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| A Primedia Property | |
| April 21, 2005 | Vol. 1, No. 8 |
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Table Of Contents Hutchinson: Don't shortchange rural areas Emergency plans often overlook disabled, council says Transportation security comes under fire DHS creates Domestic Nuclear Detection Office ADVERTISEMENT iCLASS Meets Government Standards HID supports FIPS 201 with fully-compliant iCLASS contactless smart card readers that are available to output the FASC-N in multiple configurations, providing versatility to support both existing and new access control systems. Standard communication protocols make it easy to replace existing access control card readers with HID FIPS-compliant card readers. http://www.hidcorp.com In the News Hutchinson: Don't shortchange rural areas Former under secretary for border and transportation security Asa Hutchinson has urged Congress not to shortchange rural areas when it comes to distributing federal grants for first responders and other security needs. Hutchinson told the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Management, Integration and Oversight that terrorism risks exist nationwide and added that the concept that all federal money should go to high-risk areas is shortsighted. "You've got to have a base level of response capability in all areas of the country," he said. Hutchinson, who resigned on March 1, subsequently announced he is running for Arkansas governor. "From an Arkansas perspective, the funds that are given by the Department should be used effectively with accountability," Hutchinson told the subcommittee. He recommends creating a team with regional directors within DHS to build relationships with local governments, coordinate responses to terrorism and monitor Homeland security grant spending. Emergency plans often overlook disabled, council says Emergency plans often leave out disabled people, increasing the risk that when disaster strikes they will be left behind or won't have information that could save their lives, the National Council on Disability says. The council, a federal agency that advises the president and Congress, looked at the Sept. 11 attacks and other manmade and natural disasters and found holes in evacuation plans that left disabled people vulnerable, The Associated Press reports. "Decisions about who the people are, where they are located and how they need to be evacuated should be made in advance," says Martin Gould, a research specialist for the council. "There should not be a need for decisions to be made during a crisis." At the Twin Towers, plans for the disabled were put in place after a 1993 bombing that killed six people. But survivors of the 2001 attacks said regular drills were not held and some people did not know or had forgotten about available aids such as evacuation chairs -- lightweight escape seats for wheelchair users -- that had been stashed in some offices, the report says. "Although it would seem that the events of September 11, 2001, would have created widespread change and innovation related to disaster preparedness for all individuals as well as people with disabilities, this has not been the case," the report concludes. Transportation security comes under fire Investigators have found that U.S. airport security isn't improving, and two U.S. Senators are saying the Department of Homeland Security has not yet produced a plan to protect the U.S. transportation system. Richard Skinner, the DHS's acting inspector general, adds that airports may need to deploy new technology for effective screening. Additionally, John Mica, a Florida Republican who is chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, says he will push to replace government screeners with private workers. The DHS investigation covered hundreds of tests at 15 airports between Nov. 29 and Feb. 4, where investigators found no improvement from similar examinations performed in 2003. "We tried the big government, bureaucratic system,'' Mica said at a news conference. "Now it's time to change that. [Private screeners] have done a better job and can do a better job." Skinner points to backscatter X-Ray technology as a potential answer to airport screening problems. The technology, he says in the report, would help screeners detect weapons concealed in clothing. The failure of the Transportation Security Administration was highlighted in a letter from Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) to DHS urging the agency to finish a transportation security plan within the next three months. Though intelligence officials say al-Qaida continues to be interested in attacks on aviation, terrorists have also attacked ships, trains, transit systems and buses around the world. Under questioning from Congress in 2003, then-chief of the TSA James Loy said a plan would be finished by the end of the year. Congress later set a deadline of April 1 for the plan. It was not met. DHS creates Domestic Nuclear Detection Office As part of the national effort to protect the nation from radiological and nuclear threats, the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is being established by DHS as a national office staffed by representatives from several federal, state, and local government agencies. The DNDO will develop a global nuclear detection architecture, and deploy the system to detect and report attempts to import or transport nuclear devices or radiological material intended for illicit use. The office will also coordinate nuclear detection research and development to continually improve detection capability, and will establish procedures and training for the end-users of equipment developed and deployed through the new office. News You Can Use Did you know: Currently, Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) is pursuing eight new technology research initiatives that might be considered key components of preparedness. Read more about these research initiatives in the April issue of GOVERNMENT SECURITY, available this week. The issue will be available online at govtsecurity.com starting the first week of May. Procurement Watch
Events April 26-28 Force Protection Equipment Demonstration Quantico, Va. Organizer: U.S. Dept. of Defense http://www.fped5.org/index1.html April 27-28 May 1-4 May 2-6 May 3-4 May 3-5 May 13-18 May 16-18 May 23-24 May 24-25 May 25-26 New Announcements from GOVERNMENT SECURITY magazine Coming in May on www.govtsecurity.com April 2005 Browse our latest issue at your leisure |
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