In late 2014, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense was convened to assess U.S. biodefense efforts. Yesterday, they released the National Blueprint for Biodefense. The conclusion was that the United States is “dangerously vulnerable to a biological event” and that the biodefense effort lacks “strong centralized leadership at the highest level...
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and HSDL has what you need to stay informed and safe in the virtual world. To raise awareness of this very important topic, here are a few resources that highlight current trends, themes and tips to make your digital world safe from those who...
In addition to being one (if not, the) noblest of professions, working as an officer of the peace carries with it inherent risks. Sadly in 2014, 51 American law enforcement officers lost their lives feloniously in the line of duty. In addition to publishing the prior year’s crime data, the...
Yesterday Secretary of State John Kerry presented the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2014. This report is in its 17th year and holds the message that countries benefit when their citizens have religious freedom. Secretary Kerry emphasized that “the concept of religious freedom extends way beyond mere tolerance....
Tomorrow (October 15, 2015) public and private organizations across the globe will participate in the annual Great ShakeOut sponsored by the Southern California Earthquake Center. Currently, over 40 million participants are registered. The majority of registered participants are K-12 schools and colleges/universities, accounting for over 30 million of the drill’s...
The Government Printing Office (GPO) finished the production of five million Trusted Traveler Program (TPP) cards for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These credentials will be used to identify participants in CBP’s TPP programs, which includes NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST and Global Entry. These...
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has stated that they will open a National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Manhattan, Kansas in the year 2022. This “Think and Do Challenge” gives you the chance to throw your ideas (and approaches) into the ring for a chance to win...
“A secure and resilient Nation with the capabilities required across the whole community to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from the threats and hazards that pose the greatest risk.” FEMA has released the Second Edition of the National Preparedness Goal. The Goal “sets the vision for preparedness nationwide and...
The International Association of Emergency Managers released a InterAgency Board (IAB) compiled report titled: Improving Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response: Best Practices and Recommendations (September 2015 issue). Within this issue there are five main focus areas: (1) policy, (2) planning, (3) medical, rescue, and equipment, (4) training and exercises, and (5) incident command. The purpose...
Disasters can strike in an instant. While impossible to prevent, preparation can decrease the amount of suffering and increase the ability to bounce back. In light of this, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HSS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has launched a new...
