-----Original Message-----
From: DHSEmployee.Communications@dhs.gov [mailto:DHSEmployee.Communications@dhs.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 2:25 PM
To: ^DHS-ALL
Subject: TOP TEN WAYS HOMELAND SECURITY KEEPS YOU SAFE
Secretary Napolitano requested that this sidebar, from an article PARADE Magazine published about the department in the Sunday, May 24, 2009 issue titled "We Are Prepared and Resilient," be sent to all employees. In it, she describes the department's top priority: to "help keep the nation in a state of readiness and help assure the American people that we are prepared and resilient." We are pleased to share the sidebar, which is available on PARADE's Web site at http://www.parade.com/news/2009/05/10-ways-homeland-security-is-keeping-you-safe.html. The full article is available at http://www.parade.com/news/2009/05/we-are-prepared-and-resilient.html.
TOP TEN WAYS HOMELAND SECURITY KEEPS YOU SAFE
Earlier this month, Janet Napolitano submitted a $42.7 billion budget for the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) for fiscal year 2010. While the proposal "focuses on savings and reduction," the agency has launched several important new initiatives to increase our national security. Many of these programs take advantage of everyday technology and common-sense collaboration.
1. Napolitano and new FEMA chief Craig Fugate have launched a new national shelter system that will help victims of hurricanes and other disasters find temporary housing. The system will create a nationwide database of thousands of places to go in an emergency. It includes a variety of housing options, including trailers.
2. In a sign that they are keeping up with the times, DHS and FEMA now have their own Twitter pages. The agencies post important updates including travel alerts, security threats, weather warnings and other alerts.
3. The U.S. Coast Guard, whose expanding role in national security is vital to several DHS objectives, now uses videos on YouTube to prepare, train and communicate with its agents across the country.
4. The new DHS budget calls for an expansion of security forces at the U.S.-Mexico border, including five additional Coast Guard cutters, two patrol planes, 44 Border Patrol agents, 65 Customs and Border Protection officers, 349 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, analysts and investigators, 68 pilots, and 20 marine personnel.
5. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires Americans and Canadians to present passports or other secure documents proving citizenship before crossing the U.S. border with Canada. "This is a real border," Napolitano said. "The law is the law and it's not going to be postponed anymore."
6. While the new DHS budget allocates $1 billion to increasing airport security, nearly the same amount, $970 million, will go to protect our nation's ground-transportation infrastructure from explosive devices and other terrorist threats.
7. DHS is now partnering with Native American officials to improve and expand joint-security operations at tribal reservations, especially those with high-profile hotels and casinos.
8. The new DHS budget calls for $94.5 million to detect agents of biological warfare, including anthrax, smallpox, and plague attacks.
9. As part of the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative, the DHS has asked for $75.1 million to develop cyber security technologies to guard against growing threats to the nation's information infrastructure.
10. The Transportation Security Administration has launched an "Idea Factory," which is a social networking platform where TSA employees propose, discuss and vote on new security initiatives based on their experiences in the field.
So what I thought was interesting out of all of this, is #5, because we know what a huge threat Canada is, and #2 & #3. Now I am particularly interested in #2 & #3 because I want to know how I use You Tube for training and look at twitter when we are not allowed on them at work at all! And I mean at all, they are blocked automatically. And what about the weather alerts? What kind of alerts are people going to get durring a hurricane with no power? Just thought this message was kind of humorous, take it as you will.
