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What We’re Watching: three/15/13

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Posted by: Lars Anderson, Director, Public Affairs

At the end of each week, we post a “What We’re Watching” blog as we look ahead to the weekend and recap events from the week. We encourage you to share it with your friends and family, and have a safe weekend.

Flood Safety Awareness Week
Next week, we’re teaming up with NOAA to bring you National Flood Safety Awareness Week. Floods are one of the most common hazards in the U.S., and while spring brings the promise of warm weather and longer days, it also brings a variety of threatening conditions like heavy rain, flash flooding, and rapid snowmelt (for those of us who received any) that can increase your flood risk.

So be sure to follow the blog and our social media channels March 17 -23 for flood safety information and tips along with the steps individuals, families, and businesses can take to protect their families and homes from flooding.  But you don’t need to wait until next week for the info – you can visit Ready.gov/floods today for the rundown on flood safety, as well as FloodSmart.gov for information on the benefits of flood insurance.

Internship Opportunities for NYC Graduate Students
I wanted to highlight an opportunity for graduate students seeking internship opportunities in the New York City area.

The John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service is the first student fellowship in New York City government devoted specifically to emergency management. The program provides graduate students in New York City-area universities a nine-month paid fellowship (approximately 20 hours per week) in an agency of New York City government, including NYC Office of Emergency Management. If you or someone you know are interested, be sure to apply online.

The application period closes on April 1, so be sure to apply today. For more information, visit the NYC Office of Emergency Management website.

Share your thoughts on these topics
In case you missed it, there’s still time to share your thoughts and ideas on our new topics on our collaboration site:

  • Creating Model Emergency Management Plans – We’re looking for your input on what schools, institutions of higher education, and houses of worship should consider when developing and implementing a comprehensive emergency management plan and how students and staff can best be trained to follow them. Whether you’ve played an active role in developing your community’s local emergency management plans or simply have ideas on how best to do this, your ideas will help others learn from your success.
  • Seeking input from Indian tribal governments – We’re seeking your thoughts on the procedures for Indian tribal governments to request emergency and major disaster declarations. As part of an amendment to the Stafford Act, federally recognized Indian tribal governments now have the option to make a request directly to the President for a Federal emergency or major disaster declaration, or to seek assistance, as they do presently, under a declaration for a State.  We’re looking for your feedback on how these requirements and factors may or may not be appropriate as applied to requests from Indian tribal governments during the pilot program.  Your thoughts will be influential in the development of the pilot program to process declaration requests from Indian tribal governments.

Visit our online collaboration site to share your thoughts and comments on these two topics or any of our other open topics.

Photo & Video of the week
Belmar and Lake Como St. Patrick’s Day Parade


Despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, the New Jersey Towns of Belmar and Lake Como got together to hold their 40th St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Far Rockaway, N.Y., March 11, 2013 -- The FEMA for Seniors program visited the Young Israel Wavecrest & Bayswater Senior Center. Community Relations Specialist Lloyd Weston gave a presentation on disaster preparedness and discussed the importance of preparing a document folder and disaster supply kit.
CAPTION: Far Rockaway, N.Y., March 11, 2013 — The FEMA for Seniors program visited the Young Israel Wavecrest & Bayswater Senior Center. Community Relations Specialist Lloyd Weston gave a presentation on disaster preparedness and discussed the importance of preparing a document folder and disaster supply kit. K.C.Wilsey/FEMA

Happy St. Patrick’s Day… And may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Have a safe weekend!
FEMA Blog

CBP and EPA Seize Shipment of Counterfeit Headphones and Unsafe ATVs in Los Angeles

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Washington – U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the LosAngeles/Extended Beach seaport seized a shipment containing 445 counterfeit “Beats by Dr. Dre” headphones and 28 all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that violated U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations on February 5. (far more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases

Building a Planet-Class Cybersecurity Team

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By Mark Weatherford, Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity

Today, we are more connected to the Internet than ever before.  We depend on a vast array of interdependent networks for communication, travel, powering our homes, running our economy, and obtaining government services.  With so much of our daily lives dependent on cyberspace, cybersecurity has become an increasingly important part of DHS’ mission, just as it has become a larger priority for state and local governments, businesses, and individuals.

DHS continues to demonstrate our commitment to building the best cybersecurity team in the world by recruiting some of the most talented and experienced professionals available.  Since its creation, the Department has increased its cybersecurity workforce by more than 600 percent while working with universities to develop and attract talent through competitive scholarships, fellowships, and internship programs.

When I joined DHS about six months ago, I quickly realized that we could build on the strong foundation of the Department’s cyber workforce with new skills and leadership to grow and adapt in the face of an evolving cybersecurity environment.

It’s impossible to mention all of the dedicated cybersecurity professionals at DHS, but I’d like to highlight a few recent additions that have propelled us to higher standards and increased our capability as a department:

  • Mike Locatis is the new Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications and comes to DHS from the Department of Energy where he was the Chief Information Officer.  He has a breadth of cybersecurity and communications experience across nearly every level of government and the private sector and has a history of charting organization transformations in the federal government.
  • Rosemary Wenchel has joined us as the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity Coordination.  She will coordinate joint cybersecurity efforts between DHS and the Department of Defense.  Rosemary will also work with the Science and Technology Directorate to ensure the Department’s cybersecurity research and development efforts are fully coordinated with policy and operations. She served previously in DOD where she was responsible for Departmental activities pertaining to policy development, guidance, and oversight of Information Operations.
  • John Streufert joined DHS in January as the Director of our National Cybersecurity Division (NCSD).  John came to DHS from the Department of State (DOS), where he earned national accolades for the successful implementation of state of the art security solutions in federal departments, and transformed DOS’ security posture while enabling it to execute a world-wide mission.
  • Larry Zelvin just joined us as Director of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, DHS’ 24×7 center to coordinate cyber awareness across government and the private sector.  Larry has experience at the National Security Staff and the DOD, where he has led interagency and stakeholder outreach related to operations. 
  • Dr. George Moore is the new Technical Director for NCSD and also comes to us from the Department of State.  Dr. Moore is a renowned expert in areas of standards and security controls and will be helping develop programs to bring new levels of security to the Federal Government
  • Danny Toler is our Director of Network Resilience and a recognized expert in transitioning IT delivery toward solutions that are more holistic and integrated.  Danny came from the Department of State, and his leadership will be crucial in helping us develop cloud and managed security service solutions that result in new levels of efficiency across the government.
  • Ron Hewitt is the new Director of the National Communications System.  A recently retired Rear Admiral from the U.S. Coast Guard, Ron has an incredible track record of bringing together diverse communities to work together toward a common goal, particularly in the areas of information technology, communications, and first responders.
  • Tom Baer has come aboard as the Deputy Director of US-CERT.  Hailing from the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he was their Chief Information Security Officer, Tom is an expert in the areas of forensics and analysis and, with impressive leadership credentials, he is charged with broadening outreach efforts and intergovernmental coordination for US-CERT.

These new members of our vast cybersecurity team bring a wide array of experience and skills.  Building on the successes of our strong and robust team, we are taking the DHS cybersecurity program to new levels that will ultimately enhance the security and safety of our nation.

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

Supporting our partners for 2013 Inauguration

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Posted by: John McGowan, Response Division Director, FEMA Region 3

As you might guess, it takes a high level of coordination and skill to pull off an event where hundreds of thousands of people converge on a small area to watch many of the nation’s political leaders.  Yesterday during President Obama’s public Inauguration ceremony, I jotted down some thoughts about FEMA’s role supporting our emergency management partners:

The President’s Inauguration is on the televisions at the front and along the sides of the room as 25 government employees watch attentively and monitor the situation. We’re here in the FEMA Region III Regional Response Coordination Center (RRCC) in Philadelphia, PA supporting the Inauguration and the surrounding events. The RRCC is where we monitor situations, work with our partners, and coordinate our response efforts.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 21, 2013 -- FEMA staff monitor the Presidential Inauguration in the Regional Response Coordination Center.
There were employees here from several government agencies to support the Inauguration.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 21, 2013 -- FEMA staff monitor the Presidential Inauguration in the Regional Response Coordination Center.
Staff members have been communicating with their federal and state partners and other FEMA employees throughout the day so they know what’s happening in DC and if there are any unmet needs.  They’re talking to coworkers who are in the Washington, DC Emergency Operations Center, with the Secret Service, and with the FBI.  They’ve spent months planning for this, for any scenario that could pop up, whether it includes consequence management, food, water, transportation, security or a myriad of other factors and scenarios. Team members include logisticians, planners, response, finance, media monitors and more. Because we train and plan together, serving together is easier.
Now that the preparations have all been made, everyone is able to pay attention to the televisions and listen in as the President is inaugurated and begins his address.  One thing that seems to really hit home for everyone here is the President’s quote, “Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life’s worst hazards and misfortune.”
It’s a statement that resonates throughout this room because that, too, is why we’re all here; to care for the vulnerable and protect the population from life’s worst hazards. A lot of people here have only recently returned home, many were deployed to help respond to Hurricane Sandy. These are staff members that have just returned from assisting the people of the affected states.
Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 21, 2013 -- FEMA staff monitor the Presidential Inauguration in the Regional Response Coordination Center.
Upon hearing the President’s statement, we’re reminded that the sacrifices we make, the long hours we work, and the time away from home is worth it; we are here for the disaster survivors, not for ourselves, and we do it together. We have so many of our partners working with us today:  federal agencies, state and local emergency management agencies, and all of our citizens.  We truly are working to protect our citizens together.

FEMA Blog

United States Harmonizes its Threshold Value for Low Value Commercial Shipments with Canada

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Washington- The United States Government announced that it is delivering on a important commitment beneath the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border Action Program by means of the publication of a final rule in the Federal Register titled “Informal Entry Limit and Removal of a Formal Entry Requirement. (far more)
CBP.gov: National News Releases