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Though a crucial and effective means of keeping Hazardous Materials (HazMat) first responders safe, training programs are often not fully implemented due to time constraints and budget cuts.
According to a paper written by independent CRBN consultant Debra Robinson, many personnel do not... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate is working with public safety officials in the Houston-area to evaluate first responder technologies.
DHS, along with industry partners and 13 local Houston-area public safety agencies on a HAZMAT-related scenario... Read More »
Merck has started the submission of a rolling Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an investigational vaccine to combat the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, the company recently announced.
The V920 vaccine, scientifically known as rVSV-ZEBOV, falls under... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the Navy conduct a business case analysis as part of an effort to address attack submarine maintenance delays.
The GAO said the effort would assist in pinpointing maintenance workload allocation across public and private... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) outdated BioWatch Program, launched in 2003 as an early warning system for potential bioterrorist attacks in the United States, is being replaced, a federal expert told members of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense on Nov. 14 during a report... Read More »
In an international effort to reduce global catastrophic risks associated with technological advancements, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has established a multi-year project that will develop and promote actions that limit the potential misuse of biotechnology.
Launched last month, the NTI... Read More »
President Donald Trump on Nov. 16 signed into law a bill that creates the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which establishes a new agency within the Department of Homeland Security to lead the federal government’s civilian response to cyber threats.
The CISA will be a... Read More »
A bipartisan group of Senators introduced legislation to ensure Congressional oversight of U.S. policy on Yemen and demand accountability from Saudi Arabia for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act of 2018 would suspend weapons... Read More »
Against the backdrop of a spreading Ebola outbreak in Congo, where a worsening war has stymied U.S. aid amid increasing security concerns, the Trump administration is trying to wrap its arms around what is and isn’t working in biodefense against man-made, accidental, naturally occurring... Read More »
Rapidly evolving wearables and 3D printed devices are among the inexpensive and portable diagnostic tools on the market today, some of which can detect and diagnose disease in less than an hour for biosurveillance.
However, developing these devices on a much greater scale for biosecurity... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation this week to create the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The bill, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act (H.R. 3359), would reorganize DHS’... Read More »
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recently announced the development of three new technologies designed to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as part of its Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Program.
The three technologies -- a semi-autonomous robot for detection of mines... Read More »
Massachusetts State Police, the US Coast Guard, Massachusetts National Guard, local police and fire departments, and federal public safety officials all participated in the largest homeland security training exercise ever conducted in the state last week.
The training exercise is designed to... Read More »
Officials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department attended the Fifth Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia this week to reaffirm U.S. support for the initiative and commit additional funding.
GHSA, which launched in 2014, is a worldwide effort to... Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently announced it would be expanding and relocating its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Global Entry Enrollment Center.
The center’s improvements will double the number of applicants processed by allowing CBP officers to conduct up to 10... Read More »
Air Force officials announced recent changes to the Basic Military Training (BMT) curriculum focus on readiness and lethality, Airmanship, fitness, and the warrior ethos.
The modifications, which began Sept. 4, will transform trainees into more “combat ready Airmen.”
“The future of BMT... Read More »
After a month-long recovery from Hurricane Michael, Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., will resume operations with many key missions returning, following a U.S. Air Force announcement made last week.
Among the units that will resume operations at Tyndall AFB are the 601st Air Force... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has introduced a new training platform to help teachers, staff, first responders, and local law enforcement prepare for response plans to critical incidents at schools.
The virtual training platform is called the... Read More »
The man charged with murdering 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh last Saturday was indicted on 44 counts, including hate crimes, by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Robert Bowers, 46, of Baldwin, Pa., was indicted on 44-counts,... Read More »
Top Air Force leadership convened last week in Grapevine, Texas, to discuss critical issues and upcoming changes within the Air Force at the 50th annual Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium.
“We have returned to an era of great power competition where the challenges we face are complex and... Read More »
Combating diseases such as Ebola, influenza, and a host of other global catastrophic biological risks could be addressed by 15 emerging technologies, many of which are easy to use, high-tech and low cost.
In “Technologies to Address Global Catastrophic Biological Risks,” the report issued... Read More »
In response to a series of violent hate crimes throughout the United States this year, the U.S. Department of Justice has updated its prosecution efforts and launched a new website to serve as a centralized port of resources for handling them.
These resources include training materials,... Read More »
Attendees of the second annual Aviation Security Futures Workshop held in Reston, Va., addressed the central question of what airport security screening will look like in 20 years.
The workshop -- hosted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate Apex Screening... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Digital Service (DDS) is opening a new cybersecurity workspace in Augusta, Ga., called Tatooine, named after the fictional Star Wars planet.
Tatooine is designed to house tech teams – including cyber soldiers and civilian technologists -- cultivate... Read More »
A drug currently under development for use against flu pandemics is at risk of being outpaced by the virus it is meant to prevent, according to researchers at Imperial College London and Public Health England.
In a study, the organizations found that two genetic mutations could bring the flu... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions is launching a campaign to raise public awareness of the risks of opioids through public libraries and YMCAs.
Emergent, through its subsidiary Adapt Pharma, will provide one free box of its NARCAN Nasal Spray along with educational materials to all 16,568 public... Read More »
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched a new training course on protecting nuclear facilities from cyberattacks.
The course, called Protecting Computer-Based Systems in Nuclear Security Regimes, brought together 37 participants from 13 countries for two weeks of training on best... Read More »
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded Pennsylvania more than $60 million in grant funding for firefighters.
“Every day, our first responders put themselves in harm’s way to help individuals and families, whether it’s responding to a medical emergency, fire, or... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) recently introduced the Modern School Threat Reporting Act, which seeks to help schools address school safety concerns.
The legislation creates new grants for states to develop a mobile application that allows students and teachers to report threats to local law... Read More »
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) launched last week its Global Policing Goals and is encouraging the international law enforcement community to support them.
The Global Policing Goals serve as a framework for the international community to collectively address the... Read More »
SIGA Technologies announced this month that it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases to study the post-exposure prophylactic use of TPOXX, a drug currently stockpiled by the U.S. government to treat smallpox outbreaks.
The Cooperative... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice charged the largest number of violent crime and firearm defendants in its history in fiscal year 2018.
Citing data from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA), the Justice Department said the number of people criminal felony offenses increased by... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced the launch of a new voice-activated system to help first responders gather critical data while at the scene of an emergency.
The system, called AUDREY (Assistant for Understanding Data through Reasoning, Extraction, and Synthesis), is... Read More »
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently released a plan to expand the use of biometrics technology to enhance security and increase efficiency.
Biometric technology will speed up the passenger experience. The TSA and airlines currently verify traveler identity primarily by... Read More »
Emergent BioSolutions completed its acquisition of Adapt Pharma and its flagship product NARCAN Nasal Spray, which is used to treat opioid overdose.
Emergent paid $735 million to acquire Adapt Pharma, including an upfront payment of $635 million with up to $100 million in cash for potential... Read More »