Explosive weapons have become a popular choice among terrorists for causing disruption, casualties and destruction.
Although chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons may cause more extensive damage, explosives are still be the first choice because they are relatively easy to make, transport and use.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), which was recognized with multiple awards in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, is working to ensure that state and local leaders have choices, too, by arming them with technology to plan for worst-case scenarios and mitigate the fallout of terrorist attacks.
“Explosives work and are effective weapons,” explained Dr. David Reed, a chemist at S&T’s Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC).
“The trade-off between difficulty to build and use versus the ability to cause harm is a decision that a terrorist probably considers.”
“On the flip side, a decision-maker like a mayor might ask, ‘What are the most damaging scenarios that can occur and how can I protect against them?’”
“An analysis that considers the different buildings, explosive types, injuries and medical response can provide the information that begins to answer that question.”
(For example, on the morning of April 19, 1995, in the deadliest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history at the time, resulting killing 168 people and injuring 680 others, was committed by an ex-Army soldier and security guard named Timothy McVeigh and his accomplice, Terry Nichols. The bombing destroyed one third of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. In his documentary, “Oklahoma City,” filmmaker Barak Goodman revisits the bombing as the first major domestic terrorist attack in the US. Courtesy of VOA News and YouTube. Posted on Mar 7, 2017.)
With the very real possibility of explosive attacks in public spaces, such as stadiums, special event routes, airports, places of worship, theaters, and others, the nation needs to be prepared by having security measures in place to stop them and effective medical response for attacks that do occur.
With limited resources, knowing which security measures to use and which medical capabilities to emphasize are critical questions to address in advance of an attack occurring.
S&T’s CSAC is developing a modeling tool called Homeland Explosive Consequence and Threat (HExCAT) which can estimate the hazards and related human health consequences from thousands of plausible scenarios.
(With the very real possibility of explosive attacks in public spaces like stadiums or public squares, the U.S. needs to be prepared by having security measures in place to stop them and effective medical response for attacks that do occur. Courtesy of DHS Science and Technology Directorate and YouTube. Posted on Jul 24, 2020.)
HExCAT is currently focused on single event assessments of special events such as parades.
After validation and further development, it will be integrated into national and regional level risk analysis.
“HExCAT is a holistic risk assessment to inform decision-makers like governors and mayors on how to invest in security, plan for operations and mitigation, and make important decisions for securing public spaces,” said Reed, who works with CSAC’s Chemical Threat Characterization Team.
“If a terrorist were to detonate a bomb in a building versus a bomb during a marathon versus a car bomb near a stadium, which physical security and medical countermeasures will be most effective?”
Twenty-three people died, including the attacker, and 139 were wounded, more than half of them children. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
In 2006, by Presidential Directive, DHS established the CSAC to identify and assess chemical threats and vulnerabilities in the United States and develop the best responses to potential chemical hazards.
Overseen by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), CSAC supports the homeland security community by providing a crucial knowledge repository of chemical threat information, design and execution of laboratory and field tests, and a science-based threat and risk analysis capability, among other services.
CSAC’s is located on the Edgewood Area of U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Maryland, allowing for close collaboration with Army scientists and engineers.
CSAC – Offering Technical Assistance Capabilities in Response to Investigations and Crises
For inquiries related to chemical threats and chemical hazards, the CSAC offers a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week informational response capability, known as “CSAC Technical Assistance,” to federal, state, local, territorial, and first responder agencies.
CSAC Technical Assistance is a key resource for the National Operations Center.
CSAC Technical Assistance typically responds to 70 to 80 requests per year, with key customers made up from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as well as many other agencies and industry stakeholders.
DHS S&T Honored for Fourth Year in Annual ‘ASTORS’ Excellence in Government Awards
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate
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Excellence in Public Safety
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Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program
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The Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program works with first responders across the country to ensure the technology they use while responding to an emergency keeps them better protected, connected and fully aware.
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DHS S&T National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL)
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Excellence in Public Safety
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Responder RAD Preparedness
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Responder RAD Preparedness – DHS Science and Technology Directorate, National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, in partnership with FEMA & the Department of Energy, & National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) provides guidance and exercises for first responders and emergency managers on how to plan for the first minutes of an radiological dispersal device, or “dirty bomb,” detonation.
DHS S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support
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Excellence in Public Safety
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The FOVEA (Forensic Video Exploitation and Analysis) Tool Suite
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The FOVEA (Forensic Video Exploitation and Analysis) Tool Suite is an add-on suite of analytic tools for the forensic review of video in large-scale surveillance systems, developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory under the DHS S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS) Surface Transportation Explosive Threat Detection (STETD) Program for Complex investigations.
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is specifically designed to honor distinguished government and vendor solutions that deliver enhanced value, benefit and intelligence to end users in a variety of government, homeland security and public safety vertical markets.
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program highlighting the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition, and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
American Security Today is pleased to announce that Deann Criswell, the NYC Emergency Management Commissioner will deliver the keynote address at the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon Banquet in New York City.
90% of ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners return to compete in the Annual ‘ASTORS‘ Homeland Security Awards Program, and 100% of ‘ASTORS’ Sponsors have returned year to year to reap the benefits of their participation in the industry’s largest and most comprehensive Annual Awards Program.
Enter your organization today to earn the recognition you deserve in the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
Comprehensive List of Categories Include:
| Access Control/ Identification | Personal/Protective Equipment | Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism |
| Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System | Interagency Interdiction Operation | Cloud Computing/Storage Solution |
| Facial/IRIS Recognition | Body Worn Video Product | Cyber Security |
| Video Surveillance/VMS | Mobile Technology | Anti-Malware |
| Audio Analytics | Disaster Preparedness | ID Management |
| Thermal/Infrared Camera | Mass Notification System | Fire & Safety |
| Metal/Weapon Detection | Rescue Operations | Critical Infrastructure |
| License Plate Recognition | Detection Products | And Many Others! |
Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?
Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.
The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.
Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.
Why the ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?
American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’
Over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- United States Marine Corps
- The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- DHS S&T
- United States Marshals Service (USMS)
- The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police (PAPD)
- The Department of Justice (DOJ)
- The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
- United States Border Patrol
- AlertMedia, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Bellevue University, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., CornellCookson, Drone Aviation, FLIR Systems, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, IPVideo Corp., Konica Minolta Business Solutions, LenelS2, ManTech, Regroup Mass Notifications, SafeLogic, SolarWinds, Senstar, ShotSpotter, Smiths Detection, TCOM LP, Trackforce, Verint, and More!
From innovative Military Cyber Programs, to Local, State and Federal Public Safety and Emergency Management Initiatives, New Physical and IT Products and Services, and Security Professional, Threat Assessment, Emergency Preparedness, Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Education and Training Opportunities – Join your ‘ASTORS’ Award-Winning Peers and Receive the Recognition You Deserve!
Excellence in Public Safety and Government Security Award Nominations are also being accepted, such as 2019 Honored Winners which includes the DEA, U.S. Marine Corps, DHS S&T, Federal Protective Service, DHS S&T NUSTL, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Border Patrol, The Port Authority of NY/NJ, and the NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services.
Individuals are also encouraged to be nominated for Government Excellence in Public Safety and Homeland Security such as last years widely respected recipients.
Why American Security Today?
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.
American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.
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The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.
‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’
AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.
Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.
AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
To learn more about the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please go to the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Championship Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2019 ‘A Year in Review’.
The ‘ASTORS’ Champion Edition is published annually and includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.
It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2019 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitgate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.
It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
To learn about the 2020 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program and advertising opportunities with American Security Today, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
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