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Homeland Security

Preparing for this Year’s Hurricane Season

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Posted by: Craig Fugate, Administrator, FEMA

Editor’s Note: This blog was originally posted on the White House Blog.

Today marks the start of the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Under the direction of President Obama, FEMA and DHS stand ready to support our state and local partners as the tropics start to produce their annual cyclones, storms, and hurricanes. On Wednesday, I joined Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano as well as partners from NOAA, DOE, the Army Corps of Engineers, and representatives from states and the private sector to brief the President on steps FEMA and our partners have already taken to meet the challenges of the 2012 hurricanes season. That briefing underscored the importance of the whole community, from the federal government to individual citizens, working together to get prepared before a potential storm threatens a region, state, or community.

Washington, D.C., May 30, 2012 -- President Barack Obama participates in the annual hurricane preparedness briefing in the Situation Room of the White House, May 30, 2012. Seated clockwise from the President are: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Daniel Poneman, Department of Energy Deputy Secretary; Eric Silagy, FP&L President; Bryan Koon, Florida Director of Emergency Management; Major General Emmett Titshaw, Florida Adjutant General; Chief of Staff Jack Lew; and Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Washington, D.C., May 30, 2012 — President Barack Obama participates in the annual hurricane preparedness briefing in the Situation Room of the White House, May 30, 2012. Seated clockwise from the President are: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; Daniel Poneman, Department of Energy Deputy Secretary; Eric Silagy, FP&L President; Bryan Koon, Florida Director of Emergency Management; Major General Emmett Titshaw, Florida Adjutant General; Chief of Staff Jack Lew; and Craig Fugate, Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Long before the start of this year’s hurricane season, FEMA has worked closely with our partners at the state, local and tribal levels. This includes openly sharing information and expertise that will improve resiliency across our nation, cities, towns, neighborhoods, and families. For FEMA, building relationships before a disaster strikes is vital to working closely together during and after an emergency situation.

But government doesn’t prepare for and respond to disasters alone. Right alongside are the hundreds of businesses, voluntary agencies, and faith- and community-based organizations who provide vital services to both communities and individuals affected by disasters. Some of these organizations provide for basic needs like food, water, and shelter – while others respond to needs such as financial consulting, animal sheltering, or help processing your insurance claim.

While all the players I mentioned play a part in keeping our nation and neighborhoods safer in case disaster strikes – these efforts will fall flat unless individuals take part in their own preparedness. Fortunately, the short amount of time and effort it takes to make our families and homes safer is well worth the payoff if an emergency should happen. For example, here are three simple steps you can take today:

  • Familiarize yourself with the disasters or emergencies that could happen where you live, work or frequently visit, 
  • Decide and practice how your family would communicate after an emergency, and 
  • Build an emergency supply kit to sustain your family for at least 72 hours.

So as we move into the traditional start of the Atlantic hurricane season, I encourage you to respond to the important role you play as part of the emergency management team. You can start with one of the three steps I listed out above, or by pledging to prepare at Ready.gov/hurricanes.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

DHS Commemorates LGBT Pride Month

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Posted by Secretary Janet Napolitano

Every day, DHS employees around the world work to ensure the security of our country.  They work along our borders, in our airports, in federal buildings and throughout the maritime domain.  There are also countless DHS employees that Americans don’t see.  At the DHS Pride Ceremony today, I had the opportunity to speak with and thank some of our LGBT employees for their dedication to our Department and our important mission. 

Secretary Napolitano meets with DHS Pride Board of Directors

Over the last three years, we have worked to build One DHS, helping to unify the youngest, and one of the largest, Cabinet agencies.  DHS has taken a number of key steps to foster an environment where everyone has the opportunity to advance and thrive. At the Pride Ceremony, I spoke about our commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for all employees and the important role groups like DHS Pride have in building that common culture.

We are ever mindful of the significance of our work and the events that gave rise to our department as we continue to strengthen the safety, security, and resilience of our nation.  As we look forward, we will continue to work together to address new and emerging challenges while maturing and strengthening the homeland security enterprise.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

Supporting Legislative Efforts to Recognize the Sovereignty of Tribal Governments When Emergencies or Disasters Strike

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Posted by: Craig Fugate, Administrator, FEMA

In my December blog, I expressed the Obama Administration’s support for amending the Stafford Act to allow federally recognized tribal governments to make a request directly to the President for a federal emergency or major disaster declaration. Under current law, only States, through the Governor, can make such requests.

I’ve re-emphasized my support for amending the law by sending letters to Congressional Committee Chairmen to offer FEMA’s support for S. 2283. A change to the Stafford Act would enhance our ability to respond directly to tribal governments’ declaration requests regardless of State or county boundaries or jurisdictions. I’m giving my firm commitment to actively work with Indian Country and Members of Congress to support and facilitate the passage of this legislation.

Specifically, the letters I sent today are recommending that Congress take swift action to pass this legislation. If Congress passes and the President signs such legislation into law, my office will act promptly in the development of appropriate regulations and policies for implementation.

Through the years, I’m proud of the close working relationships we developed at FEMA with recognized tribal governments across the country, especially as it relates to disaster response, recovery and mitigation activities. Based on these experiences, I’ve seen great success and some challenges. I believe that amending the Stafford Act to allow federally recognized tribal governments to make a request directly to the President for a federal emergency or disaster declaration, will only improve our coordination efforts and build stronger more resilient communities.

The U.S. Government has a unique government-to-government relationship with federally recognized tribal governments based on the U.S. Constitution, statutes, regulations, treaties, executive orders, executive memoranda and policies. Amending the law would acknowledge the sovereignty of federally recognized tribes, enhance FEMA’s working relationship with tribal governments, and improve emergency and disaster responsiveness throughout Indian Country.

I’m looking forward to the day when the changes I have communicated here are made law and we are better situated to improve our coordination efforts with tribal governments and Indian Country. Visit fema.gov/government/tribal for additional information.

We will continue to follow the progress of this legislation closely and I’ll keep you posted on developments.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

Establishing Joint Port Operations Committees at Eight Canadian Airports

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-Posted by Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Alan Bersin

This week, the United States and Canada announced the establishment of Binational Port Operations Committees at eight Canadian airports that provide a U.S. preclearance service, as part of their commitment under the Beyond the Border Action Plan for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness released by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama.

These eight bilateral committees will help facilitate legitimate cross-border trade and travel and promote collaboration on overall port management. In addition, each Binational Port Operations Committee has developed an action plan that includes specific initiatives to improve border management and efficiency.

Committees have been created at the following eight Canadian airports:
  • Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Calgary International Airport, Calgary, Alberta
  • Edmonton International Airport, Edmonton, Alberta
  • James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario
  • MacDonald-Cartier International Airport, Ottawa, Ontario
  • Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, Montréal, Quebec
  • Halifax Stanfield International Airport, Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Beyond the Border Action Plan, released in December 2011 by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama, lays out specific steps that both counties will take to facilitate legitimate trade and travel, while simultaneously ensuring security. The action plan focuses on four areas: addressing threats early; facilitating trade, economic growth and jobs; integrating cross border law enforcement; and strengthening critical infrastructure and cyber security.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

DHS Earns Third Consecutive “A” in Annual Little Business Scorecard

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Posted by:  Rafael Borras, Under Secretary for Management

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was recognized today with an “A” rating by the Small Business Scorecard for its success in contracting with small businesses.  This is the third year in a row DHS has received an “A” rating.
Each year, the Small Business Administration (SBA) releases its annual Small Business Procurement Scorecard, which rates federal agencies success in meeting their overall small business contracting goals.  SBA ratings are based on five categories—small businesses, women-owned businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, businesses in HUBZones (historically underutilized business zones) and small disadvantaged businesses. 
DHS’ success is due in no small part to the hard work and dedication of the team in our Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization and the contracting professionals and small business advocates in every Component. 
DHS also is among the top four agencies in terms of total Federal contract dollars awarded to small businesses.  In fact, we exceeded the Federal government goals in four out of the five small business categories for both prime and subcontract procurements and spent more than $ 4 billion with small businesses.   
In virtually every segment of our homeland security community there are small businesses working to support the DHS mission and play a critical role in delivering efficient and innovative solutions to our long- and short-term acquisition needs.  We look forward to continuing our partnership with the small business community and remain committed to their participation in our efforts to secure the nation.
For more information about DHS’s small business programs, please visit:  http://www.dhs.gov/xopnbiz/smallbusiness/. 
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

The Truth About BioWatch: The Importance of Early Detection of a Possible Biological Attack

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-Posted by Dr. Alexander Garza,
Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for DHS 
We all know the importance of early detection in the treatment of diseases and medical emergencies. Routine screenings and monitoring as well as rapid response save thousands of lives every year.  The same principles apply when mitigating the effects of biological threats, which is why DHS works with state and local officials through the BioWatch program to monitor for traces of dangerous pathogens in public places where large groups of people gather to ensure that we respond quickly when a potential threat is identified.
There has been some confusion reported in the news lately about how the BioWatch program works and what it is intended to do.  First announced in 2003, BioWatch is the nation’s first early detection and warning capability for biological attacks.  DHS partners with public health laboratories, which are members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Laboratory Response Network, to conduct rapid analysis and provide information and expertise to governors and local emergency officials when a pathogen is detected in order to determine whether it indicates a potential biological attack.
Recent media reports have incorrectly claimed that BioWatch is prone to “false positives” or “false alarms” that create confusion among local officials and first responders. These claims are unsubstantiated. To date, more than 7 million tests have been performed by dedicated public health lab officials and there has never been a false positive result.
Out of these more than 7 million tests, BioWatch has reported 37 instances in which naturally-occurring biological pathogens were detected from environmental sources.  Many of the pathogens the BioWatch system is designed to detect occur naturally in the environment, such as the bacteria that causes anthrax, which has been used as a weapon, but is also found in nature.  For example, near the nation’s Southwest border there have been a number of instances where a bacterium that is endemic in the environment has been identified.  Thankfully, none of the instances were actual attacks. The detection of commonly occurring environmental agents is not a “false positive.”
Much like a home smoke detector goes off for both burnt toast and a major fire, the smoke detector is meant to notify you of a potential fire before it’s too late. BioWatch works very much the same way.  If BioWatch detects a potential threat, state and local officials as well as first responders have the ability to investigate the incident to the fullest and determine if there is a credible threat to the public.
These tools alone cannot and do not declare that a biological attack has occurred. Experts must interpret the data and quickly make tough, logical decisions about the reality of the threat. BioWatch is designed to provide the nation with the greatest lead time possible to respond to the potential release of a biological agent. The faster we detect an event, the more lives we can save by responding and delivering medical countermeasures.  Looking forward, the scientists who operate the system will continue their work to improve BioWatch to keep the nation safe from any potential biological threats.
Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security

2012 Summer time Olympics: Go for the Gold in Cybersecurity

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Posted by the Cease.Assume.Connect.™ Campaign

Handful of events attract significantly more on the net clicks, views, and downloads than the Olympics, but athletes are not the only ones getting ready for London.&nbsp With the 2012 Summer season Olympic Games just about the corner, cyber criminals and on the net scammers are certain to be on the prowl, hoping to take advantage of Web customers who let their guard down with offers of discounted tickets, free merchandise, exclusive videos, or breaking news.

Hackers frequently take benefit of huge, highly-publicized events and well-known news stories to get users to click on fraudulent links and unknowingly download malware or other viruses onto their computers, clever phones, tablets, and other wireless devices. Hackers quite often use search engine optimization tricks to ensure that malicious web pages appear on a search outcome web page for specific search phrases, and use clever tricks to convince World-wide-web users to give out their credit card and personal material.&nbsp

To stay away from these web based scams, it is necessary to stick to these cybersecurity practices:
  • Update and run anti-virus and anti-spyware software regularly
  • Use spam filters and firewalls&nbsp
  • Only download apps and software program from reputable sources – if you can’t confirm where it is coming from, do not download it
  • Never click on hyperlinks promising deals that you weren’t expecting, and scrutinize hyperlinks very carefully when browsing for Olympic-associated pages
  • Don’t open emails from unknown people or organizations or that have attachments or links, and in no way click an embedded hyperlink in an unsolicited email
  • Under no circumstances deliver your private facts or credit card numbers unless you can verify a site’s authenticity

Don’t forget, if it sounds also decent to be accurate, it probably is. For significantly more details on safeguarding your computer system and your self, visit the Quit.Consider.Connect.™ campaign.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Weblog @ Homeland Security

Combating Human Trafficking, One Step at a Time

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-Posted by the Blue Campaign

Every year, millions of men, women, and children are enslaved in countries around the world, including the United States. Victims are lured with false promises of well-paying jobs or are manipulated by people they trust, ending up forced or coerced into prostitution, domestic servitude, farm or factory labor, or other types of forced labor.

According to the International Labor Organization, an estimated 20.9 million people are victims of forced labor globally. From law enforcement, to educators, to transportation workers, everyone can play a role in combating human trafficking by taking a few minutes to learn the signs of human trafficking and how to report suspected cases of human trafficking.

Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Blue Campaign hosted its bi-annual stakeholder meeting, bringing together academia, healthcare experts, first responders, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and members of the public and private sectors to discuss ongoing efforts to prevent and combat human trafficking. During the meeting, participants discussed efforts to support victims, raise awareness of human trafficking, and increase collaboration on anti-human trafficking initiatives and resources.

DHS launched the Blue Campaign in 2010 to more effectively combat human trafficking through enhanced public awareness, victim assistance, and law enforcement investigations aimed at increasing prosecution.

Want to learn more? Law enforcement and the general public can educate themselves on the indicators of human trafficking through our website: www.dhs.gov/humantrafficking.

If you suspect that a person may be a victim of human trafficking, please call the ICE Homeland Security Investigations tip line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (1-866-347-2423 or report it online at www.ice.gov/tips.

Published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, D.C.

The Blog @ Homeland Security