Center of Excellence

Summary of “Making Hurricane Response More Effective: Lessons from the Private Sector and the Coast Guard During Katrina” by Steven Horwitz.

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“Many assume that the only viable option for emergency response and recovery from a natural disaster is one that is centrally directed. However, highlighted by the poor response from the federal government and the comparatively effective response from private retailers and the Coast Guard after Hurricane Katrina, this assumption seems to be faulty. Big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart were extraordinarily successful in providing help to damaged communities in the days, weeks, and months after the storm. This Policy Comment provides a framework for understanding why private retailers and the Coast Guard mounted an effective response in the Gulf Coast region.”

“Emergency managers are well aware of the hazards and associated risks that face their communities, yet in many cases they find it difficult to convince their leaders and the public at large that ‘bad events’ do happen, that they can cause severe consequences, and that they must be prepared to deal with these events. What can professionals in the natural hazard field do to meet this challenge and bring their stakeholders into the world of reality?”

Dr. Galloway also provided a one-page bio sheet which will be posted in “Participant Information,” Conference section of the website, in the near future. Recommend taking a look. Find more information with this link: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/edu/educonference08.asp

A vacancy within the Incident Management Systems Integration Division, has been announced for a Supervisory Program Specialist (Director) GS-0301-15. The announcement opened on 3-19-2008 and closes 4-2-08.

The final announcements for the Supervisory Program Specialist (Director – IMSI), GS-0301-15 position with the National Preparedness Directorate (NPD) located in Washington, DC have been posted on USAJOBS and FEMA’s website.

Link for DE-08-NPD-320-TLP (open to all US Citizens):

http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/ftva.asp?seeker=1&JobID=69929361

Link for MP-08-NPD-320-TLP (open to Federal employees, etc):

http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/ftva.asp?seeker=1&JobID=69928113

Registration is now open for the Center of IT Excellence (CITE) 2008 IT Education Futures Summit: “Inspiring Faculty for Tomorrow” co-hosted and co-sponsored with Microsoft Learning Friday, May 2nd, 2008 at the Microsoft Conference Center, Redmond, Washington. Please go to the online registration page to sign up for this free event. (http://bellevuecollege.edu/cite/)

There is a lot of breaking news in the Homeland Security disciplines in government. Here are a number of links to find more information:

The State of Interoperable Emergency Communications Along the Texas Border

Forestalling the Coming Pandemic: Infectious Disease Surveillance Overseas

Nuclear Smuggling Detection: Recent Tests of Advanced Spectroscopic Portal Monitors

Nuclear Terrorism Prevention: Status Report on the Federal Government’s Assessment of New Radiation Detection Monitors

House Committee on Homeland Security. “Making Homeland Security Intelligence Work for State, Local, and Tribal Partners: An Interagency Threat Assessment Coordination Group (ITACG) Progress Report.” Washington, DC: Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment, March 13, 2008.

Find more information, including video by clicking here: Making Homeland Security Intelligence Work for State, Local, and Tribal Partners.

House Committee on Homeland Security. Rescheduled “Homeland Security Intelligence at a Crossroads: The Office of Intelligence and Analysis’ Vision for 2008.” Washington, DC: Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment, February 26, 2008.

Click here for prepared statements and video: Homeland Security Intelligence at a Crossroads: The Office of Intelligence and Analysis

The aim of the Wild Bird Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance (GAINS) program is to expand operational field capabilities, improve the understanding of viral strains and transmission of influenza viruses in wild birds, and to disseminate information to all levels of governments, international organizations, the private sector and the general public. GAINS is a global surveillance network of wild birds for avian influenza. Our strategies are: improving the collection, coordination, and laboratory evaluation of samples from wild birds in order to identify locations of avian influenza viral strains; identifying genetic changes in virus isolates; enhancing links with wild bird distribution and migration information, and providing an early warning system for global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that threatens domestic poultry and human health as well as biodiversity (particularly avian).

More information: Global Avian Influenza Network for Surveillance.

The House Committee on Homeland Security in the US Congress has published their Full Committee Markup titled ‘Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008.’ Published on Washington, DC: March 6, 2008. Chair Statement, Committee Action Report, and recorded feed. Find more information here:

Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2008.

HSPD-9 dated 30 January 2004 and HSPD-10 dated 21 April 2004 directs DHS to establish a National Biosurveillance Integration System (NBIS) to provide early detection and situational awareness of biological events of potential national consequence by acquiring, integrating, analyzing, and disseminating existing human, animal, plant, and environmental biosurveillance system data into a common operating picture (COP) that represents a comprehensive depiction of the global biosurveillance security environment (GBSE). The National Biosurveillance Group (NBSG), comprising of representatives from all member agencies, will integrate and analyze all-agency/source biosurveillance information to recognize unusual biological events and provide situational awareness to the NBIS community and decision-makers through the development of a biosurveillance COP (BCOP) and targeting reporting. The BCOP will augment the DHS National Operation Center’s COP, which provides a consistent, integrated picture of biosurveillance situational awareness throughout the country. The NBIS will facilitate collaborative interagency analysis to ensure fully-integrated biosurveillance situational awareness and provide near-real time awareness to the Incident Management Group (IMG) and the DHS National Operations Center (NOC). The resulting improved information sharing and enhanced situational awareness facilitates national decision-making to enable timely response.

For more information download the PDF here: National Bio-Surveillance Integration System (2009)

Government Accountability Office. Homeland Security: DHS Improved its Risk-Based Grant Programs’ Allocation and Management Methods, But Measuring Programs’ Impact on National Capabilities Remains a Challenge (GAO-08-488T). March 11, 2008, 28 pages. Accessed at: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-08-488T.

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the transfer of specific preparedness administrative and operational authority roles from FEMA Headquarters to the FEMA Regional Administrators. This transfer of responsibilities will significantly enhance FEMA’s capability to develop a National preparedness system. Go to: FEMA Strengthens Preparedness Levels By Realigning Organizational Structures.

Great resource recommended by the Center of Excellence Homeland Security:

Colleges, Universities and Institutions Offering Emergency Management Courses

The EMI Higher Education Project and COE -HS staff does not provide college recommendations nor discuss the relative merits of the Colleges and Universities listed within this College List.

Draft agenda for the June 2-5, 2008 EM HiEd Conference, conference “box” near the top-center: http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/edu/educonference08.asp.

Pierce College in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and the Pennsylvania National Guard is conducting a needs analysis attempting to determine what types of emergencies and threats might impact businesses around the country. The primary objective of the project is to develop and provide educational modules that serve to enhance the preparedness of the community at large. In order to do that, we need input from a wide variety of businesses. I would like to ask your help by completing the attached survey “Emergency Preparedness for Business and Industry” for us. It takes only a few minutes to complete and your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Click here to download our Emergency Preparedness for Business and Industry survey. After completion send to MCampbel@pierce.ctc.edu

Pierce College and Edmonds Community College have teamed to create the Occupational Safety and Health Program. Currently we offer an AAS-T degree that will train students to enter directly into the workforce but was also designed to transfer directly to Central Washington’s Occupational Safety and Health Management BAS program. We also offer a certificate in Construction Safety. Most of the OSH courses are offered ONLINE to accommodate distance-learners. Each course is designed to stand alone. You do not have to be accepted or enrolled in the program to take a class. We also offer two special topics courses. Check the websites for updates and details!

Edmonds CC: http://www.edcc.edu/osh/

Pierce College: http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/proftech/osh/

For more information to talk with an advisor, call Kerrie Murphy at (425) 640-1843.

Jill R. Aitoro has a new excellent article out on cyberterrorism:

Cyberexercise shows need for better training to avoid major network failures

“Workers operating networks supporting the nation’s critical infrastructure such as telecommunications and transportation need better training on how to manage backup systems in case cyberattacks take down main systems, said a top Homeland Security Department official Thursday.

That’s one of the lessons learned during a DHS simulation of a large-scale coordinated cyberattack on the nation’s infrastructure networks. The exercise, called Cyber Storm II, ends Friday, and DHS plans to release an after-action report this summer.

Cyber Storm II builds on the lessons learned in the first Cyber Storm in February 2006. Most information security experts considered that exercise a wakeup call to government to improve … ”

Read the full article here: Cyberexercise shows need for better training to avoid major network failures

To receive this free newsletter direct from FEMA, sign up here: the free FEMA Emergency Management Higher Education Program Report newsletter.

Some details from the most recent report include:

1. Department of Homeland Security Grant Programs FY 2008 – FY 1998:
   For more information click here: Office of Grants and Training
2. 11th Annual Emergency Management Higher Education Conference, June 2-5:
3. FEMA Grants and Assistance Programs and Resources:
   Buffer Zone Protection Program (BZPP) Overview
   FEMA Grant and Assistance Program
4. National Response Team Issues 25 Biological and Chemical Quick Reference Guides

Center of Excellence Homeland Security is pleased to announce that we have updated our list of US College programs with Homeland Security related programs. These programs vary from MS, MA, BS, BA, AA, Certificate and Degree based programs on everything from Terrorism to Hazmat. We hope you find this extensive list useful in your search for the best programs available to you in your area.

Simply click on your State to find educational programs in your area. Click here to go to our ‘Homeland Security-Related Education and Training Programs Nationally‘ page.

Center of Excellence Homeland Security is pleased to announce our new Shows & Expos page. This page will feature information on the leading Homeland Security related Trade Shows and Expos happening this year. Feel free to contact us if you want to recommend any changes/additions to this list.

Thank you to IMS Alliance for their assistance in compiling this list.