct contribution to U.S. Gross Domestic Product  is also expected to reach $303.5 billion from 2015-2018.
"Green building is playing a massive role in the U.S. construction sector, the clean and efficient energy sector and the U.S. economy as a whole," said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. "More than 2.3 million U.S. workers are taking home $134 billion annually in large part because of green building programs like LEED. Demand for green building will only continue to grow as individuals, businesses and institutions continue to prioritize sustainable approaches to the design, construction and operations of our built environment."
The new USGBC analysis also explores the multifaceted economic contribution of green construction to the U.S. economy and individual U.S. states, quantifying the economic impact of green building and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). 
"Our research shows that green building has created millions of jobs and contributed hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, with the construction of LEED-certified buildings accounting for about 40 percent of green construction's overall contribution to GDP in 2015," said David Erne, a Senior Associate at Booz Allen. "This industry is certainly on the rise, and aggressive growth in the green building sector is anticipated over the next four years."
In addition to national jobs, GDP and labor earnings from green building, the study projects significant growth in green building's contribution to individual states' tax contributions and environmental asset indicators at both the national and state levels.
Total state earnings related to LEED building construction projects are estimated to total $8.4 billion by 2018. In Texas alone, almost 1.26 million jobs in the green building sector are projected between 2015 and 2018. As a result, green building will also contribute to significant savings across energy, trash, water and maintenance costs."

Thursday, September 24, 2015

How Electrical Stimulation to the Brain Can Be the Answer to Many Issues Facing Humans Today

Before the realization that deep brain stimulation, or "using mild electrical shocks to targeted parts of the brain with the purpose of affecting how they function," could be used to treat a multitude of neurological issues, doctors were lost. Now, as technological and medical innovations are increasing tenfold, scientists are testing to see if deep brain stimulation can transform mental health disorders and even behavior. 

The Smithsonian Magazine summarized recent brain stimulation research quite well:
"Slowing down Alzheimer’s: 
Alzheimer’s disease remains one of medicine’s most daunting challenges, both in terms of pinpointing a cause and developing a truly effective treatment. Now a team led by scientists at Johns Hopkins University is conducting a clinical trial to see if deep brain stimulation can slow memory loss and cognitive decline.
The research involves placing implants into the brains of about 40 patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease and measuring progression of the disease over an 18-month period. Specifically, the devices are being implanted in the patients’ fornix—a bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right sides of the hippocampus. That’s the region of brain associated with memory. The theory is that brain stimulation in this area could slow the rate of damage to the fornix and even create new brain cells in the hippocampus. 
The most recent phase of the trial, expected to last four years, focused on the safety of the implants in Alzheimer’s patients. So far, it has found no serious adverse effects.
So long to the big queasy?:  
Researchers at Imperial College London say that brain stimulation could even be used to ease motion sickness. Scientists aren’t absolutely certain what causes the queasy sensation, but they believe it has to do with the brain trying to process conflicting signals from our ears and our eyes when we’re in motion. Previous research has determined that a well-functioning vestibular system—that’s the part of the inner ear that senses movement—makes it more likely that someone will feel that nauseating sensation.
So, the researchers wondered what would happen if they used an electric current to mute the signals from the vestibular system to the brain. They worked with 10 men and 10 women volunteers who agreed to wear a cap fitted with electrodes and then, for 10 minutes, receive a mild electrical current designed to inhibit brain cell activity. That was followed by a ride on a chair that rotated and tilted at different speeds to make them feel sick.
It turned out that those who received stimulation that reduced brain cell activity were less likely to feel nauseous and recovered more quickly than people whose brains were stimulated to boost cell activity. Now, the researchers are talking with potential partners about developing a portable anti-nausea stimulation device you could pick up at the drug store. 
Memories are made of this:
 At a conference earlier this month, DARPA, the research arm of the Defense Department, announced that as part of a study it has funded, patients who were given brain implants scored better on memory tests. Traumatic brain injuries are a big issue for the U.S. military—almost 300,000 members of the service have been treated for one since 2000. So DARPA is leading research efforts into how electrical stimulation might be used to help people with damaged brains create and retrieve memories.
Scientists having been working with brain surgery patients who have volunteered to be part of the memory project. The goal is to more clearly identify the process for how the brain forms and recalls memories and then use mild shocks from implants to recreate that process. It’s only a year into the project, but DARPA says that based on the results so far, it appears possible to map and interpret the neural signals coming from a brain as it encodes or retrieves a memory, and then actually improve that recall by electrically stimulating targeted sections of the brain.
Put down that cigarette:
 Another project in the early stages is looking at how brain stimulation might help people fight cravings for cigarettes or unhealthy food. Caryn Lerman, senior deputy director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center, recently received a grant to investigate whether applying electrical shocks to sections of the prefrontal cortex behind the forehead—a brain region tied to self-control—can help people resist urges to engage in unhealthy behavior.
The idea is that if targeted correctly, this stimulation could strengthen pathways being used to fight the desire to light up. Preliminary results of an experiment involving 25 smokers found that after a 20-minute session with electrical stimulators strapped to their foreheads, people were able to wait longer before they reached for a cigarette than those who received a placebo treatment.  They also smoked fewer cigarettes.
Stroke recovery:
 Scientists at the Cleveland Clinic have applied to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for permission to begin testing deep brain stimulation on human stroke victims. The treatment seemed to have worked with rats—it appeared to promote the growth of new neurons in the brain.
Not that anyone thinks that this can provide a cure for strokes. When they occur, the blood supply to the brain is cut off and some areas just shut down, while communication to other regions is disrupted. Electrical stimulation can’t bring dead neurons back to life. But it could help create new neural connections, particularly in the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls voluntary movements. The hope is that parts of the brain that are still healthy would then be better able to compensate for damaged ones.
About 800,000 people in the U.S. suffer strokes every year. And, according to the National Stroke Association, about half of those who survive become severely debilitated.
Boosting empathy: 
But what about using brain stimulation to change how people feel?  Researchers at Harvard University and Vanderbilt University have ventured into that territory with an experiment related to the doling out of justice.
They presented 66 volunteers with stories about a fictitious person named John—specifically they related a range of crimes he had committed and his mental condition when he had committed them. Beforehand, some of the participants were given a form of brain stimulation that could disrupt activity in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a key role not just in self-control, but also decision-making. For others, the stimulation device was attached, but never turned on.
The volunteers were asked to decide how blameworthy John was and also to determine, on a scale of 0 to 9, how extreme his punishment should be. What the researchers found is that the people whose brain activity was disrupted chose less severe punishments." 
Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/six-ways-electrical-brain-stimulation-could-be-used-future-180956690/?no-ist

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Fire Protection Week, Coming October 4th through the 10th, 2015












The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) 2015 Fire Prevention Week is coming! From October 4th to the 10th, the NFPA is campaigning the theme "Hear the Beep Where You Sleep: Every Bedroom Needs a Working Fire Alarm". Started in 1922, Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which caused an astounding amount of damage: burning more than 2,000 acres, killing more than 250 people, leaving around 100,000 homeless, and destroying more than 17,400 structures.

In an online questionnaire distributed by the NFPA, 42 percent of the 36,000 respondents were not aware that smoke alarms are necessary inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of a home (including the basement). The NFPA intends to fix these worrying statistics with tons of fun Fall activities, challenges, and facts that make learning about fire safety even more fun. Smoke alarms save lives and the more you know about protecting your home, the better.

Take the 2015 Fire Prevention Week Quiz after reading up on fire safety to test your knowledge on smoke alarm safety today! http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/fire-prevention-week/fire-prevention-week-quiz

Thursday, September 17, 2015

NorCal NECA's 2015 Project Excellence Awards

Intrepid Electronic Systems would like to congratulate Collins Electrical Company for the Project Excellence Award they just won from the Northern California Chapter of NECA! Collins demonstrated contracting expertise in their "Mountain House High School Increment 2" project in Mountain House and their "Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department Remodel Phase I" in Modesto.


Using technologically advanced lighting control, communication, and safety system equipment, Collins created a progressive campus that included two classroom buildings, an administration building, a gymnasium, a multi-use food services building, a sports field, and a football stadium.

"The project shows very well as the use of the BIM system provided the exact layout, and the installation is spot on. Collins Senior Project Manager Wen Luu said that the Mountain House project was a 'successful coordinated effort to build multiple high-end buildings, classrooms, and the stadium. Had it not been for the teamwork of the owner and the design team, this would not have been possible.'"

Greg Armstrong, Executive Director of the Northern California Chapter, NECA, went on to comment that "NECA's Project Excellence Awards program allows our electrical contractors and the project team members to be recognized for excellence in construction. NECA contractors not only perform specialized electrical work, but also follow sustainable practices to ensure the highest level of energy efficiency in new construction and retrofitted projects. This prestigious recognition gives them an opportunity to market their achievements."

Along with Collins Electrical Company, these other marvelous NECA electrical contractors and their project team members received honors for construction excellence:

  • BECI Electric, Inc. (Oakland) for City of Berkeley Streetlighting LED Conversion (Berkeley)
  • Columbia Electric, Inc. (San Leandro) for Cayetano Park (Livermore)
  • Del Monte Electric Co., Inc. (Dublin) for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories, Flexlab (Berkeley)
  • Long Electric (Napa) for Genentech CCp-2 Return to Service (Vacaville)
  • Napa Electric Shop (Napa) for Hall Winery Phase 3B (St. Helena)
  • Ray's Electric (Oakland) for Automated License Plate Recognition (City of Piedmont)
  • Smith & Sons Electric, Inc. (Fremont) for Berkeley West Branch Library (Berkeley)
  • St. Francis Electric (San Leandro) for Downtown Napa Traffic Signal Modification (Napa)
  • Trinity EMCS, Inc. (Benicia) for City of Berkeley West Branch Library (Berkeley)   

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

"Cybersecurity Risk Management 101" - Electrical Construction & Maintenance Magazine

"The dangers of Internet hacking became all too evident when the theft of 1.2 billion usernames, passwords, and email addresses by a Russian gang was revealed late in the summer of 2014. Unfortunately, the risk of fraud and financial loss is not limited to this one incident, making it extremely important for owners of electrical contracting firms to protect all of their company’s data and any customer information they have in their systems.
Because the most valuable assets of every business now involve some form of Internet connection and data storage of customer lists, employee records, vendor receipts, and tax documents, every owner, manager, or executive should be able to recognize the security threats and risks inherent in living in today’s digital world.

The breach

Cyber hacking is big business, which is why it is becoming more and more likely that your electrical contracting firm could suffer from a cybersecurity breach. At first glance, the greatest risk might seem to lie with high-profile and high-risk businesses. However, small- to medium-sized businesses are increasingly finding themselves at risk. According to a recent study by the U.S. Secret Service and Verizon Communications, Inc., more than 72% of all data breaches occurred in small- or medium-sized businesses.
Think about your day-to-day work activities. You regularly correspond through e-mail, transfer information via the Internet, and conduct business meetings online. If you secure names, social security numbers, or any other sensitive customer information, you’re required by law to take all the necessary steps to protect this data from loss and theft. If a breach occurs, do you know what you’re required to do after such an event?
In the United States, most states have breach notification laws, and other countries are following suit. In other words, many laws mean written notification must be sent to the affected individuals. Even where such laws are not in place, your firm would be wise to provide breach notification if there’s ever an issue.
Losing the trust of customers can be much more damaging than the financial loss of repairing the effects of any breach. To make matters worse, your business can be held liable for the loss of third-party data. If there is a data breach, your operation could find itself facing expensive damage claims.

Do-it-yourself risk management

The increasing threat of data breaches makes it important for every business to reinforce security practices. How do you manage this risk?
Security experts agree that the easiest place to start is with strong password protection. That’s right, password protection. Believe it or not, this is something a surprising number of IT-sophisticated businesses often fail to master. Many recently exposed “hacking” cases have been traced back to weak passwords that were either not encrypted, “salted,” or not changed regularly.
If managing passwords for all of the operation’s servers, apps, cloud services, databases, tablets, and laptops seems daunting, there are affordable password management professionals and software that will do it for you — usually avoiding the often big price tag of cyber insurance. Other tips to help secure your operation’s data, reduce potential liability, and, in many cases, reduce the cost of insurance, include:
  • Get a firewall. There are hardware and software approaches that are both cheap and easy to use.
  • Conduct regular assessments of possible risks to reveal hardware, software, and individual site vulnerabilities.
  • Isolate computers that are used for sensitive applications, such as making electronic bank deposits, from the rest of your company’s network.
  • Control access to data, which often means limiting delivery and exchange of customer or client-related documents and information to secure channels.
  • Get antivirus software, and use it. There are a number of popular packages, most of which are relatively inexpensive. Although free updates are typically included, make sure to update the program regularly, or, better yet, allow the software to do so automatically.
  • When an employee who has had access to the system leaves the company, make sure his or her passwords are no longer valid. Many companies lock an employee out of the system just before or at the same time he or she is being terminated.
  • Create and implement a data security plan that includes immediate notification of all affected parties.
  • Share the liability by demanding similar protocols with vendors, and check for compliance.

Insurance to the rescue

It’s important to realize that the data in your electrical contracting firm is probably not protected because liability for loss of customer or employee data is not typically covered under many of today’s insurance policies. Some existing business insurance policies do offer general liability, while Directors and Officers (D&O) liability may provide a measure of coverage for these areas. However, as the risk escalates, most electrical professionals, business owners, managers, and executives are discovering significant gaps in what is and what isn’t covered after a hack attack. Unfortunately, by then it’s too late.
A business interruption insurance policy will rarely come to the rescue in the event of a system failure because of a malicious employee, computer virus, or a hack on a business. Identity theft, telephone hacking, and phishing scams are all very real possibilities rarely covered by traditional business interruption policies. While few “umbrella” policies or blanket liability insurance policies cover these types of losses, a new form of insurance, “cyber liability insurance,” has been available for approximately 10 years. Regrettably, it is rarely purchased.
Cyber liability insurance can cover hacker attacks, viruses, and worms that steal or destroy a business’s data. Even e-mail or social networking harassment and discrimination claims can be covered along with trademark and copyright infringement. Cyber liability insurance will often cover the loss of profits because of a system outage caused by a non-physical peril such as a virus or attack.
When looking into cyber insurance, common sense dictates that all potential risks should be covered, including laptops and mobile phones. Portable devices make it much easier to both store and lose information. For example, a missing USB stick, a stolen iPad, or a laptop left in a job-site trailer are all real possibilities — and ultimately a gold mine for hackers. There are even viruses being built today with the sole purpose of attacking mobile devices.
A good insurance company will ensure a policy holder has all the protection in place that is possible. It can make sure a firewall is in place to protect your network and help create social media policies that reduce your company’s risk. Even if data is stored in the cloud, your firm may still be liable for a breach. Although controlling how a cloud provider handles the operation’s data is almost impossible, cyber insurance can protect the operation from its mistakes.
Although large corporations often have risk management budgets, small businesses typically don’t. Unfortunately, most hack attacks target businesses with less than 250 employees — a group where few firms have the financial means to pay the fines and lawsuits that result from breaches or data losses or to stay afloat throughout the repair and reconstruction process.
The bottom line for small- to medium-sized electrical contracting firms is this: Hackers are getting more sophisticated every day, sometimes forming syndicates of like-minded criminals to share information and new techniques. Businesses, even small ones, are increasingly in their crosshairs and need to use every protection strategy available to combat this growing cyber threat.     

Battersby is a freelance writer in the suburban Philadelphia community of Ardmore, Pa. He can be reached at mebatt12@earthlink.net."

NorCal FPO 6th Annual Golf Tournament - "Driving Ahead for Prevention"

For the September 11th National Day of Remembrance, the Northern California Fire Prevention Officers (NorCal FPO) hosted their annual golf tournament at the Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa. The FPO's goal was to bring together "educators, enforcers and engineers to one place to network, share information, remember September 11th and raise funds for two charities; the Firefighters Burn Institute (FFBurn) and the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation (AARBF)." Intrepid Electronic Systems participated as a Gold Sponsor, donating $1,500 to the event's courageous cause. 

The following are pictures from the tournament. 

Here is Intrepid's very own Heather Lent (left) posing with Joel Brick (right) of the Fairfield Fire Department (FFD). 
The area for the marshmallow driving contest which was later won by Joel Brick of the FFD.
Intrepid's rad booth setup!
One of the holes at the tournament.
Intrepid's sponsorship picket.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

KCET has "10 Things to Know About California Wildfires"

"There are two distinct wildfire seasons in California: ones driven by Santa Ana winds (usually October to April) and ones generally exacerbated by heat in the summer months (usually June to September). Santa Ana fires spread more quickly, while non-Santa Ana fires spread more slowly and are considered less intense, though they can burn longer.
Climate change will probably worsen wildfires, but wildfires can also make climate change worse. When undisturbed, forests and wildlands capture and store millions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere in California; wildfires release carbon back into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. An April 2015 study by the National Park Service and UC Berkeley, published in Forest Ecology and Management, showed that five to seven percent of carbon emissions between 2001 and 2010 came from wildfires.
Look forward to more burned-over landscapes in California. A September 2015 paper published in Environmental Research Letters by scientists from the University of California predicts that California land burned by wildfires will increase in the coming decades. By comparing temperature, wind, and relative humidity in the present climate with projections from five different global climate models, they are able to project that area burned by Santa Ana fires will increase by 64 percent; and the area burned by non-Santa Ana fires will increase by 77 percent. Factors that point to this increase: an increase in more intense Santa Ana winds and an increase in temperatures, both due to climate change.
Does it seem like there are more wildfires than in previous years? There are. 2014 saw 1,000 more wildfires than average. 2015 is already an above-average year for wildfires in California, with more than 100,000 acres already burned by August.
The current fire season has officials worried. In August 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency to help fight the current wildfires raging across the state.
You can track current fires online. CalFire's Ready For Wildfire website is a great place to start. CalFire also maintains a statewide Google map that shows you where wildfires are burning. And to check the spread of fires in progress and learn more detail than the maps make available, the inter-agency Inciweb site is an invaluable resource.
Few things are as destructive to property as wildfire. Since 1990, more than 17,000 homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed by wildfires in California.
We pay a lot for firefighting. California's 2014 wildfire budget of $209 million ran out at the end of September last year.
Smoke from wildfires is a public health problem. In addition to causing burning eyes, a scratchy throat, and runny nose, particulate matter present in wildfire smoke can cause bronchitis and premature death for those with heart, respiratory, and lung conditions. Another cause for concern: the presence of carbon monoxide in smoke.
A new and unexpected challenge for firefighters: drones. Fire officials were forced to ground aircraft responding to the Lake Fire in San Bernardino County in July 2015 after drones entered the air space. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection responded with a public information video entitled "If You Fly, We Can't". They're calling on the public to report onlookers flying drones near wildfire and disaster areas (1-844-DRONE11)."

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

This New York Times Article Highlights Workers' Struggles With the Long-Term Effects of Chemical Hazards in the Workplace

The article, titled "As OSHA Emphasizes Safety, Long-Term Health Risks Fester," begins by outlining the life of former furniture assembler Sheri Farley, who suffered neurological damage from the glue fumes she was exposed to. Farley gets stinging pain and swelled feet from sitting and standing for too long. She is just one of the thousands of Americans that have been exposed to toxic, life threatening fumes due to working at manufacturing plants.

While OSHA is doing their best to prevent immediate work-related injuries, they are having a hard time addressing slow killers that "incapacitate more than 200,000 workers in the United States annually. More than 40,000 Americans die prematurely each year from exposure to toxic substances at work - 10 times as many as those who die from the refinery explosions, mine collapses and other accidents that grab most of the news media attention." OSHA has attempted to curb the usage of nPB with data releases and urgent letters to offending companies yet do not have the executive power to enforce their requirements.

Evidence that supports how detrimental toxic fumes like n-propyl bromide, or nPB (occassionally called 1-bromopropane or 1-BP), are to working Americans have been shown to numerous manufacturing plants, but said plants have yet to find any less dangerous and cost-effective alternatives. Occupational illnesses, injuries, and fatalities "cost the American economy roughly $250 billion per year due to medical expenses and lost productivity." Companies are unwilling to lose jobs to foreign entities and are reluctant to stop using hazardous substances in fear of profit losses.

Read more about this continuing struggle here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/31/us/osha-emphasizes-safety-health-risks-fester.html

Just In Case You Missed This


Kurt Brinkman, Emeryville's Mayor and owner of Intrepid Electronic Systems, attended the ribbon cutting of the Exploratorium exhibit in 2013.  


The Exploratorium partnered with the Emeryville Public Market to create a permanent exhibition of outdoor interactive science displays onsite.




Thursday, September 3, 2015

"Block Shock"

By appropriately using personal protective equipment (PPE), wire and line workers can avoid death by one of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's accurately termed "Fatal Four": electrocution. Workers must inspect their PPE for proper function and damage such as "embedded foreign objects, holes, punctures, cuts, tears, ozone cutting and checking, texture changes, hardening, stickiness, swelling, softening, nonelastic properties, or any other defects that may effect PPE insulating properties". The safety of a worker is top priority, and ensuring their protection is essential to the electrical contracting industry.

Read more about stopping electrocution and other dangerous injuries at: http://www.ecmag.com/section/block-shock

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

California heightens the severity of punishment for non licensed contractors

"The consequences of contracting without the proper license can be severe. An unlicensed contractor may not sue to recover for the value of its work. B&P § 7031(a). Even more damaging, an owner can seek disgorgement of all monies paid to a contractor, even if there was nothing wrong with the contractor’s construction of the project. B&P § 7031(b); Alatriste v. Cesar’s Exterior Designs, Inc., 183 Cal. App. 4th 656 (Cal. Ct. App. 2010). As the California Supreme Court has observed, B&P § 7031 'represents a legislative determination that the importance of deterring unlicensed persons from engaging in the contracting business outweighs any harshness between the parties, and that such deterrence can best be realized by denying violators the right to maintain any action for compensation in the courts of this state.' MW Erectors, Inc. v. Niederhauser Ornamental & Metal Works Co., 36 Cal. 4th 412, 423; 115 P.3d 41 (Cal. 2005)."


Read more about this topic at: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=679dd2ae-3178-4c4d-abf5-137aa956b45b

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

NCNSFPE's Golf Tournament



Intrepid Electronic Systems sponsored a hole at the Nevada Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers' Golf Tournament.