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Department of Homeland Security Announces Support for Rail Hazmat Placards
April 8, 2005 -- Speaking at the National Fire and Emergency Services Dinner last night, Secretary of Homeland Security
Michael Chertoff announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recommended continuation of the placard system
for hazardous materials transported by rail. The placards are designed to ensure the safety of citizens and first responders
and the decision came after the completion of a comprehensive study that included input from first responders, rail operators
and other key stakeholders.
"I'm pleased to announce that the Department of Homeland Security has completed a review of alternate technologies to the
current Department of Transportation placard system,” said Secretary Chertoff. “Based on that study and
the input of the first responder community, we are recommending that the Department of Transportation maintain the placard
system. This is a common sense approach to risk management.”
President George W. Bush signs HR 5467, The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for the Fiscal
Year 2005, in the Oval Office Monday, Oct. 18, 2004. White House photo by Tina Hager.
Improving Homeland Security
- With strong bipartisan support President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security – the most comprehensive
reorganization of the Federal government in a half-century. The Department of Homeland Security consolidates 22 agencies and
180,000 employees, unifying once-fragmented Federal functions in a single agency dedicated to protecting America from terrorism.
- President Bush has nearly tripled homeland security discretionary funding.
- More than $18 billion has been awarded to state and local governments to protect the homeland.
- The Bush Administration developed a comprehensive National Strategy for Homeland Security, focused on six key
areas: intelligence and warning; border and transportation security; domestic counterterrorism; protecting critical infrastructure;
defending against catastrophic threats; and emergency preparedness and response.
- The Administration developed national strategies to help secure cyberspace and the infrastructures and assets vital
to our public health, safety, political institutions, and economy.
- The President authorized the establishment of the United States Northern Command, to provide for integrated homeland
defense and coordinated Pentagon support to Federal, state, and local governments.
- For the first time, the President has made countering and investigating terrorist activity the number one priority
for both law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The Bush Administration has transformed the FBI into an agency whose
primary mission is to prevent terrorist attacks and increased its budget by 60 percent.
Improving Intelligence
- President Bush proposed the most thoroughgoing reorganization of the intelligence community in more than a half-century.
The President supports the creation of a National Intelligence Director to serve as his principal intelligence advisor. He
will also establish a National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and strongly supports the 9/11 Commission's recommendations
to reorganize congressional oversight for both intelligence and homeland security.
- In his 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush announced the creation of the Terrorist Threat Integration
Center (TTIC) to synthesize information collected within the United States and abroad about possible terrorist threats.
- The Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) was launched to consolidate terrorist watch lists and provide continual
operational support for Federal, state, and local screeners and law enforcement.
- The FBI has established a new Executive Director for Intelligence and specially-trained intelligence analysts.
- The Department of Homeland Security Information Network is connected to all 50 states and more than 50 major urban areas,
and allows information sharing among thousands of local agencies and the Homeland Security Operations Center.
New Tools to Fight Terrorism
- President Bush won overwhelming support for the USA PATRIOT Act, a law that gives intelligence and law enforcement
officials important new tools to fight terrorists. This legislation has prevented terrorist attacks and saved American
lives.
- The dramatic increase in information sharing allowed by the PATRIOT Act has enabled law enforcement to find and dismantle
terror cells in Portland, Oregon; Lackawanna, New York; and Northern Virginia.
- Warrants are now applicable across state and district lines, eliminating the need to obtain multiple warrants for
the same person – a lengthy process that previously hindered counterterrorism efforts.
- Law enforcement officials have been given better tools to fight terrorism, including roving wire taps and the
capacity to seize assets and end financial counterfeiting, smuggling and money-laundering.
- Judges are now able to impose stiffer sentences on terrorists.
Supporting First Responders
- The President's 2005 budget reflects a 780 percent increase in funding for first responders since September 11th.
- Since September 11th, more than a half-million first responders across America have been trained.
- The Bush Administration has proposed doubling the level of first responder preparedness grants targeted to high-threat
urban areas. The Urban Area Security Initiative enhances the ability of large urban areas to prepare for and respond to threats
or acts of terrorism.
Strengthening Defenses Against Biological, Chemical, and Radiological Weapons
- President Bush signed into law Project BioShield, an unprecedented, $5.6 billion effort to develop vaccines and other
medical responses to biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological weapons.
- The Bush Administration is investing more than $7 billion across all aspects of biodefense. In the last three
years, the Administration has created the BioWatch program to monitor major cities for a biological release, procured sufficient
smallpox vaccine for all citizens, and significantly increased stocks of antibiotics against anthrax.
- State and local health systems have been provided more than $4.4 billion to bolster their ability to respond to public
health crises.
- The Bush Administration undertook several initiatives to detect radiological materials being smuggled into our Nation,
issuing thousands of portable radiation detectors to border control personnel and installing radiation detection portals at
ports of entry.
- Security and research to protect the Nation's food supply from terrorists has increased, adding millions of dollars
in funding and hundreds of food inspectors.
Improving Aviation, Border, and Port Security
- To support improved border and transportation security, funding levels have increased by $9 billion since September
11th.
- Aviation security has been improved from the curb to the cockpit. Hardened cockpit doors have been installed
on all US commercial aircraft. Flight deck crews are being trained to carry guns in the cockpit. Thousands of air marshals
are being deployed daily. All checked baggage now is being screened. And canine teams are now positioned at every major airport
to search for explosives.
- Over the last three years, nearly $15 billion has been devoted to strengthening aviation security.
- The visa issuance process has been tightened to better screen foreign visitors; the US-VISIT program was created
to use cutting-edge biometrics to check the identity of foreign travelers; and the Student and Exchange Visitor Information
System was created to verify foreign student activity in the United States.
- New Coast Guard vessels and specialized maritime security units have been added.
- The Container Security Initiative was developed to allow US inspectors to screen high-risk shipping containers at
major foreign ports before they are loaded in ships bound for America.
- The National Targeting Center was created to vet passenger lists of aircraft and container shippers to identify high-risk
individuals and shipments. Today, 100 percent of high-risk cargo containers are examined by US inspectors.
Helping Victims of the September 11th Attacks
- The Administration implemented a $40 billion emergency response package to begin the recovery from the attacks
and to protect national security.
- President Bush signed legislation that sped compensation to the family of each fallen police officer, firefighter,
and rescuer.
- The President, working closely with Congress, created the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, which established
a streamlined claim process for victims of the September 11th attacks to receive compensation. The Fund will provide a total
of about $7 billion in financial aid.
- More than 10,000 business owners across the Nation were approved for more than $1 billion in disaster loans to
help deal with the economic consequences of the attacks.
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 Preparedness Guide for Homeowners AvailableJan
January 26, 2005 -- Secretary Ridge, with the Homeowners' Alliance, announced a new emergency preparedness guide. "During
the last three years, we have spoken often about protecting our nation--protecting our states--protecting our cities. Today
we'd like to reiterate the importance of protecting our homes. Our mission to prevent, prepare for, and respond to terrorist
attacks and other emergencies is a national mission that requires every citizen’s effort. We cannot protect the homeland
if we do not protect the hometown; we cannot protect the hometown until we protect the home.
Some citizens might think: we’ll leave preparedness and protection to the professionals--first responders, law enforcement,
governors and mayors--much the way a person might leave the plumbing, painting or electrical jobs in their homes to professionals.
Well, what we have been saying, and will continue to say, is that you cannot hire out the protection of your home and family;
it is a personal hands-on job. So we are pleased to join the Homeownership Alliance today to announce the Emergency Preparedness
Guide for homeowners." |
An Overview of America’s Security Since 9/11
The country has made great strides toward improving the security of our homeland since September 11th. Whether by land,
sea, or air, it is now substantially more difficult for terrorists to enter the United States; homeland security professionals
are sharing information like never before; and America’s citizens are better prepared for a natural disaster or terrorist
attack. A snapshot of the ways we are safer today:
Curb to Cockpit:
Air travel is safer now than ever before due to the layered security DHS has put in place – hardened cockpit doors
on 100% of large passenger aircraft, vulnerability assessments at over 75 of the nation’s largest airports, 100% of
all checked baggage is screened, deployment of thousands of federal air marshals and a professionally trained screener workforce
which has intercepted more than 12.4 million prohibited items since their inception. In addition, a robust screening system
is in place for all international flights into the United States, and all passenger names for domestic flights are checked
against an expanded terrorist watch lists.
Port to Port:
New security measures specifically tailored to the individual port are now in place at every port in America. These layered
measures begin overseas by screening cargo before it’s loaded on ships in foreign ports. Homeland Security screens 100%
of high risk cargo by targeting suspect cargo using a set of specific indicators. Every port in America has submitted
a security plan which includes security measures such as surveillance cameras, background checks on port workers. The
Department is also moving forward to implement “smart” technologies for cargo containers.
Secure Borders and Open Doors:
The Department of Homeland Security has launched the US-VISIT system which links databases to provide valuable information
to port of entry officials and consular officials overseas and creates a database of pictures and finger scans of everyone
entering the United States with a non-immigrant visa (and soon to include visa waiver travelers). This new tool means
that we have a much better idea of who is entering our country. If a traveler’s finger scan hits a match on the terrorist
watch list, the Department is able to stop them from entering the country at the border. Over 200 people have already been
turned away from our borders using this new system.
Increased Information Sharing:
Several information sharing vehicles exist today that did not exist before September 11, 2001. The Homeland Security Information
Network, which is available in all 50 states, makes threat-related information available to law enforcement and emergency
managers on a daily basis through a web-based system. Members of the private sector now receive threat-related information
through the HSIN system. In addition, members of 35 different Federal agencies are now all co-located together in DHS’s
new 24-hour Homeland Security Operations Center, which allows the information coming from various sources to be synthesized
together and then shared with other federal partners such as the FBI and the Department of Defense. In addition, nearly 100
bulletins and other threat related communiqués have been sent to homeland security professionals across the country.
Citizen Preparedness:
September is National Preparedness Month. More than 80 partners and all 56 states and territories are making individual
and family preparedness a priority across the nation by hosting events, offering training sessions and distributing information.
In addition, the public education campaign Ready and its Spanish language version Listo educates and empowers American citizens
to prepare for and respond to potential terrorist attacks and other emergencies. Ready, the most successful public service
campaign launched in Ad Council history, delivers its messages through the www.Ready.gov and www.Listo.gov websites, radio,
television, print and outdoor PSAs, brochures and a variety of partnerships with private sector organizations. Ready Business
will be launched later this month to encourage small- to medium-sized businesses to take steps to safeguard their employees
and assets while preparing for business continuity in the event of a disaster. Also, more than 1,300 communities around
the country, encompassing 50 percent of the U.S. population, have established Citizen Corps Councils to engage citizens in
preparing, training and volunteer service, including delivering the important messages of the Ready campaign.
Interoperability:
DHS’s Safecom program provides long-term technical assistance to federal, state, tribal, and local programs that
build and operate radio systems, and the RapidCom program focuses on the immediate development of incident-response interoperable
emergency communications in high-threat urban areas. RapidCom will ensure that high-threat urban areas have incident-level,
interoperable emergency communications equipment by September 30, 2004. The program will establish communications interoperability
in these urban areas for an incident area approximately the size of the attacks on the World Trade Center towers on September
11th. At the incident area, all emergency personnel from various regional jurisdictions will be able to communicate
using existing equipment that is made interoperable by a patch-panel device, interconnecting various models of equipment that
would otherwise not be compatible.
Emerging Technologies:
Homeland Security’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) invests in the private sector, funding revolutionary
new technological advances to make America safer. HSARPA has already delivered significant advances in radiological and nuclear
detection, biological and chemical countermeasures, and ongoing projects include waterway vessel tracking technology and new
cargo security technologies for advanced container security. There have also been great strides made in harnessing scientific
advances in biometrics to strengthen travel security and to help detect and counter identity theft. Through the Homeland Security
Centers of Excellence program, the Department is creating university-based partnerships to research issues essential to our
security, with Centers already established on risk and economic analysis of terrorism, animal disease defense, and food security
(and proposals are currently being received for a fourth Center focusing on the sociological and behavioral aspects of terrorism).
BioWatch/BioShield:
An environmental monitoring system, BioWatch, monitors air samples on a frequent basis in major urban cities nationwide,
providing early warning of a potential bio attack which would allow treatment before people get sick. Homeland Security is
also deploying and evaluating mobile automatic air testing kits that house biological and chemical sensors for even quicker
reporting. This program links the earliest detection possible with efforts to develop medical countermeasures and a program
called BioShield that ensures vaccines, drugs and medical supplies are ready for rapid distribution.
Integrated Planning:
The Department of Homeland Security has led the development of the National Response Plan (NRP), which consolidates and
reconciles multiple national-level incident response plans into a single, focused, universally understood strategy. This
effort includes the development of a new catastrophic incident response protocol that will greatly accelerate the delivery
of critical federal assistance to domestic venues suffering from a mass casualty/mass evacuation incident.
More Money:
The 2005 budget request of $40.2 billion for homeland security is $9 billion (29%) over the 2003 level and $20.4 billion
over the 2001 level -- an increase of 103% over the 2001 level of homeland security funding. Furthermore, from FY 2002- FY
2004 $13.1 billion has been earmarked for first responder and public health terrorism preparedness -- an increase of 900%
over the $1.2 billion spent in the previous three years.
More Training: For FY 2004, Homeland Security has trained 205,480 first responders (451,634 since FY 2002.) Also,
DHS initiated the National Incident Management System (NIMS) ) and established the NIMS Integration Center, which ensures
that Federal, state, and local governments and private-sector organizations are all using the same criteria to prepare for,
prevent, respond to, and recover from a terrorist attack or other major disaster.
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