New York – U. S. Customs and Border Protection is processing a lot needed fuel tankers today as recovery efforts are underway throughout the New York City region. “The demonstrated resiliency by the men and women of New York and New Jersey is represented by way of the males and girls of CBP and our partners who are operating hard to get this area back to company as usual,” mentioned Robert E. (a lot more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases
Guidance to Travelers Bringing Agriculture Products When Returning From the Hajj
Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is reminding travelers returning from the Hajj to declare all agricultural things from their baggage. A lot of items can not be brought into the United States since they might carry animal and plant pests and illnesses. (much more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases
DHS Employee Elected to Prominent Post in Prestigious National Organization
-Posted by Public Affairs
The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Dr. Cedric Alexander, Federal Security Director at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, was recently elected 2nd Vice President to the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement (NOBLE). This is the first time a Department of Homeland Security employee has held this distinctive honor.
Dr. Alexander, who celebrates five years with TSA this September, is also a 10-year member of NOBLE. He was sworn in at NOBLE’s 36th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Little Rock, Arkansas. As a Federal Security Director with TSA, Dr. Alexander works in partnership with federal, state and local law enforcement partners to secure our nation’s transportation system. In his role as 2nd Vice President, Dr. Alexander will further his collaboration with the law enforcement community by working with NOBLE’s committees and initiatives to ensure the organization’s mission and objectives move forward.
“I am extremely honored to have been elected into this position,” said Dr. Alexander. “NOBLE is a tremendous organization with an expansive network of law enforcement and security professionals. I look forward to representing TSA in my new role.”
Founded in 1976, NOBLE’s 57 chapters and 4,000 members span across the nation and include members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities. The organization’s mission is “to ensure equity in the administration of justice in the provision of public service to all communities, and to serve as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to justice by action.”
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
FLETC Conducts Females in Law Enforcement Leadership Coaching System in Peru
-Posted by Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Director Connie Patrick
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) recently completed its latest iteration of the Women in Law Enforcement Leadership Training Program in Lima, Peru where 38 female police officials from Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay participated in a five-day program on topics such as work-life balance, leadership, and effective communication skills. The program started at the U.S. Embassy in Lima with opening remarks from Ambassador Rose M. Likins, who underscored the importance of fostering the development of female law enforcement leaders around the world.
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(from left) FLETC Assistant Director for Training Dominick Braccio; Commander Jeaning Calmell del Solar, Peruvian National Police; and FLETC Deputy Assistant Director Val Atkins participate in a panel discussion.
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To date, 218 women from 25 nations have benefited from the knowledge and skills conveyed in this program. The wide spectrum of individuals we are reaching makes me confident that we are making a difference in advancing the rights of women across the globe and developing future leaders that will strengthen international security.
Already, we have heard feedback from some participants on how the program has had a positive impact on both their personal and professional lives. Thessa, a prosecutor from the Philippines, wrote in an email to our team here at FLETC applauding the program for “the great opportunity, the priceless knowledge, tools and insights.”
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| Attendees at the Women in Leadership Training in Lima, Peru. |
I have had the honor to be able to take part in several of the training programs and saw firsthand how much the participants value our efforts. The heartfelt enthusiasm and motivation of these women at the end of each training session truly shows the value of the program, and I look forward to the next session in Budapest later this year.
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
Preview the Next Generation of www.DHS.gov
– Posted by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Pia Carusone
The Department of Homeland Security just redesigned its website and now you can take a look and offer your feedback before we officially launch the new website within the next two weeks and retire the old one.
Here are tips to start your site tour of http://preview.dhs.gov/
- Visit the new Topics pages, with their own Resource Directories to relevant information
- Use the How Do I? sections to find answers to commonly asked questions
- Learn how to Get Involved with agency activities for the public
- Go to the About DHS section for to learn about DHS’ budget, organization, career options and history
- See our new multimedia page and photos of DHS at work in the News section.
Why Did We Redesign the Site?
Our new website design was guided by user feedback and best practices in user-centered design. The goals of the redesign are to simplify and unify DHS.gov’s content and create a more consistent look and feel throughout the site.
At the new DHS website, we are aiming to:
- Provide valuable information
- Help you find what you need on the DHS.gov with better navigation and improved content
- Make it easier for visitors to engage with DHS
In addition, there are plenty of unseen improvements in the administrator interface that make our online communication more cost-efficient, help us execute a customer-focused strategy for web-content management, streamline customer access to DHS services and improve our web content management.
Please Note…
We plan to adopt an improved search engine at launch. That means at the preview.dhs.gov site, onsite search function does not work yet. If you use the search box, your search results will return you to the “old” DHS.gov site for now.
We Want Your feedback!
Now that you have some background on what we did and why we did it, please take a few minutes to look around http://preview.dhs.gov and send us your feedback using IdeaScale. IdeaScale is a platform where we can collect your ideas and suggestions for improving the next generation DHS.gov. While you are at it, consider casting a vote for the best ideas that others share, or joining discussions about ideas submitted by others.
Our DHS web team will review ALL submissions, and your feedback will be extremely valuable to us in making quick and continuous improvements to the new website.
If you prefer not to create an IdeaScale profile or have difficulty using IdeaScale, you can always send your suggestions or concerns to [email protected]
Thank you!
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
Private Sector Preparedness and Response in Boston: DHS for a Day X
By Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector Douglas A. Smith
The Private Sector Office hosted the tenth DHS for a Day on August 1st, in Boston, Massachusetts. This ongoing initiative is one example of DHS’ commitment to collaborating with the private sector to share best practices and build valuable partnerships to keep our communities and businesses safer. The event highlighted opportunities for our private sector partners to support efforts to make our nation more prepared and resilient through programs like the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification (PS-Prep) Program and trusted traveler programs such as Global Entry or TSA Pre✓™ .
In the afternoon, participants traveled to Conley Terminal at the Boston Seaport, where Customs and Border Protection officials briefed them on the role DHS plays in border security, travel and trade facilitation.
Finally, participants went to Logan International Airport to observe several TSA risk based security initiatives, including TSA Pre✓™.
It is our hope participants left the tenth installment of DHS for a Day with a better understanding of the Department’s mission. As we plan the next event, we will look for new ways to continue to strengthen our partnerships with public and private sector stakeholders.
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.
Marine environmental, wildlife assessments of post-Isaac pollution continues
NEW ORLEANS – Wildlife teams recovered three oiled birds, Monday and were out on the water searching for any other impacted wildlife.
Coast Guard and State of Louisiana response workers continued assessments of the areas affected by Hurricane Isaac, searching for signs of pollution or impacted wildlife.
So far, Coast Guard and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality assessment teams have investigated about 90 separate reports of pollution throughout the impacted areas. Facility owners are taking steps to clean up the majority of these. Six sites require further assessment and environmental response crews are taking steps to clean up or contain any oil.
“We respond to every pollution report that comes in and send teams to see what’s out there and try to identify the responsible party so they can get it cleaned up,” said Lt. Cmdr. Lushan Hannah, the Coast Guard incident commander for the pollution response. “Pollution following a hurricane is to be expected, especially with a slow-moving storm like Isaac.”
The Coast Guard, EPA, NOAA, Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries are working together to safeguard public safety and minimize wildlife and environmental impacts resulting from Hurricane Isaac.
Coast Guard and state officials are asking residents to avoid any contact with chemicals or pollution they come across and to report it to the Sector New Orleans Operations Center at 504-365-2200 or the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.
Recent Updates for HQ (use “U.S. Coast Guard Digital Newsroom”)
Oiled wildlife recovery, pollution assessment surveys continue following Hurricane Isaac
NEW ORLEANS – One dead oiled brown pelican, one dead oiled clapper rail, one dead oiled common moorhen, and three live oiled wildlife were recovered near Myrtle Grove, Sunday.
Affected wildlife are taken to a rehabilitation center in Belle Chaisse, La. Necropsies will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Pollution assessments continued at multiple sites impacted by Hurricane Isaac and a wildlife recovery team deployed to Myrtle Grove to recover wildlife and to look for signs of other impacted animals.
Assessment teams in the field discovered oil in Bayou St. Denis, Myrtle Grove and near Port Sulphur. Teams are also investigating reports of sheening in Breton Sound. Responders are in contact with facility owners and operators and have taken steps to contain and clean up any product.
Overflights of Lake Pontchartrain revealed no signs of spilled or leaked oil, however, there are multiple displaced drums and containers.
Coast Guard representatives along with state officials and Stolthaven representatives are on scene to assess the chemicals stored at the Stolthaven facility in Braithwaite, La., which was heavily damaged and flooded during the storm. There is no immediate public health concern and Mississippi River traffic is not affected. A half-mile exclusion zone is in effect around the facility.
“We are conducting overflights, ground assessments, airboat and small boat operations to seek out and recover any impacted wildlife and to find any oil or hazardous materials so we can recover them as quickly as possible to minimize the impact to residents and the environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Lushan Hannah, incident commander at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
Coast Guard and state officials are asking residents to avoid any contact with chemicals or pollution they come across and to report it to the Sector New Orleans Operations Center at 504-365-2200 or the National Response Center at 800-424-8802.
Recent Updates for HQ (use “U.S. Coast Guard Digital Newsroom”)