Critical Releases in Homeland Security: August 26, 2009

This document is the 2008 version of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics' annual yearbook of immigration statistics. "Statistical data on immigration have been published annually by the U.S. government since the 1890s. Over the years, the federal agencies responsible for reporting on immigration have changed, as have the content, format, and title of the annual publication. Currently, immigration data are published in the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics by the Office of Immigration Statistics in the Policy Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. The 2008 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics consists of a compendium of tables organized by subject matter, including Legal Permanent Residents, Refugees and Asylees, Naturalizations, Nonimmigrant Admissions, and Enforcement Actions. The data presented in the 2008 Yearbook were obtained primarily from workload and case tracking systems of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security."

"The challenges faced by people with disabilities in disaster-threat situations have been made clear through events such as September 11, Hurricane Katrina, and the wildfires in Southern California. Specific problems with warning transmission and receipt, transportation, evacuation, shelter, and long-term recovery have been documented through research studies, and noted in Government Accountability Office reports, by the U.S. Congress and the White House, and by the National Council on Disability. Fortunately, the nation seems poised at a critical turning point, with greater determination than ever to move forward in reducing disasters and building capacities of those at risk. To support this trend, this report assesses scientific studies of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts, and recommends practical, policy, and research initiatives that would maintain and expand this promising momentum."

"This report, produced in partnership between the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), with support from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), analyzes emergency vehicle visibility and conspicuity with an eye toward expanding efforts in these areas to improve vehicle and roadway operations safety for all emergency responders. Emphasis in this report is placed on passive visibility/conspicuity treatments; additional studies are underway on active technologies such as emergency vehicle warning lighting systems. […] Over the past decade, numerous law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) workers were injured or killed along roadways throughout the United States. In 2008, as with the prior 10 years, more law enforcement officers died in traffic-related incidents than from any other cause; National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial over the past 12 years, an average of one officer per month was struck and killed by a vehicle in the United States. Preliminary firefighter fatality statistics for 2008 reflect 29 of 114 firefighters killed on duty perished in motor vehicle crashes, similar to figures posted in previous years. According to a 2002 study that aggregated data from several independent sources, at least 67 EMS providers were killed in ground transportation-related events over the 6 years from 1992 to 1997. These sobering facts clearly demonstrate the importance of addressing vehicle characteristics and human factors for reducing the morbidity and mortality of public safety personnel operating along the Nation's highways and byways."

"This second edition of Law Enforcement Intelligence: A Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement captures the vast changes that have occurred in the 4 years since the first edition of the guide was published in 2004 after the watershed events of September 11, 2001. At that time, there was no Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Information-Sharing Environment, or Fusion Centers. Since the advent of these new agencies to help fight the war on terror, emphasis has been placed on cooperation and on sharing information among local, state, tribal, and federal agencies. The successes of community policing are evident, not just within law enforcement, but also through agencies' work with the community to protect civil liberties and civil rights. A strong foundation between the police and the community also yields valuable information for fighting crime and terrorist threats. Through community policing and the wide array of approaches that fall under its umbrella-hot spots, CompStat, problem-oriented policing, and Intelligence-Led Policing-law enforcement can gather and share information that will enhance public safety. Years of partnership building and problem solving with the community, the private sector, nonprofit organizations, elected officials, social service providers, and other key stakeholders have created an environment in which Intelligence-Led Policing and information sharing is more viable because of the strong relationships established through community policing. This Guide serves as a road map to understanding criminal intelligence and its related methodology, standards, processes, management, and resources. In fact, nearly 85 percent of the material in this second edition is new."

"The purpose of 'Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers' is to provide information and communication resources to help businesses and employers implement recommendations from CDC's Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009-2010 Influenza Season. […] The new guidance applies to any flu virus circulating during the 2009- 2010 flu season, not only 2009 H1N1 flu. It will be very hard to tell if someone who is sick has 2009 H1N1 flu or seasonal flu. It offers specific steps for business owners and managers to take to protect workers and to maintain continuity of operations. It provides guidance for the current flu conditions as well as for more severe flu conditions. This guidance also recommends that, based on current flu conditions, employees with flu-like illness stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). This is a shorter time period than the previous guidance, which recommended that sick people stay home for 7 days after symptoms began. The 7-day period would still be recommended in business settings under more severe flu conditions."

"This monograph offers key considerations for DoD as it works through the on-going defense review. The author outlines eight principles for a risk management defense strategy. He argues that these principles provide 'measures of merit' for evaluating the new administration's defense choices. This monograph builds on two previous works-'Known Unknowns: Unconventional Strategic Shocks in Defense Strategy Development' and 'The New Balance: Limited Armed Stabilization and the Future of U.S. Landpower'. Combined, these three works offer key insights on the most appropriate DoD responses to increasingly 'unconventional' defense and national security conditions. This work in particular provides DoD leaders food for thought, as they balance mounting defense demands and declining defense resources."