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• Department of Homeland Security 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection' Budget Overview (Fiscal Year 2018 Congressional Justification)

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  From the Component Overview: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is comprised of [various] mission-oriented programs that support achievement of the DHS strategic missions, goals, and objectives. Some programs are indented to show that this is the Procurement, Construction, and Improvements program that supports the related programs. In addition, some fees and funds are indented below the program it most closely aligns to as a funding source."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security
• Multi-hazard Loss Estimation Methodology: Earthquake Model, Hazus-MH 2.1: User Manual

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  "This brief overview of the earthquake loss estimation methodology is intended for local, regional, or state officials contemplating an earthquake loss study. The methodology has been developed for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) to provide a tool for developing earthquake loss estimates for use in: 1) Anticipating the possible nature and scope of the emergency response needed to cope with an earthquake-related disaster, 2) Developing plans for recovery and reconstruction following a disaster, and 3) Mitigating the possible consequences of earthquakes. If developed for areas of seismic risk across the nation, estimates also will help guide the allocation of federal resources to stimulate risk mitigation efforts and to plan for federal earthquake response. Use of the methodology will generate an estimate of the consequences to a city or region of a 'scenario earthquake', i.e., an earthquake with a specified magnitude and location. The resulting 'loss estimate' generally will describe the scale and extent of damage and disruption that may result from a potential earthquake."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Implementing the 9/11 Act Mandates for Enhancing the Visa Waiver Program, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Second Session, July 16, 2008

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  From the opening statement of Loretta Sanchez: "The subcommittee is meeting today to receive testimony on implementing the 9/11 Act mandates for enhancing the Visa Waiver Program. Welcome to today's hearing. Our first panel today consists of State and Homeland Security officials familiar with the US-VISIT and Visa Waiver Program. I am anxious to hear their testimony in regards to the implementation of the 9/11 Commission Act with regards to the Visa Waiver Program. Our second panel includes members of airport and air transport associations that are affected by the implementation of the Visa Waiver Program. I am equally anxious to hear their testimony in regards to the changes to the Visa Waiver Program, and particularly the implementation of the US-VISIT Exit piece. The goal of this hearing will be to examine the US-VISIT Exit proposal and the Electronic System for Travel Authorization implementation. We will also look at the demands both of these programs will place on the two Departments implementing them and the effects on the airlines and the ports of entry that will need to adhere to them. Because of the possibility of potential terrorists entering the United States through a visa waiver country, this committee has required several new security measures through the 9/11 Commission Act. US-VISIT Exit is also an essential tool to identify visa overstays and to ensure that visitors who enter the country actually leave, by obtaining their biographic and biometric data upon departure." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Loretta Sanchez, Mark E. Souder, Richard C. Barth, Robert A. Mocny, Stephen A. Edson, Douglas E. Lavin, Greg Principato, and Nathan A. Sales.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2008
• Solutions to Strengthen U.S. Public Safety Communications, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, September 26, 2018

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  This is the September 26, 2018 hearing on "Solutions to Strengthen U.S. Public Safety Communications" held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. From the opening statement of Leonard Lance: "Since the inception of 9-1-1 as the nationwide emergency telephone number in 1968, 9-1-1 call centers around the country have saved countless lives by giving the public a quick and easy way to request assistance in times of emergency. Technological advances over the years such as geolocation have opened up opportunities to improve upon the system, allowing law enforcement officers to receive the approximate location of where a call has originated." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Eddie Reyes, James Curry, and Paul Starks.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2019
• Serial No. 64; Serial No. 108-19: Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) and its Relationship with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security: Joint Hearing before the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Select Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session, July 22, 2003

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  "One new creation that evolved from the 9/11 attacks was the need to coordinate intelligence Information. The Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC) does just that. TTIC was announced by President Bush during his State of the Union address on January 28, 2003, with instructions to the FBI, CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense to merge and analyze all threat information in a single location. During this hearing, the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Homeland Security examine how the center is working, the impediments that may prevent successful implementation, and its relationship with law enforcement and information collection. Witnesses in this hearing address concerns some have raised about the future evolution that TTIC might yield. "With so many changes, we must occasionally pause and conduct a pulse check and evaluate how our new organizational creations, technologies, and procedures are performing. We must ensure that these structural changes are real and produce positive results that allow our intelligence and law enforcement communities to effectively connect the dots." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Coble, Howard, F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., Christopher Cox, Jim Turner, Robert C. Scott, John O. Brennan, Larry Mefford, Bill Parrish, Jerry Berman, James R. Langevin, and Eleni P. Kalisch.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2004
• H. Rept. 109-680, Part 2: Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, Report together with Dissenting and Additional Views to Accompany H.R. 5825, September 25, 2006

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  "The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 5825) to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass. […] Representative Heather Wilson, Judiciary Committee Chairman Sensenbrenner, and Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Hoekstra introduced H.R. 5825, the 'Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act,' on July 18, 2006. This bill would strengthen oversight of the executive branch and enhance accountability, clarify the scope and applicability of FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) warrants; and update the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to reflect modern changes in technology and communication. H.R. 5825 pertains to the manner in which the Federal government collects oral, wire and electronic communications for foreign intelligence purposes. Congress enacted the first Federal wiretap statute during World War I. The authority and limits of government surveillance have been the focus of extensive judicial consideration. By the time the United States Supreme Court ruled on the issue in Olmstead v. United States, over 40 States had banned wiretapping. In the Olmstead case, the Court found that a wiretap of a Seattle bootlegger did not violate the Fourth Amendment because there was not 'an official search and seizure of his person, or such a seizure of his papers or his tangible material effects, or an actual physical invasion of his house or curtilage for the purposes of making a seizure.' Subsequent decisions eroded the Olmstead holding, however."

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2006-09-25
• Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014: Department of the Army: Voluntary Military Education Programs, Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, June 12, 2013

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  This is the June 12, 2013 hearing on "Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014: Voluntary Military Education Programs" held before the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Frederick Vollrath, Terry W. Hartle, Steve Gunderson, James Selbe, and Christopher Neiweem.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2013-06-12
• Pakistan: Key Current Issues and Developments [June 1, 2010]

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  "A stable, democratic, prosperous Pakistan actively combating religious militancy is considered vital to U.S. interests. U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional and global terrorism; efforts to stabilize neighboring Afghanistan; nuclear weapons proliferation; the Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions; democratization and human rights protection; and economic development. Pakistan is praised by U.S. leaders for its ongoing cooperation with U.S.-led counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts, although long-held doubts exist about Islamabad's commitment to some core U.S. interests. A mixed record on battling Islamist extremism includes ongoing apparent tolerance of Taliban elements operating from its territory, although some evidence from early 2010 suggests a possible shift here. The increase in Islamist extremism and militancy in Pakistan is a central U.S. foreign policy concern. The development hinders progress toward key U.S. goals, including the defeat of Al Qaeda and other anti-U.S. terrorist groups, Afghan stabilization, and resolution of the historic Pakistan-India rivalry that threatens the entire region's stability and that has a nuclear dimension. Long-standing worries that American citizens have been recruited and employed in Islamist terrorism by Pakistan-based elements have become more concrete in recent months, especially following a failed May 2010 bombing attempt in New York City. […] This report reviews key current issues and developments in Pakistan and in U.S.-Pakistan relations. It will be updated periodically."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Kronstadt, K. Alan

  2010-06-01
• School Violence: What is Being Done to Combat School Violence? What Should Be Done? Hearing Before the Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixth Congress, First Session, May 20, 1999

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  From the opening statement of John L. Mica: "While student deaths receive the most media attention, the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice statistics tells us that thousands of violent crimes occur everyday in, and near our schools. In 1996, approximately 225,000 non-fatal, serious crimes occurred at schools, and about 671,000 away from schools. The tragic events at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO and its aftermath have riveted our national attention on this pressing and perplexing issue. Needless acts of violence are always reprehensible, but vicious and multiple killings in our schools that take the lives of our innocent children are among the most tragic and heartwrenching events imaginable…. School violence at all levels is an issue that Congress has a responsibility to address. We are obligated to determine what more can be done to protect children of all ages, particularly from acts of violence associated with our schools. […] Today, our Federal Government has a number of Federal programs and agencies that spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to address the problem of school violence. It is an especially important matter for this subcommittee that our Federal programs provide the targeted and effective assistance that is needed by our States, our cities, and our local communities and schools." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Nelba Chavez, William Modzeleski, Charlie Condon, Gary L. Walker, Reuben Greenberg, Kevin Dwyer, James Baker, Jan Gallagher, Bill Hall, Gary M. Fields, Clarence Cain, Anthony Snead, Jeffrey Schurott, Lawrence Sherman, and Dennis J. Kucinich.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2000
• Paycheck Protection Program: An Examination of Loan Forgiveness, SBA Legacy Systems, and Inaccurate Data, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development of the Committee on Small Business, United States, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, September 24, 2020

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  This is the September 24, 2020 hearing on "Paycheck Protection Program: An Examination of Loan Forgiveness, SBA [Small Business Administration] Legacy Systems, and Inaccurate Data," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development of the Committee on Small Business. From the Opening Statement of Jason Crow: "Today I would like to learn more about what Congress can do to support SBA's modernization efforts of the loan processing systems. I am also concerned that the SBA system lacks critical internal controls to ensure data accuracy." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: William Manger.

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2021
• U.S. Household Savings for Retirement in 2010 [July 23, 2013]

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  "Whether households have sufficient savings from which to ensure adequate income throughout retirement is a concern of households and, therefore, policymakers. The retirement income landscape has been changing over the past few decades. Although most households are eligible to receive Social Security benefits in retirement, over the past 30 years, the types of non-Social Security sources of retirement income have been changing. About half of the U.S. workforce is covered by an employer-sponsored pension plan. An increasing number of employers offer defined contributions (DC) pension plans (i.e., tax-advantaged accounts in which employee, and sometimes employer, contributions accrue investment returns) in lieu of traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans (i.e., monthly payments to a retiree by a former employer). This shift in the nature of employer-sponsored pensions places more responsibility on workers to financially prepare for their own retirement. Households also save for retirement using Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), into which contributions, up to a specified limit, are tax-deductible for some individuals. Congress has several reasons for its interest in the retirement preparedness of American households: income from Social Security may be insufficient to provide for an adequate standard of living in retirement for U.S. households; congressional actions may encourage or discourage employer and household efforts to provide for their own well-being in retirement; and the U.S. Treasury will forego $117 billion in FY2013 as a result of tax policies that are designed to encourage employer and worker retirement savings. President Obama's FY2014 budget would prohibit contributions to DC pension plans and IRAs that have a value over $3.4 million. This threshold is specified to be equivalent to the maximum annual payment allowed from a DB pension plan, which is $205,000 in 2013."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Topoleski, John J.

  2013-07-23
• State CO2 Emission Rate Goals in EPA's Proposed Rule for Existing Power Plants [July 21, 2014]

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  "On June 18, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rulemaking that would establish guidelines for states to use when developing plans that address carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units. The proposal creates CO2 emission rate goals--measured in pounds of CO2 emissions per megawatts-hours (MWh) of electricity generation--for each state to achieve by 2030 and an interim goal to be achieved 'on average' between 2020 and 2029. EPA estimates that if the states achieve their individual emission rate goals in 2030, the CO2 emissions from the electric power sector in the United States would be reduced by 30% compared to 2005 levels. This report discusses the methodology EPA used to establish state-specific CO2 emission rate goals that apply to states' overall electricity generation portfolio. The emission rate goals do not apply directly to individual emission sources. EPA established the emission rate goals by first determining each state's 2012 emission rate baseline, which is generally a function of each state's portfolio of electricity generation in 2012. The resulting baselines in each state vary considerably, reflecting, among other things, the different energy sources used to generate electricity in each state."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Ramseur, Jonathan L.

  2014-07-21
• State CO2 Emission Rate Goals in EPA's Proposed Rule for Existing Power Plants [October 22, 2014]

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  "On June 18, 2014, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a proposed rulemaking that would establish guidelines for states to use when developing plans that address carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units. The proposal creates CO2 emission rate goals--measured in pounds of CO2 emissions per megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generation--for each state to achieve by 2030 and an interim goal to be achieved 'on average' between 2020 and 2029. EPA estimates that if the states achieve their individual emission rate goals in 2030, the CO2 emissions from the electric power sector in the United States would be reduced by 30% compared to 2005 levels. This report discusses the methodology EPA used to establish state-specific CO2 emission rate goals that apply to states' overall electricity generation portfolio."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Ramseur, Jonathan L.

  2014-10-22
• CBP Could Improve Its Estimation of Funding Needed for New Border Patrol Agents

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  "The U.S. Border Patrol, a component within the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), is responsible for patrolling 8,000 miles of the land and coastal borders of the United States to detect and prevent the illegal entry of aliens and contraband, including terrorists and weapons of mass destruction. To strengthen control of the U.S. borders, CBP increased the number of Border Patrol agents from about 12,300 in September 2006 to 18,875 in April 2009, an unprecedented 53 percent increase in about 2.5 years. The Border Patrol plans to add additional agents during the remaining months of fiscal year 2009, increasing its onboard strength to about 19,700 agents by the end of September 2009. […]. We are recommending that the CBP Commissioner develop written directives or guidelines describing, among other things, the roles and responsibilities of each CBP office with respect to the PCM, how PCM cost items are to be calculated, and how such documentation is to be maintained for audit purposes. In commenting on a draft of this report, DHS agreed with our recommendation and outlined actions it planned to address it. DHS also raised two issues related to our evaluation criteria and our use of the terms 'accuracy', 'reliability', and 'validity' in discussing the fiscal year 2009 PCM. We continue to believe that our evaluation criteria were appropriate and that the use of the terms was appropriate in evaluating how DHS's PCM cost estimates were derived. DHS comments are included in Enclosure III."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2009-06-15
• EPA Chemical Accident Investigation Report, Pennzoil Product Company Refinery, Rouseville, Pennsylvania

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  This document is a report from the Environmental Protection Agency on the investigation of a refinery accident. "An explosion and fire occurred at the Pennzoil refinery in Rouseville, Pennsylvania, on October 16, 1995, resulting in deaths, injuries, public evacuation, and significant plant damage. EPA and OSHA undertook an investigation of this incident because of the seriousness of the consequences and the opportunity for lessons learned to prevent a similar accident from occurring in the chemical and petrochemical industry. The scope of the investigation and this report are solely focused on the conditions and circumstances related to the storage tanks where the explosion and fire occurred." The report identifies the causes and contributing factors of the accident and provides recommendations.

  United States. Environmental Protection Agency

  1998-03
• Highway Emergency Relief: Federal Highway Administration Should Enhance Accountability Over Project Decisions, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  From the Highlights: "In 2017, hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico caused $1 billion in estimated damage. FHWA's [Federal Highway Administration] Emergency Relief Program provides funding for states to repair or reconstruct federal-aid highways damaged or destroyed by natural disasters, including funding for emergency and permanent repairs. As of September 2019, FHWA has allocated $634 million in federal funds to the two states and Puerto Rico. By statute, emergency repairs are undertaken during or immediately following a disaster to quickly restore essential traffic and minimize further damage. These repairs receive 100 percent federal reimbursement if accomplished within 180 days and may proceed under expedited contracting and environmental procedures. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to evaluate the federal response to the 2017 disasters. This report assesses how FHWA applied program guidance to classify selected emergency relief projects, among other objectives."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2019-10
• Optimized Positioning of Pre-Disaster Relief Force and Assets

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  "Recent events in the United States of America and Pakistan have exposed the shortcomings of existing planning in relief and humanitarian assistance in the face of large-scale natural disasters. This thesis develops a two-stage stochastic optimization model to provide guidance in the pre-positioning of relief units and assets, where budget, physical limitations and logistics are taken into account. Stochastic data include the number of survivors in each potential affected area (AA), the amount of commodities that needs to be delivered to each AA and the transportation time from each relief location (which reflects scenarios where, for example, roads are blocked). As first-stage decisions, we consider the expansion of warehouses, medical facilities and their health care personnel, as well as ramp space to facilitate aircraft supply of commodities to the AAs. The second-stage is a logistic problem represented as a network, where maximizing expected rescued survivors and delivery of required commodities are the driving goals. This is accomplished through land, air and sea transportation means (e.g., CH-53 helicopters configured for rescue missions), as well as relief workers. The model has been successfully assessed on notional scenarios and is expected to be tested on realistic cases by personnel who are involved in relief planning."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Tean, Ee Shen

  2006-12
• Bureau of Justice Statistics: State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2002

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  "Until this COPS-funded and supported Bureau of Justice Statistics survey report of law enforcement training academies in the United States was conducted, certain information did not exist, such as: How many recruits graduated from law enforcement academies in the United States? What are they learning? Where are the learning gaps? What should they be learning? The survey contains information from 626 law enforcement training academies and includes a section on community policing. Various community policing questions are interspersed throughout the survey."

  United States. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

  Hickman, Matthew J.

  2005-01
• Serial No. 114-174: FY 2017 Budget Priorities for South Asia: Recovery, Development, and Engagement, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, May 11, 2016

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  This is the May 11, 2015 hearing on "FY 2017 Budget Priorities for South Asia: Recovery, Development, and Engagement" held before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. The purpose of this hearing was to establish a unified understanding of U.S. fiscal strategy and planning for the South Asian region of the world. Part of this strategy is in response to China's growing influence in the region and the U.S.'s desire to stay a relevant and large actor in the region. Also cited within the hearing is U.S. interest in maintaining mutually beneficial ties with India, a country that is growing rapidly and profoundly. Additionally, the continuing struggle with terrorism and extremism in Bangladesh is brought forth to exemplify the ongoing assistance the U.S. government is providing the country. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Nisha Desai Biswal and Hon. Jonathan Stivers

  United States. Government Publishing Office

  2016
• U.S. Fire Administration/Technical Report Series: Sprinklered Records Storage Facility - Chicago, Illinois

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  "On Tuesday October 29, 1996, a still alarm was sounded for a fire in an automatic sprinkler protected records archive building shortly before 2 p.m. Before the fire was declared under control nearly ten hours later, it had reached the fourth alarm level with a commitment of 17 engines, 9 trucks and tower ladders, a squad and several additional special pieces of equipment. The last fire company left the scene about 5 p.m. on November 7, 1996 and a full box alarm assignment was involved in overhaul operations for over 24 hours after the fire."

  United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency; United States Fire Administration

  Miller, Thomas H. (Professional safety engineer)

  1996-10
• IMA Reservists: Mission Enhancements or Administrative Burdens

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  From the thesis abstract: "The Air Force Individual Mobilization Augmentee (IMA) Program is one of four categories of Reservists who individually are assigned to and augment Active Duty units. This manpower capability provides the surge capacity and technical expertise necessary to maintain a ready reserve force to respond to Combatant Commanders' requirements in peacetime and in war. However, as with many long-standing programs, there are inefficiencies that detract from its effectiveness. Dated information systems, cumbersome processes, and a very limited requirement for augmentation inhibit the IMA Program from being a model program held in high regard by the Active Component. This research analyzed three of the information systems used to schedule IMA duty, the annual evaluation process, and the minimum length of IMA augmentation required each year. By using a Problem/Solution methodology it was determined that: 1) it is critical that the Air Force Reserve modernize the information systems used to schedule duty; 2) a streamlined annual evaluation process should be implemented to reduce administrative work on IMAs who serve the minimum requirements; and 3) converting Inactive Duty Training (IDT) days to Active Duty days allows the IMA to perform a one-month Annual Tour at the same cost as the current program."

  Air University (U.S.). Air Command and Staff College

  Mihalko, Brian J.

  2015-11
• Mail Center Security Guidelines

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  "This Mail Center Security Guide was prepared by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to help you, as a mail center supervisor, and your coworkers keep your mail center safe and secure. The guide provides general advice and recommends protective measures to help you assess, prevent, and respond to three types of threats: 1) Weapons of mass destruction; 2) Mail bombs and bomb threats; and, Mail center theft. Each of the three sections briefly states the definition of and the assessment, prevention, and response for a specific type of threat. Checklists and a resource list for additional information are also provided. Although the suggestions provided in this guide are applicable for many situations involving security threats, the suggestions are intended only as guidance."

  United States. Postal Inspection Service

  2002-09
• Secure Border Initiative: DHS Needs to Address Testing and Performance Limitations That Place Key Technology Program at Risk, Report to Congressional Requesters

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  "The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Secure Border Initiative Network (SBInet) is a multiyear, multibillion dollar program to deliver surveillance and decision-support technologies that create a virtual fence and situational awareness along the nation's borders with Mexico and Canada. Managed by DHS's Customs and Border Protection (CBP), SBInet is to strengthen CBP's ability to identify, deter, and respond to illegal breaches at and between border points of entry. Because of the program's importance, cost, and risks, GAO was asked to, among other things, determine (1) whether SBInet testing has been effectively managed, including the types of tests performed and whether they were well planned and executed, and (2) what the results of testing show. To do this, GAO reviewed test management documentation, including test plans, test cases, test procedures, and results relative to federal and related guidance, and interviewed program and contractor officials. GAO is making four recommendations to DHS related to the content, review, and approval of test planning documentation and the analysis, disclosure, and resolution of system problems. DHS agreed with three and partially agreed with one of the recommendations, and it described actions under way and planned to address them."

  United States. Government Accountability Office

  2010-01-29
• Developing a Defendable Hazardous Materials Fee Schedule: A Recommendation Report for the Durango Fire and Rescue Authority

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  "The Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) has rule-making authority to create regulations and the ability to create a process by which a public entity, political subdivision of the state, or unit of local government claiming reimbursement shall establish that the costs attributed to a hazardous substance incident are reasonable, necessary and documented. The problem is that the Durango Fire and Rescue Authority (DFRA) has not developed and adopted a fee schedule associated with the deployment of hazardous materials rolling stock. The purpose of the research is to compare and contrast available equipment schedules that already exist, and construct or adopt a defendable internal fee schedule. The following questions were used as a framework to conduct this descriptive research: 1. What elements are needed in a comprehensive equipment fee schedule? 2. What recognized fee schedules exist and are in use by other emergency response organizations? 3. What methodologies do private sector companies use to determine equipment rental and lease rates? 4. What laws, regulations, and rules are in place that may impact emergency response organizations' ability to develop a fee schedule? 5. What is the actual agency cost when compared to the current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) fee schedule? The procedures-including literature review, survey, personal communications, and evaluation of other established fee schedules-led to a recommendation for the DFRA to create and implement an internal rolling-stock equipment fee schedule for hazardous materials response."

  United States Fire Administration

  Quick, Mark C.

  2012-08?
• Assessing Video Quality for Public Safety Applications Using Visual Acuity

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  "This report describes a laboratory study investigating the ability of human subjects to use a video system for various tasks. The particular tasks of interest focus on human targets and range from awareness of their presence to positive identification. The test simulates recorded video by allowing viewers significant control over how and when video sequences are displayed. The video sequences represent a variety of target sizes, motion, and lighting conditions. Various resolutions and encoder bit rates were used to allow us, public safety researchers at the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), to recommend requirements for a particular task. Test subjects were asked to identify letters on an eye chart synthetically inserted into the video sequences. This allowed us to use visual acuity as a quality metric, which made it possible to separate measurements of the quality required for particular tasks from measurements of quality delivered by particular systems. The task-based subjective tests this report describes follow the test methods described in International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) Recommendation P.912."

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  2013-05
• Guidance for Implementing Net-Centric Data Sharing

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  "This 'Guidance for Implementing Net-Centric Data Sharing' document is designed to complement Reference (a). Reference (a) codifies the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO) Memorandum (Reference (b)), which describes the Department's official vision for data and information sharing in a net-centric environment through collaborative forums known as communities of interest (COIs). The goal of this Guide is to provide a set of activities that members of COIs and associated leadership can use to implement the key policies of Reference (a) and ultimately increase mission effectiveness across the Department of Defense. The activities presented in this Guide may not apply to all COIs and should be tailored as necessary."

  United States. Department of Defense

  2006-04-12
• Food Related Emergency Exercise Boxed-set (FREE-B) Insider Addition Situation Manual

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  "To protect the health of the American public, it is crucial that we ensure that food products are safe for consumption. Everyone involved in the food chain, from farmer through consumer, has a responsibility to keep the food supply safe. [...] This scenario focuses attention on the intentional aspect of contamination of a raw meat product at the processor with a chemical agent, including the various untraditional organizations and expertise needed to investigate intentional contaminations, the establishment of collaborative processes and roles and responsibilities with the traditional public health and regulatory partners. Also included will be development of the complex internal and external communication mechanisms that need to be established with this larger group of stakeholders."

  United States. Food Safety and Inspection Service; United States. Food and Drug Administration

  2011-07-20
• Modeling a Hypothetic Flu Outbreak on the Minimum Staffing-Levels of the Loudoun County Department of Fire-Rescue

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  "The Loudoun County Department of Fire and Rescue (LCFR) has not examined how a pandemic influenza outbreak will affect its ability to maintain adequate service levels. The purpose of this research was to determine the potential impact of pandemic influenza on the Department's ability to maintain minimum staffing in the event of such an outbreak. Using historical and evaluative methodologies, the impact of a pandemic on minimum staffing to meet service-levels was examined. Using staffing trends and the Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered Model, the potential impact on minimum staffing was observed. Potential sick leave was significant, but relatively short-term. Sick leave peaked at nearly 17 firefighters per shift; however, over time, it would decrease to near normal levels of three to five firefighters per day. To maintain service, flexible and creative staffing solutions are needed."

  National Fire Academy

  Neal, Daniel James

  2006-12
• United States Fire Administration Technical Support Series: Phillips Petroleum Chemical Plant Explosion and Fire

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  This report examines the effectiveness of emergency response teams at a chemical plant explosion. It concludes that the emergency responders were effective in their handling of the situation and offers several suggestions for improving performance in similar circumstances.

  United States. Department of Homeland Security

  Yates, Jack

  1989-10-23
• White House Conference on School Safety, Panel I: Preventing Violence in Schools

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  In response to several school shootings, President Bush asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to convene a meeting of leading experts and stakeholders to discuss how federal, state, and local governments can work together with schools, communities, and families to help ensure our schools are safe places for students to learn. The conference took place on October 10, 2006, at the National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. This document includes the opening remarks and panel I: preventing violence in schools.

  White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security (U.S.)

  2006-10-10?