With hopes to provide an "inside-out view" of what is done every day in the world of homeland security, the DHS launched a new site The Blog @Homeland Security.

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By Miller J. Wilson

With the outbreak of the H1N1 virus spreading throughout the globe and threatening to become a pandemic virus one must wonder what the effects will be on the security of nations around the world. An Associated Press report projects an estimated of 90 million ill and 2 million deaths in the US and some British experts claim 120 million deaths world-wide should H1N1 turn into a pandemic similar to the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic.

However, the potential cost in health is limited compared to the potential threats to National Security and economy.

Continue reading "H1N1 Influenza Virus (Swine Flu) and the Effects on National Security" »

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Disaster-medicine expert Irwin Redlener gives a talk on how humanity might survive natural or human-made disasters.

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The US Department of Homeland Security has designated September as National Preparedness Month. Along with other agencies and organizations, the DHS is encouraging individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to take stock of their preparedness for a disaster, and offers many tips to stay prepared.

This year the focus of NPM is to encourage citizens to take important preparedness steps:

• Get a Kit
• Make a Plan
• Be Informed
• Get Involved

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A daily, open source, around the world tour of international security-related news.

By Professor Joseph B. Varner

Continue reading "Global Security Brief" »

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It definitely didn't take long for the Katrina comparisons to take hold after the recent tragedy of the California wildfires. One of the more stimulating discussions comes from NPR's Talk of the Nation.

AMU professor Chris Reynolds, San Francisco bureau chief for Newsweek, Karen Breslau and journalist Jasmyne Cannick talk about what's different, what's the same and have any lessons really been learned.

Listen to the show for the full commentary and discussion.

What's your take: Is there any comparison, are the comparisons fair? Go to the comments section and let us know.

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Wow - putting on phony press conference in order to pat themselves on the back. FEMA doesn't need this bad press right now.

Click here for the fake-us-out details. (Souce - Think Progress)

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It's been four years since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. How would you rate its performance?

National Ledger contributor Jim Kouri has a mixed review.

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By Bob Jaffin

What message should transport buyers and carriers take away from Sept. 11 and from the articles and comments appearing in this and other professional and trade journals?

One answer is this: We have never integrated hazmat into the workplace culture or transportation standards, and we collectively have failed to realize how necessary, and critical, security is in the workplace and on the road.

Continue reading "Making HazMat a Part Of the Workplace Culture" »

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The LA Fire Department and the city of Minneapolis take advantage of the ever-increasing communication options used during in emergencies. (Hometown Security)

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By Bob Jaffin

Tornado disasters in Iowa…ice storms in Washington…fires in California … Snow and flooding in New England. One common feature is that the local police and fire, along with the National Guard, are undermanned when responding because too many first responders are off fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Local National Guard armories have been stripped of hardware and assets in order to sustain the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, which means the first-responders are also under-equipped.

This highlights the larger issue of public service and volunteerism in this country.

Continue reading "Volunteers Needed" »

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An Overview and Lessons Learned

A high alert was declared in the Jerusalem area at around 11:30am, Tuesday, March 21, 2006, after the domestic Shin Bet intelligence service received a tip-off that militants in a blue van had infiltrated from the West Bank and were planning to carry out an attack in an unknown Israeli city.

Continue reading "Case Study: Institute of Terrorism Research and Response" »

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By Aaron Richman
Co-Director, The Institute of Terrorism Response and Research

The age of terrorism into which we have been flung presents new and unique challenges for law enforcement in the field. At a time when nightclubs, office buildings, buses or pizzerias are all targets for international terrorists, the police officer, uniformed or not, has become a frontline counter-terrorist agent.

Continue reading "Training for the Age of Terrorism" »

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Check out some video highlights from one of largest homeland security events in the D.C. area.

Watch the video now.

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By Alvina Bey Bennett and Elena Siddall

We Prepare America came to know the St. Paul’s Baptist Church (Henrico County, Virginia) last summer, when we were exploring possible faith-based venues to do grass-roots citizen Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Survival education.

Continue reading "Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Survival Education: A Grass-Roots Approach" »

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A special report reprinted from FrontLine Security Spring 2007
By Professor Joe Varner

The protection of critical infrastructure is a key national security issue in a way that it has not been since the ‘snakes and ladders’ days of the late 1950s and the early Cold War civil defence program. Today’s threat has changed from Soviet rockets to various state and non-state actors armed with an equally wide variety of weapons. With this revolution in military affairs, has come a renewed interest in asymmetric confrontation of the Superpower and its NATO and Western Allies. The target is the very institutions and systems that maintain our way of life and/or our cutting edge in military defence. It is the engine of our economy. Get at our critical infrastructure and strangle our economy. That is the goal of our opponents in the Global War on Terror.

Continue reading "Is There a Terrorist Threat to Our Critical Infrastrucure?" »

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By Elena Siddall

Through experience with a number of churches, schools, and community groups, I’ve found that the most effective way to engage a targeted population is face to face.

My colleague, Alvina Bey Bennett-a public health nurse, and I collaborated to form We Prepare America, an organization that focuses on the citizen and the impact of a disaster on the individual and the community. We used FEMA material and have designed workshops to be highly adaptive to time constraints, but to convey at the very least, the need to:

1) have an emergency kit
2) have appropriate fundamental information as to actions related to hazards
3) have a family plan of post event location and actions of family members

We have trademarked KIP™, the acronym of the most basic elements of the universally accepted Emergency Preparedness Plan.

While we recognize the fact that we cannot educate each individual person, we can begin with groups. This is the ripple effect- from the bottom up. The prepared individual is an asset to the community; conversely, the unprepared citizen is a burden on the already strained Emergency Management System’s human, material and financial resources. The unprepared citizen is the weakest link in the chain, thus compromising the whole system.

The prepared citizen is a community resource.

And should be viewed as such by local officials, elected and appointed. In practice, this is an embraced philosophy-once prepared individually and within one’s the family, individual efforts can be extended to volunteer beyond, but need to be actually welcomed by the authorities.

Our personal experience has shown that many volunteers are trained, but not utilized.

The two recent tragic events, of the terrorist attack of 9/11 and Katrina, a natural disaster of Biblical proportions, have launched series of Congressional hearings, intense attention from the media and attempts to identify “Lessons Learned”.

Billions of tax dollars, as well as donations from the private sector have, to date, resulted in few meaningful actions, (except from the religious and non-profit community, providing the bulk of comfort care).

A large percentage of the population remains woefully unprepared. The two mentioned events underscore the fact that the government cannot protect everyone, everywhere. The citizen must understand that in a disaster, one is on his own, until help arrives. Calling 911 may be futile. This comes as a shock to most individuals.

Research

Research, mostly via surveys in the field of Emergency Management is considerable and unfortunately repetitive. A great deal of the published material deals with methodology of the studies. A wealth of information is related to examining the barriers of citizen decision to prepare with KIP Folks simply have not taken the recommended steps because of:

1) lack of importance that individuals place on preparedness
2) lack of time
3) lack of information

Simply addressing the last factor is ineffective unless the information is given in connection to convincing citizens that the process is very important and easy.

The best motivator for taking action is the perception of imminent threat. We all know the phenomenon of the storming of the grocery stores if a storm is expected. KIP™ is very much like insurance. It is too late to remember the lapsed insurance premium as the barn is on fire. It is too late to begin searching for the flash-light when the power goes out. It may not prevent the disaster, but being prepared to survive the disaster may go a long way to reduce panic, and save lives.

The Emergency Kit

In giving instruction for an emergency kit, a checklist is the best received method, taking into consideration individual needs, individual preferences geographic location, season of the year. Depending on economic factors, a kit can be created at one time or added to over a period of time, the former being preferable. Water, power snacks, flash-light and battery operated radios medicines and first aid are standard items for the 3-day kit. A visual demonstration, with a brief explanation for the inclusion of each item of the contents is helpful –and reinforces the simplicity and ease of the process.

Information

Information is better received if provided by local sources that are known and trusted, such as first responders. While most citizens depend on TV for emergency information, a battery operated radio is the crucial source of information in case of power outage.

The public must be educated to understand the common vocabulary of Emergency Management. The very useful (if universally understood) color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System is the quickest way to inform the public of the level of danger. Established in March 2002, it is a tool used to describe threat conditions for a possible terrorist attack.

Hurricanes are characterized by number to indicate severity of expected danger. CDC has recently adopted a numerical system in categorizing pandemic threat. The government site for public information is Ready.gov (add hyperlink www.ready.gov) The site has undergone numerous improvements; however remains an unknown source to the majority of individuals.

Plan
Does every family member know where to re-group after the disastrous event? Does every member have emergency contact information? Are all crucial documents in a safe, accessible place?

The three-pronged Emergency Preparedness Plan is understandable and based on common sense. It does not require having high skills. and is based on common sense.

In general, people trust experts over officials. The 2002 Robert Wood Johnson Study found that the public would seek information in case of a bioterrorist attack from a doctor (74%), local hospital (65%), the local Red Cross (55%) and the local health department (51%). Only 25% would trust the media. 37% would trust the head of the DHS.

Events of Katrina tarnished the image and trust that the public has in the government’s ability to respond to a disaster.

However numerous post-Katrina studies indicate no increase in the level of citizen preparedness. Several studies have been singled out for their significance because they are based on pre and post Katrina studies.

• National Center for Disaster Preparedness- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health conducted an annual survey in July 2005 –Where American Public Stands on Terrorism and Preparedness Four Years after September 11. A follow-up study was conducted in October 2005. One crucial finding was that the percentage of family emergency plan having the three components (KIP) increased by only 1 percentage point.

• Center for Excellence in Government/American Red Cross- developed a Public Readiness Index

• Macro International Inc (ORC Macro)- conducted a survey in 2003 and mid-October 2005 to measure citizens levels of perceived and actual preparedness, reasons for and barriers to preparedness.

• Center for Catastrophe Preparedness and Response- New York University. The survey of basic preparedness or lack of and measured confidence in state, local and Federal government and selected non-profits organizations. The post Katrina findings revealed that non-profit organizations did not suffer the loss of trust as did governmental agencies.

• National Organization on Disability.

• Katrina Evacuee Survey –Washington Post, Kaiser Foundation and Harvard University cast light on levels on preparedness on “vulnerable populations” and in the case of the Evacuees survey, examined perceived threat of Katrina and readiness and willingness to evacuate.
  

A significant observation made by Macro Inc. is that very few studies investigated citizens’ reliance on organizations such as their schools, workplace, and local faith-based or community-based organizations. Only the 2003 American Red Cross study examined this area, indicating a hopeful sign that 45% of parents received disaster information from their child’s school and that 55% received formal information or training from their employers.

In our research, we found the most interesting and relevant study to be REDEFINING READINESS: Terrorism Planning Through the Eyes of the Public. In September 2004, the Center for the Advancement of Collaborative Strategies in Health, of The New York Academy of Medicine released a study report titled REDEFINING READINESS. Funding came from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, to ask questions about plans developed by the government in the wake of 9/11.

Billions of dollars to strengthen the capacity of government agencies and private-sector organizations at local, state and Federal levels to respond to terrorist attacks and other emergencies have been invested.

• Are we getting as much as can be expected from the investment?
  
• Will the plans that are being developed work as expected?
  
• Will they protect as many citizens as possible?

  Good questions. And the short answer is NO. The initial research results were that the most valuable resource was described as “the common-sense knowledge of American people and their strong interest in contributing that knowledge to community and organizational preparedness planning”. The RR study documents that terrorism response plans developed without public input, place millions of citizens unnecessarily at risk.

  The Center embarked on an 18 month- long study of four communities across the country to demonstrate how terrorism/emergency response plans can be improved. These local demonstration projects can serve as national models.

  The communities, representing diverse urban, suburban and rural selected (by competition) are:
  

  • The City of Carlsbad and South Eddy County, New Mexico
    
  • Humboldt Park section in Chicago, Illinois
    
  • Eastside neighborhood in Savannah, Georgia
    
  • Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmatah Counties in Oklahoma
    
  
  The study ended January 31, 2007. We are looking forward to reading the results.

  About the Authors

  Together, Elena Siddall and Alvina Bey-Bennett have more than 70 years experience in child welfare, medical social work, public health, as well as work in the non-profit sector as workers and volunteers, locally, nationally and internationally.

  Last month, Siddall and Bennett presented at AMU’s Homeland Security Symposium – The Ripple Effect at the National Press Club.

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. homeland security experts are aware of significant gaps in disaster preparedness, such as pre-established destinations for evacuees.

Although natural and man-made disasters in the past few years have spurred agencies at all levels of government to examine their emergency response plans and address deficiencies, gaping holes still exist, said panelists who took part in a forum sponsored by the American Military University on Feb. 6.

Plans for evacuation of endangered populations are incomplete, explained Patrick McCrory, mayor of Charlotte, NC., and a member of President Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council.

"We all have great evacuation plans, but we don't know where the people are going," McCrory said.

"We have to have evacuation agreements with neighboring cities and even cities that could be as far as 300 or 400 miles away, where they're willing to take our residents and we're willing to take theirs," McCrory said.

McCrory told UPI that Charlotte has direct experience with the complications of not having evacuation agreements. He explained that people fleeing Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 began arriving in Charlotte with just five-hours warning. The city of Charlotte spent $500,000 per day hosting people who fled north in the wake of Katrina, McCrory said.

"Most cities are not prepared to accommodate an influx of people at such short notice and for an extended period of time," McCrory said.

The effectiveness of evacuation plans depends on the ability of authorities to warn the population of an approaching threat, said David Paulison, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Paulison called for the development of an audible warning system, similar to the type used in areas of the country that are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and tornados.

Paulison said that a countrywide audible warning system would be just one component of the "robust, quick-activated system" that the United States needs to invest in so that authorities can alert the public about any major threat.

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. homeland security experts are aware of significant gaps in disaster preparedness, such as pre-established destinations for evacuees.

Although natural and man-made disasters in the past few years have spurred agencies at all levels of government to examine their emergency response plans and address deficiencies, gaping holes still exist, said panelists who took part in a forum sponsored by the American Military University on Feb. 6.

Plans for evacuation of endangered populations are incomplete, explained Patrick McCrory, mayor of Charlotte, NC., and a member of President Bush's Homeland Security Advisory Council.

"We all have great evacuation plans, but we don't know where the people are going," McCrory said.

"We have to have evacuation agreements with neighboring cities and even cities that could be as far as 300 or 400 miles away, where they're willing to take our residents and we're willing to take theirs," McCrory said.

McCrory told UPI that Charlotte has direct experience with the complications of not having evacuation agreements. He explained that people fleeing Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 began arriving in Charlotte with just five-hours warning. The city of Charlotte spent $500,000 per day hosting people who fled north in the wake of Katrina, McCrory said.

"Most cities are not prepared to accommodate an influx of people at such short notice and for an extended period of time," McCrory said.

The effectiveness of evacuation plans depends on the ability of authorities to warn the population of an approaching threat, said David Paulison, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Paulison called for the development of an audible warning system, similar to the type used in areas of the country that are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and tornados.

Paulison said that a countrywide audible warning system would be just one component of the "robust, quick-activated system" that the United States needs to invest in so that authorities can alert the public about any major threat.

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By Mike Harbert

Evacuations. Everyone in the country has an opinion about what happened with the evacuations for Hurricane Katrina. And there are any number of people or organizations that will offer a list of lessons learned, but I maintain that in most communities these are merely lessons recorded but not learned. Many of these same lessons were “learned” in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, and many of them were learned in countless previous storms. So, what lessons have we learned (recorded) for evacuations? Here’s a quick (though not inclusive) sampling of questions to ask:

First, let’s look at what makes up most evacuation plans – getting people out of town. Pretty simple. But where do they go? What happens when they cross state lines and move into a different jurisdiction? Has anyone coordinated with the “destination” communities? Has anyone instructed their citizens on what they should bring and not bring? Now is the time for them to collect and copy essential documents.

Fuel: We learned with the evacuations brought on by Katrina and Rita that plans have to include ensuring that fueling points are manned and have sufficient reliable and redundant power sources. Likewise, is there a contingency to refuel stranded motorists or man traffic control points? Communities in the hurricane zones have probably addressed this, but how about cities in the heartland?

Moving people without cars: We learned that plans need to include options to evacuate those who may have no other means to leave. We may incorporate school busses and local charter companies into our evacuation plans, but do we have contingency plans for drivers. How would local evacuation plans change if bus drivers, first responders, and key personnel were victims? Or if essential equipment or even evacuees needed decontamination or to be quarantined? Have we coordinated with the destination cities for busses and drivers to come to our communities and pick people up? How does your evacuation plan handle registered sex offenders or those on probation? Has anyone coordinated with the destination cities to identify and receive these folks, or will they just be released to the community?

Receiving evacuees: On the other end, how many cities have an evacuation reception plan? How many people can your community absorb? For how long? Will there be a secondary decontamination capability or quarantine? How will you handle evacuees arriving with no identification? Are you prepared to run criminal background checks on everyone coming in? Evacuation and emergency response plans must be regional, with cooperation extending across jurisdictional lines.

Does anyone outside the EOC know the plan? The mayors and emergency mangers who spoke at the symposium emphasized that communities must be able to handle the first 24-48 hours of any emergency before outside aid arrives. In order for this to happen, individuals and families must be prepared as well – not only to survive the first 48 hours, but to evacuate. This includes having important papers and copies of identification cards ready to go or located with relatives in communities that, hopefully, are outside of the impacted area. This includes having food, water, and other essential supplies to last at least that first 48 hours. Of course, we as individuals have a long way to go as is evidenced by the lines at a grocery store the night before a predicted snow storm.

Having our communities and families prepared for an emergency isn’t the federal government’s responsibly. It’s ours, and it’s the responsibility of our local leaders. It is also our civic duty to hold our local leaders accountable and demand that they keep our communities prepared. If we are prepared, then when something happens it is an emergency. It’s when we aren’t prepared that it becomes a disaster.

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American Military University (AMU) will host “Homeland Security: The Ripple Effect”, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Feb. 6-7.

The two-day event will be one of the first-ever homeland security conferences to address the needs of outlying communities after a catastrophe.

Confirmed speakers include Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security; Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, commander of Joint Task Force Katrina; and FEMA Director, R. David Paulison.

What Will Be Discussed? View agenda.

Conference tracks include:

• Planning and preparation
• Training, education, and awareness
• Command, control, and operations

Sessions will address topics such as:

• Funding and resources
• Healthcare systems in outlying communities
• Transportation and mobility
• Training, education, and public awareness
• Local government planning:ensuring continuity after disaster strikes
• Emergency preparation and response for special populations
• Food and water safety and emergency response
• Federal response: policy gaps

For more details, visit www.apus.edu/disaster.

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WASHINGTON (AP) -- Only six of 75 U.S. metropolitan areas won the highest grades for their emergency agencies' ability to communicate during a disaster, five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, according to a federal report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

Click here for entire article.

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Take a look at the National Terror Alert Response Center's list of preparedness guides and facts sheets on everything from "How to Prepare for a Terroist Attack" to step-by-step instructions on putting together an emergency evacuation plan.

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Commentary and Analysis by John Cote MSSI, CPP

So, who’s behind this latest terrorism threat that happened in London this past week? Is it Al-Qaeda?

From the best intelligence I can gather from open sources, the liquid bomb plot appears to be a version of an airline bomb plot linked to Al-Qaeda called “Bojinka” which was uncovered in 1995.

Continue reading "Who’s Behind the London Airline Bomb Plot?" »

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Because of the recent terror-related events in Britain, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is immediately implementing the following changes to airport screening procedures:

Continue reading "Travel Security Measures From TSA" »

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British authorities report today that they have put a stop to a major terrorist attack planned for several planes bound for the U.S.

Continue reading "Terrorist Plot Foiled, U.S. Threat Level Raised to High" »

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It's been nearly five years since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Is the United States a safer place to live?

Continue reading "9/11, Five Years Later: Where Are We Now?" »

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Paulison surveys damage from Hurricane Katrina.

R. David Paulison looks to work with other agencies to expand FEMA's scope of operations.

Continue reading "Director Discusses FEMA's Future" »

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Continue reading "TSA Air Travel FAQs" »

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