Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson announced the release of FY 2016 Notices of Funding Opportunity on Tuesday for 10 DHS preparedness grant programs totaling more than $1.6 billion. The programs provide funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments, … Read More
Guidelines and procedures laid out by the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 were issued on Tuesday by the Department of Homeland Security. Federal agencies and private businesses are provided with a clear understanding of how to share cyber threat indicators with … Read More
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) has been named chairman of the Border and Maritime Subcommittee, while Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) will become the chairman of the Emergency Preparedness, Response … Read More
The American Society for Microbiology sent a letter this week in support of President Barack Obama’s request to the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations for a $1.8 billion fund for emergency Zika relief. The letter was signed by Lynn … Read More
House lawmakers met on Friday to discuss the First Responder Network Authority’s FirstNet progress in the deployment of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (NPSBN) in light of its request for proposal (RFP). The hearing marks a major step forward … Read More
The European Union announced on Monday the creation of the European Medical Corps (EMC), a special agency dedicated to providing medical assistance as well as first response expertise and technology from across the EU to threats both within and without … Read More
More than 200 industry leaders convened in Pittsburgh in early February to discuss the region’s role in cybersecurity information and innovation at the inaugural Cyburgh, PA Initiative Event. Among those attending the meeting, former Pennsylvania Governor and Secretary of Homeland … Read More
Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., announced on Wednesday that its ruggedized, military-grade auto-injector platform will be tested and developed as a platform for nerve agent antidote delivery by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Battelle. Emergent’s Emergard platform, selected from several … Read More
A coalition of House members sent a letter to Secretary of State Jeh Johnson on Friday regarding the member’s concerns over ISIS expansion in Libya. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-TX), House … Read More
INTERPOL announced the completion on Monday of a second training program aimed at providing frontline police officers with the appropriate skills needed to conduct high-level port security in the Philippines. The training course brought together 28 law enforcement officers from … Read More
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) warned on Tuesday that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS/ISIL) has begun using chemical weapons in targeted attacks against American-supported fighters. The reported attacks occurred in August during fighting in northern Iraq, … Read More
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on Friday to learn from experts about current preparedness shortcomings and to assess the types of biological threats facing the United States. The hearing, chaired by U.S. Rep. Tim … Read More
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International announced on Wednesday the beginning of the latest in a series of projects designed to counter the problems public communication professionals face every day. The ultimate goal of Project 43, also known … Read More
U.S. Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) said this week that President Barack Obama’s budget proposal would continue to make critical investments in the nation’s long-term domestic and national security priorities and would continue to foster economic growth throughout the United States. … Read More
Tracerco announced on Tuesday that it has entered into a partnership agreement with military supplier Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. (ADS) to provide reliable radiation solutions for first responders. The partnership will seek to provide personal electronic dosimeters (PEDs) and handheld … Read More
The Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies held its “International Cooperation in Combating Terrorism: Review of 2015 and Outlook for 2016” on Monday at the National Press Club, featuring a panel of experts from the Blue Ribbon Panel who warned that … Read More
The Center for Cyber and Homeland Security (CCHS) based at George Washington University recently announced that it is launching a new project primarily focused on the role of the private sector in active defense against cyber threats. The goal of … Read More
The Potomac Institute for Policy Studies announced last week that Ari Schwartz, Venable’s managing director of cybersecurity services, will join the institute as a senior fellow. In his role at Venable, Schwartz directs the establishment of cybersecurity consulting services while … Read More
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) released a statement on Wednesday regarding Canada’s plan to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February. At a hearing entitled “Canada’s Fast-Track Refugee Plan: Unanswered Questions … Read More
The Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities held a hearing on Wednesday entitled “Outside Views on Biodefense for the Department of Defense,” featuring expert testimony from members of the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense to … Read More
The new Base Ensemble Project, a collaboration between the United Kingdom’s Home Office and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), aims to create a uniform that will provide emergency first responders with the protection they need. … Read More
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics has made Congress aware of the Department of Defense’s plan to realign the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency (JIDA) under the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). The 2016 … Read More
The leader of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Ahmet Uzumcu gave a speech on Monday entitled “Re-arming our Humanity: Contributions of Disarmament to Peace.” The speech marks 20 years since the Chemical Weapons Convention concluded, making it … Read More
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson released a statement of Friday regarding a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report and the department’s Einstein Program. The GAO recently released a report that detailed that DHS “is … Read More
Arbor Networks, Inc., recently released its 11th Annual Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report, containing the expert opinions of security specialists and the international security community at large on a range of 21st century cyber security issues. The report notes how trends … Read More
The president and chair of the board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) supported efforts by Congress to improve first responder preparedness for bioterrorism attacks but said that even more work remains while testifying on Tuesday at a … Read More
Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Joyce Anne Anelay, Baroness Anelay of St John’s, met with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director-General Ahmet … Read More
Batelle has announced that it has qualified for a bid to provide technical and logistic services to the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense as part of the Joint Enterprise Contracted Logistics and Services Support (JE-CLaSS) Multi-Award … Read More
The U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology announced on Tuesday that it has scheduled a hearing for Feb. 2 entitled “Status of the Public Safety Broadband Network.” “Especially in times of emergency, it is critical that first responders are … Read More
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Tuesday that it has added two new destinations to its Zika virus travel alert list – the United States Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic. CDC officials had previously issued a … Read More
Nuclear weapons are the greatest means of instant wide-scale destruction, and the illegal trafficking of such devices is the focus of a new international conference being held by INTERPOL this week. The conference is expected to draw some 270 participants … Read More
INTERPOL announced this week that it will begin training in Laos, Cambodia, to enhance investigative skills against illicit chemical weapons. Under Project Chase, a program designed to combat chemical weapons smuggling, the organization will run a five-day training course from … Read More
In the wake of an agreement signed by Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Taye Atske-selassie and INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock, INTERPOL is preparing to launch a special representative office at the African Union. “Signing this agreement opens … Read More
As part of the continued effort to keep New Jersey secure, the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security and Preparedness recently released a Terrorism Threat Assessment 2016. In the wake of the most high profile year for terrorist attacks since … Read More
Terrorist attacks on four British cities were thwarted last week after two pilots were intercepted discussing the plan using their “mayday” channel. The pilots were discovered after using the mayday channel, which they did not believe was monitored. The attacks … Read More
