The threat posed by the use and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is rising, a Defense Department official told a House Armed Services Committee panel. China, “Russia, North Korea, Iran and violent extremist organizations have, or are pursuing, WMD capabilities that could threaten the United States or U.S. interests,” said Theresa Whelan, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf announced the release of Fiscal Year 2020 Notices of Funding Opportunity for eight DHS preparedness grant programs totaling nearly $1.8 billion. The grant programs provide funding to state, local, tribal and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, to improve the nation’s readiness in preventing, protecting against, responding to, recovering from, and mitigating terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
The Social Media for Emergency Managers Guidance Tool, a Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) collaboration, will increase first responder and emergency managers’ ability to deliver messages to the public before, during, and after an incident by providing social media planning templates, resources, and best practices.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the nation's first Foundry for American Biotechnology today to produce technological solutions that help the United States protect against and respond to health security threats, enhance daily medical care, and add to the U.S. bioeconomy.
The Trump Administration launched the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website: SchoolSafety.gov. This website is a one-stop-shop of resources for Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) administrators, educators, parents, and law enforcement to use to prepare for and address various threats related to safety, security, and support in schools.
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends ways to make supply chains – the systems that provide populations with critical goods and services, such as food and water, gasoline, and pharmaceuticals and medical supplies – more resilient in the face of hurricanes and other disasters, drawing upon lessons learned from the 2017 hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to enable emergency use of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel. To date, this test has been limited to use at CDC laboratories; but this authorization allows the use of the test at any CDC-qualified lab across the country.
Public safety and emergency management agencies need fast, reliable data to help them make the best possible decisions. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s Information Sharing Assessment Tool (ISAT) is a web-based self-assessment tool that helps public safety agencies understand their current information sharing capabilities and gaps.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate announced the selection of the University of Nebraska Omaha to lead a consortium of U.S. academic institutions and other partners for a new Center of Excellence for Terrorism Prevention and Counterterrorism Research.
To protect the American people from exposure to the coronavirus, the Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad F. Wolf issued instructions and directed all flights from China, and all passengers who have traveled to China within the last 14 days, to be routed through one of eleven U.S. airports. At these eleven airports, the United States Government has established enhanced screening procedures and the capacity to quarantine passengers, if needed.
