First Observer – Truckers Learn To Watch Out For Terrorists

A local truck driving school became the first on the West Coast to be trained for a new federal anti-terrorism program, the school’s owner and the instructor said. Robert Hertan, an instructor from Maryland-based Total Security Services International, Inc., led the three-hour class at Vallejo’s Falcon Truck School recently. He said the federal Transportation Security Administration hired his firm to train transportation professionals for the “First Observer” program.

“This is a Department of Homeland Security program, funded by FEMA and administered by the TSA,” Hertan said.

The heart of the training is to use truckers to keep an eye out for — and report — suspicious behavior that could be part of a terrorist operation or some other attack like that on the state capitol eight years ago.

Timing and convenience combined to make Falcon the first school to get this training, but it’s spreading nationwide, Hertan said. Some trucking and school bus firms have been trained, and though specific results are unavailable, it’s working, he said.

First Observer ™ is a highway security program, funded by FEMA and administered by TSA. Its mission is to promote the security of our critical infrastructure within the United States by training people to observe, assess and report risks and security breaches.

First Observer Website

“We wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t providing some value,” Hertan said.

“The TSA clearly recognizes the vital role America’s critical infrastructure plays in maintaining and preserving our American way of life and has made protecting that infrastructure a top priority,” according to the program’s literature.

“First Observer engages surface transportation professionals — truck drivers, school bus operators, mass transit workers, port workers and others — in maintaining the safety and security of America’s bridges, tunnels and roads.”

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FCC Releases Report On Emergency Preparedness

The FCC has released a report on its ability to respond in natural disasters, terrorist attacks, public health emergencies, and other events. The report, “FCC’s Preparedness for a Major Public Emergency,” was put together by the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau in response to a 30-day review launched by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.

“The FCC has an important role to play in ensuring that our nation’s communications infrastructure serves our public safety needs,” Genachowski said. “The Public Safety Bureau’s thorough review concluded that the agency is ready to respond to emergencies, but there is more work to do to maximize the agency’s readiness. The public safety challenges we face are ongoing, dynamic, and growing. Today’s report outlines concrete steps the FCC can and will take to better support public safety communications and protect our nation.”

The report, while concluding that the FCC is prepared to keep essential communications open in an emergency, found that the commission could improve its planning and response in the areas of education and training, outreach and collaborations, emergency operations and alerts, and network analysis.

Recommendations include a plan for improving the Continuity of Operations and Pandemic plans, and reviews and revisions as needed for emergency procedures in the FCC’s 24/7 operations center. The EAS system is also being reviewed with other agencies to account for “next-generation technologies.”

Source

Report

American Preparedness : Findings From the 2009 FEMA Citizen Corps National Survey

FEMA’s Citizen Corps Surveys offer comprehensive data on the public’s thoughts, perceptions, and behaviors related to preparedness and community safety for multiple types of hazards. Findings from these surveys provide valuable insights for increasing personal preparedness, civic engagement, and community resilience. These findings are particularly relevant as we prepare for a possible pandemic flu outbreak, hurricane season, and other hazards.

Results from this study have important implications for the development of more effective communication and outreach strategies to achieve greater levels of preparedness and participation.

Source

• Personal Preparedness In America: Findings From the 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey– Full Report (PDF, 700K)
• Personal Preparedness In America: Findings From the 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey– Summary Sheet (PDF, 95K)
• Personal Preparedness In America: Findings From the 2009 Citizen Corps National Survey– Power Point Presentation
• FEMA Research Provides New Insights On Personal Preparedness– News Release, Aug 24

NLE – National Level Exercise Terror Drill Begins Today

US law enforcement agencies led by the Department of Homeland Security has started a process for a major anti-terrorism exercise to test its capabilities to combat attacks on the country.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will launch the Congressionally mandated five-day National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09) on Monday that will be directed by the White House and coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

It aims to promote intelligence and information sharing between and among federal, state and international participants — Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the Navajo Nation — in the wake of a fictional terrorist attack somewhere outside the United States.

It will be the “first major exercise conducted by the United States government that will focus exclusively on terrorism prevention and protection, as opposed to incident response and recovery,” the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said in a statement.

NLE – National Level Exercise Terror Drill Begins Today

National Level Exercise 2009 – NLE 09 Terror Exercise

National Level Exercise 2009 (NLE 09) is scheduled for July 27 through July 31, 2009. NLE 09 will be the first major exercise conducted by the United States government that will focus exclusively on terrorism prevention and protection, as opposed to incident response and recovery.

NLE 09 is designated as a Tier I National Level Exercise. Tier I exercises (formerly known as the Top Officials exercise series or TOPOFF) are conducted annually in accordance with the National Exercise Program (NEP), which serves as the nation’s overarching exercise program for planning, organizing, conducting and evaluating national level exercises. The NEP was established to provide the U.S. government, at all levels, exercise opportunities to prepare for catastrophic crises ranging from terrorism to natural disasters.

NLE 09 is a White House directed, Congressionally- mandated exercise that includes the participation of all appropriate federal department and agency senior officials, their deputies, staff and key operational elements. In addition, broad regional participation of state, tribal, local, and private sector is anticipated. This year the United States welcomes the participation of Australia, Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom in NLE 09.

EXERCISE FOCUS

NLE 09 will focus on intelligence and information sharing among intelligence and law enforcement communities, and between international, federal, regional, state, tribal, local and private sector participants.

The NLE 09 scenario will begin in the aftermath of a notional terrorist event outside of the United States, and exercise play will center on preventing subsequent efforts by the terrorists to enter the United States and carry out additional attacks. This scenario enables participating senior officials to focus on issues related to preventing terrorist events domestically and protecting U.S. critical infrastructure.

NLE 09 will allow terrorism prevention efforts to proceed to a logical end (successful or not), with no requirement for response or recovery activities.

NLE 09 will be an operations-based exercise to include: activities taking place at command posts, emergency operation centers, intelligence centers and potential field locations to include federal headquarters facilities in the Washington D.C. area, and in federal, regional, state, tribal, local and private sector facilities in FEMA Region VI, which includes the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

EXERCISE OBJECTIVES

Through a comprehensive evaluation process, the exercise will assess prevention and protection capabilities both nationally and regionally. Although NLE 09 is still in the planning stages, the exercise is currently designed to validate the following capabilities:

• Intelligence/Information Sharing and Dissemination
• Counter-Terrorism Investigation and Law Enforcement
• Air, Border and Maritime Security
• Critical Infrastructure Protection
• Public and Private Sector Alert/Notification and Security Advisories
• International Coordination

VALIDATING THE HOMELAND SECURITY SYSTEM

Exercises such as NLE 09 are an important component of national preparedness, helping to build an integrated federal, state, tribal, local and private sector capability to prevent terrorist attacks, and rapidly and effectively respond to, and recover from, any terrorist attack or major disaster that occurs.

The full-scale exercise offers agencies and jurisdictions a way to test their plans and skills in a real-time, realistic environment and to gain the in-depth knowledge that only experience can provide. Participants will exercise prevention and information sharing functions that are critical to preventing terrorist attacks. Lessons learned from the exercise will provide valuable insights to guide future planning for securing the nation against terrorist attacks, disasters, and other emergencies.

For more information about NLE 09, contact the FEMA News Desk: 202-646-4600.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters.

FEMA Releases Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today the release of the final Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: “Developing and Maintaining State, Territorial, Tribal, and Local Government Emergency Plans.”

CPG 101 completes the requirements of HSPD-8, Annex I to develop a “national integrated planning system.” Combined with the Integrated Planning System (IPS) guidance provided by the Department, the vision of a vertically integrated planning system providing for a consistent planning process across all levels of government is realized.

While IPS focuses on Federal planning, CPG 101 was developed by a team of state, tribal and local officials from across the United States working together to develop guidance that can aid State, tribal, local, and territorial officials in protecting their citizens.

CPG 101 is the first in a series of publications developed through the FEMA National Preparedness Directorate’s CPG Initiative. Future CPGs will discuss planning considerations for a variety of emergency functions, hazards and special preparedness programs including; special needs planning, household pets and service animals, fusion center / emergency operations center interface, and hazard-specific guidance.

CPG 101 serves as the emergency plan foundation for both public and private sector planning in the United States. Planners in all disciplines and organizations may find portions of the guide useful in the development of their emergency response plans.

The CPG 101 document can be found online at www.fema.gov/about/divisions/cpg.shtm. For more information on other FEMA initiatives, visit www.fema.gov.

FEMA leads and supports the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system of preparedness, protection, response, recovery and mitigation, to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards including natural disasters, acts of terrorism and other man-made disasters.

Link

FEMA: Check Emergency Kits For Recalls

U.S. – Currently the United States is in the midst of one of the largest food recalls in American history. As Americans dig through their cabinets and refrigerators to remove potentially contaminated food associated with the recent peanut recall, FEMA would like to also remind citizens to open and check their Emergency Preparedness Kits to remove any potentially harmful items from these also.

Because peanut products are often recommended as staples in Emergency Preparedness Kits due to their long shell life and because they are a good source of protein, we encourage all kit owners to look at their kits to ensure food products are not on the peanut recall list. Please keep in mind that the peanut product recall extends beyond peanut-flavored products. The following are some examples of foods also included in the recall that may contain peanuts:

* Granola

* Snack bars

* Crackers

* Cereal

* Trail Mix

* Cookies

* Noodles

* Dog treats

A full list of recalled peanut products and what individuals should do with recalled items can be found on the Food and Drug Administrationʼs Web site, http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm .

In addition to checking for peanut-related items, please be sure to check for other items in your kit that may have expired, including medications, food and pet food, water, and other recalled items. The U.S. government provides information on unsafe, hazardous, or defective products ranging from consumer products, food, medicine, and cosmetics at www.recalls.gov .

Ensuring family and neighbors are prepared is an essential step in helping communities during and after an emergency. Families should have an Emergency Preparedness Kit in all locations that are frequented often, including homes, offices, schools, cars and day care facilities. These kits should hold a variety of essential items that are needed during a disaster, such as a flashlight, radio, cash, clothing, protective equipment, medicines, and of course food and water. For a complete list of Emergency Preparedness Kit recommended items, please visit

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/supplykit.shtm .

Suspicious Package Examined At FEMA Office

A leaking, smelly package in the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency mail room forced an evacuation of the headquarters building, a fire department official said on Monday.

Washington, D.C., fire department spokesman Alan Etter said an X-ray of the package showed a need for further investigation, and a hazardous materials team was taking air samples.

“Nobody is injured, nobody is sick,” Etter said.

Source

Flu Pandemic Is Coming – CDC Chief

Ready or not, a flu pandemic is coming, says Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gerberding talked about preparing for the pandemic threat at a national conference Thursday at Logistics Health in La Crosse. No one knows when the pandemic is coming or what strain of flu virus will cause it, but it is overdue, she said. Read more

Hurricane Ike Category 4 – Sustained Winds 145 Mph – Florida Watching

Hurricane Ike Update Sun. 09/07/08 – Mapping Link At Storm Pulse

Hurricane Ike damaged most of the homes on Grand Turk island as it roared onto the Bahamas, raked Haiti’s flooded cities with driving rain and threatened the Florida Keys on its way to Cuba as a ferocious Category 4 storm Sunday.

Turks and Caicos premier Michael Misick said Ike damaged 80 percent of the homes on the main island and that hundreds lost their roofs as the hurricane made a near-direct hit. People have been cowering in closets and under stairwells and “just holding on for life. They got hit really, really bad,” he told The Associated Press Sunday morning.

With 135 mph (215 kph) winds, Ike was swirling on from the tiny British territory to the Bahamas’ Great Inagua Island, where about 85 people inside a community center shelter huddled around a radio.

“It’s looking terrible,” said Henry Nixon, a reserve police officer inside the shelter. “All we can do is hunker down and pray.”

Source

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Hurricane Ike Update Sat. 09/06/08 – Hurricane Ike is shifting course and could strike the Florida Keys before moving into the oil-producing Gulf of Mexico, where it could strengthen, a U.S. emergency official said on Friday.

“That’s kind of a bad scenario for us, to go into the Gulf,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Assistant Administrator Glenn Cannon said. Moving over warm Gulf water could make the already powerful storm more dangerous.

Ike is a Category 3 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm’s path was taking a more southerly direction and “changing as we talk,” Cannon said.

He said the current course could cause it to “heavily impact” the Florida Keys.

Cannon, briefing reporters on a string of Atlantic storms, also said residents evacuated by federal officials last week due to Hurricane Gustav were expected to return home by the end of this weekend.

Mandatory evacuations due to Tropical Storm Hanna along the U.S. Southeast coast were expected to be minimal, he said.

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Original Post

Hurricane Ike Category 4 – Sustained Winds 145 Mph – Florida Watching – NTARC will continue to monitor Hurricane Ike and begin posting regular updates and emergency links as additional information becomes available and a projected path of the storm becomes available.

Almost as soon as Florida fell out of Hanna’s forecast cone, it slipped into Ike’s, and that mighty, major hurricane could be on our doorstep Tuesday. Read more

Hurricane Gustav Category 5 Storm

Hurricane Gustav is rapidly growing into a monster Category 5 storm.

‘FEMA’ Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison told reporters several times at a briefing Saturday that the storm was strengthening into a Category 5 hurricane. Read more

Security Officials On The Lookout For Cloned Emergency Vehicles

Cloned emergency vehicles lookout memo issued.

Security officials around the cities hosting this year’s political conventions are being told to watch out for fake or cloned emergency vehicles.

A Federal Emergency Management Agency memo ‘bulletin’ says terrorists could use such “cloned” emergency or commercial vehicles to conduct surveillance or carry out an attack. Read more