August 2008 Newsletter

August 2008 Newsletter
OHIO HOMELAND SECURITY AND PARTNERS
PROMOTE CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN ONGOING
NORTHERN BORDER INITIATIVE
ODPS Director Henry Guzmán, Ohio Department of
Natural Resources (ODNR) Deputy Director Anthony
Trevena, representatives from Ohio Homeland Security
(OHS), U.S. Border Patrol, Lorain County Sheriff’s
Office and local law enforcement joined partners and
community leaders from Lake Erie’s North Coast region
on July 1 to dedicate a new boat to be used by the
Lorain County Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the
Northern Border Initiative (NBI).
Led by OHS, the NBI is a collaborative Homeland
Security effort among federal, state and local partners
along Ohio’s international maritime border and the Lake
Erie shoreline. Federal Homeland Security funds were
used to purchase the boat for Lorain County,
as well as two others being used by ODNR
as part of the NBI.
• Citizen Involvement, NBI • LETTP • NBI Featured on NBC4
eyes and diligence
• C/ACAMS
of citizens to report
suspicious activity.” • New Employees • Protective Security
The citizen portion Advisors
of
NBI
is
an • Upcoming Events 1-2
2-3
3
4-5
5
6
6
extension of OHS’s
“See
Something,
Say
Something”
campaign, which works to create a neighborhood
watch on a statewide basis. The “See Something,
Say Something” campaign urges the public to contact
local law enforcement or the Ohio Terrorism Tipline
at 1-877-OHS-INTEL (1-877-647-4683) if suspicious
(Citizen Involvement, continued on page 2)
The main goal of the NBI is to protect Ohio
and the United States by developing the
resources and capabilities to effectively
protect Lake Erie and its waterfront from
a terrorist incursion or operation, illegal
smuggling of goods, or any other disaster
– natural or man-made. Building from
successful partnerships established during
NBI’s first season in 2007, partners are now
working to increase citizen involvement in
this program.
“The involvement of citizens is imperative
to the Northern Border Initiative,” Director
Guzmán said. “Law enforcement resources
cannot be everywhere, so agencies must rely
on the informed, empowered and watchful
ODPS Director Henry Guzmán, OHS Executive Director
Bill Vedra and NBI partners at the July 1 event.
Secure Ohio
2
(Citizen Involvement, continued from page 1)
activity is observed. Focusing the program on
waterways includes looking for behavior such as:
unattended vessels or vehicles in unusual locations,
lights flashing between boats, recovering or tossing
items into/onto the waterway or shoreline and/or the
transfer of people or things between ships or between
ship and shore outside of port.
Just as it’s critical to everyone’s safety for motorists
not to drive impaired or unsafe, it’s equally as critical
for those who spend time on the lake are alert and
prepared to assist in identifying illegal or suspicious
activity. Cooperation and assistance from citizens will
complete the partnership for the NBI.
Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP)
For fiscal year 2007, the federal government has
allocated more than $12 million to the State of Ohio for
the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program
(LETPP). Out of this total, 80 percent of the funds
allocated will be spent at the regional level, while the
remaining 20 percent allocated will be spent at the
state level. The overarching goals of the LETPP are to
prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce
America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the
damage and recover from terrorist attacks.
For the remaining regional priorities, #2 and #6, a predetermined amount was allocated to each applicable
region. Once again, priority #6 focuses on the NBI
and only applies to the regions that border Lake Erie
(Regions 1 and 2). The eight Homeland Security
Planning Regions are as follows:
OHS, in conjunction with various regional stakeholders,
has developed eight priorities that relate to law
enforcement/terrorism prevention:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Enhance the fusion process
Improve regional collaboration - Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO) Program
Develop an automated fingerprint identification
system statewide
Enhance mobile data capability
Identify an information-reporting/collection
system that queries multiple databases
Strengthen the Northern Border Initiative (NBI)
Align grant requirements with OCJS
Support the transition of OLLEISN to the
National Information Exchange Model
In order to support the facilitation of a fair and
equitable division of local monies, OHS based the
funding amount of priorities #1, 3, 4, and 8 on regional
population percentage. For example, the original
regional allocation of priority #1 totaled $2,208,000 therefore Region 1 with 11.93 percent of the state’s
population, was allocated $263,503.25 for priority #1.
Each of the eight Homeland Security Planning Regions
are in various stages of LETPP priority completion.
(LETTP, continued on page 3)
Secure Ohio
3
(LETTP, continued from page 2)
Each region has a LETPP Advisory Council that seats
the following from the included region:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Three Sheriffs (largest county, smallest county,
medium-sized county)
Three Police Chiefs (Largest city, smallest city,
medium-sized city)
One University Law Enforcement Representative
TEWG (Terrorism Early Warning Group)
Representative (if applicable)
Criminal Justice Service Representative (if applicable)
These committees will meet and discuss LETPP
funding options within the parameters of the established
LETPP priorities. Budget worksheets provided must
be filled out by each region and includes a project
narrative, timeline, allocation of funds, and contact
information of the LETPP Advisory Council. These
budget worksheets will then be turned into OEMA,
who will collaborate with OHS to determine fiscal and
programmatic (respectively) compliance. Once each
budget worksheet is completed and reviewed, an
acceptance letter pertaining to the budget worksheet
and applicable priority will be returned to the region(s)
notifying the respective LETPP Advisory Council that
their budget worksheet was accepted.
OHS, OEMA and other state agencies/partners to
collaborate and ask questions concerning this program.
Presently, our current focus is on the Terrorism Liaison
Officer (TLO) training program that will take place in
September, and last an entire week. Topics will include:
the intelligence process, suspicious activity reporting,
multi-cultural relations, and an overview of the fusion
center concept. Additionally, the state has taken strides
in identifying regional/state agencies needs in terms of
automated fingerprint identification equipment, such as
Rapid ID units and Live-Scan units that can assist in
the identification of individuals in such databases as
the sex offender database, wanted persons database,
and the known/suspected terrorist database.
On June 20th, 2008, BCI and the FBI hosted a joint
presentation in London, Ohio that described this effort
to link the state to these databases as part of an AFIS
(automated fingerprint identification system) pilot
program. Lastly, I have traveled to all of the regions
within the state to provide a LETPP overview, along
with answering any questions that may have come up
along the way. I have found it to be very beneficial to
meet with all of our regional partners in establishing
these joint goals that will assist all of us in protecting
Ohio and our nation.
Presently our current focus is on the Terrorism Liaison
Officer. Every other Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., OHS holds
the LETPP conference call, which allows each region,
OHS Northern Border Initiative Featured
Recently, Columbus’ WCMH4 rode along with OHS
officials on one of the OHS NBI boats in Lorain County.
The NBC crew was able to ride along the U.S./Canadian
border and see first-hand how this collaborative law
enforcement initiative is effectively working to protect Lake
Erie and its waterfront from a possible terrorist incursion
or operation, or illegal smuggling of goods, people or
drugs. The involvement of citizens is imperative to NBI.
Law enforcement officials cannot cover all aspects of
the area’s threats, therefore, it is important for citizens
to always be alert and aware of their surroundings and
report suspicious activity to local law enforcement or the
OHS Terrorism Tipline 1-877-OHS-INTEL.
OHS Executive Director Bill Vedra with WCMH4 crew.
Secure Ohio
4
Constellation/Automated Critical Asset Management System
The Office of Protection and
Security’s (OPS) Infrastructure
Information Collection Section is
responsible for reducing Ohio’s
vulnerability to terrorism by
implementing plans to protect
critical infrastructure and key
resources (CIKR) and to deny
their use as a weapon. Supporting
this goal, OPS collects, catalogs
and
maintains
standardized,
quantifiable
and
risk-related
infrastructure
information
to
enable the execution of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security
national risk management for
CIKR for prioritizing data used
by homeland security partners. A
key component of the OPS is the
Constellation/Automated Critical
Asset
Management
System
(ACAMS).
Overview
C/ACAMS is a DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection
managed program developed in partnership with DHS’
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the
National Preparedness Directorate (NPD).
C/ACAMS is a secure, Web-based portal specifically
designed to support state and local first responders,
emergency managers, and other homeland security
officials to develop and implement comprehensive
CIKR Protection Programs. C/ACAMS also supports,
and is fully consistent with, the integrated approach
to CIKR asset inventory, vulnerability assessment,
and contingency planning outlined in the National
Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). C/ACAMS is free
for state and local governments.
Program Description
C/ACAMS is a fully certified and accredited information
services portal that provides CIKR protection planners and
emergency managers with access to a comprehensive
set of tools and resources for collection and effective
use of CIKR asset data, prevention and protection
information, and incident response and recovery plans.
David Winn at a C/ACAMS training session.
Features include:
• Programmable, role-based access
• Comprehensive infrastructure asset inventory,
inventory management and vulnerability
assessment tools
• Automated report generator for standard and
customized reporting
• Built-in Asset Manager Questionnaires
• Built-in Buffer Zone Plan development tools
• DHS-approved CIKR asset taxonomy
classification tool
• Access to live law enforcement and counter
terrorism news feeds
• Integrated mapping and Geospatial Information
System (GIS) functionality using the DHS Integrated
Common Analytical Viewer (iCAV)
• Comprehensive electronic CIKR reference
documentation library
• Approved for Protected Critical Infrastructure
Information (PCII) storage
Program Status
Since initially deploying C/ACAMS in California in 2006,
the DHS C/ACAMS Project Office has aggressively
expanded the system’s availability throughout the United
(Citizen Involvement, continued on page 5)
Secure Ohio
5
(C/ACAMS, continued from page 4)
States. C/ACAMS is currently used in nearly 20 states and
in numerous major metropolitan areas. Federal, state and
local first responders, emergency managers and other
homeland security officials from across the country have
attended the CIKR Asset Protection Technical Assistance
Program (CAPTAP) to learn how C/ACAMS enables the
implementation of CIKR protection programs at the state
and local level. DHS continues to increase C/ACAMS’
presence nationwide through expanded CAPTAP
offerings, a CAPTAP “Train-the-Trainer” service and
Web-based training. The C/ACAMS team also conducts
extensive outreach with state and local partners to help
them develop and implement CIKR protection programs
tailored to meet their specific needs.
Points of Contact
Office of Protection and Security
Ohio Division of Homeland Security
David Winn
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 614.644.3894
New Employees/New Positions
Benjamin Presson
Marni Hollman
Benjamin Presson has begun
a new career with OHS. He
has taken a position as a
research analyst in the Office
of Prevention and Counterterrorism at the Strategic
Analysis and Information
Center along with Marni
Hollman. Ben will perform
research and analysis in
support of OHS and homeland
security efforts throughout
the state. His new position will serve to bolster the
capabilities of the Analytical Unit while he assists in
drafting and presenting written products and briefings
to assist local, state and federal partners.
Marni will be working with
the Ohio Homeland Security
Prevention Unit by continuing
her state service as the
Operations Coordinator, which
is to be a liaison position
overseeing
operations
management. In her new
position, she will be capitalizing
on her diverse professional
background including her
recent service with the Ohio
State Highway Patrol (OSHP). She had the privilege
of serving the state and community in the capacity of
a Dispatcher at the OSHP Columbus Communications
Center and the Chillicothe Patrol Post, which serves
Ross and Pike counties.
Before moving into his new position, Ben worked
at OHS for two years as an intern and intermittent
strategic planner. A long-time resident of Columbus,
Ohio, Ben is a graduate of The Ohio State University
with a B.A. in political science and a minor in security
and intelligence. He is actively involved in the study of
terrorism as an Editorial Assistant with Perspectives on
Terrorism, a journal of the Terrorism Research Initiative.
He also serves as Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of
the Journal of Politics & International Affairs, and is a
former vice president of the Undergraduate Political
Science Organization at Ohio State.
In addition to her law enforcement experience, she
brings a unique professional background. Her recent
professional history includes being an Executive
Assistant for the Tyco Electronics Group, a subsidiary
of Tyco International, a flight attendant with US
Airways, Inc. and management experience with The
Fresh Market. She is a native of the Central Ohio area,
graduating from Upper Arlington High School and The
Ohio State University, where she received a degree in
the Social and Behavioral Sciences.
Secure Ohio
6
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
PROTECTIVE SECURITY ADVISORS
BRINGING LOCAL PERSPECTIVE TO A NATIONAL EFFORT
Physical or cyber attacks against the nation’s critical
infrastructure and key resource sectors can have cascading
and devastating effects on our national security, economic
vitality and way of life. Every day, we rely on the efficient
and economic operation of the nation’s power stations,
chemical plants, transportation systems and other critical
infrastructure assets and systems for essential goods,
services and daily necessities.
With roughly 85 percent of all critical infrastructure and
key resource assets owned privately, the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) recognizes that its core mission
to secure America can only be accomplished in partnership
with the businesses that own these assets and with the
state governments and local communities within which
these assets are located.
PROTECTIVE SECURITY ADVISORS:
PROVIDING COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT
To better partner with state governments and local
communities and businesses, DHS has placed a cadre of
highly experienced security specialists in neighborhoods
throughout the country to assist local efforts to protect
critical assets, and to provide a local perspective to the
national risk picture.
With an average of 20 years of counter-terrorism and
security experience, these dedicated infrastructure experts,
or Protective Security Advisors, are recruited from, live and
work in your communities. They provide a federally funded
resource to communities and businesses to assist in the
protection of critical assets.
The roles of the Protective Security Advisors are to:
• Assist with security efforts coordinated by state
Homeland Security Advisors
• Support the development of the national risk picture
by assisting in identification, assessment, monitoring,
and minimizing risk to critical assets at the local or
district level
• Facilitate, coordinate and/or perform vulnerability
assessments for local critical infrastructures and assets
THE VALUE OF THIS PROGRAM TO YOU
Protective Security Advisors are there as a federally funded
infrastructure protection resource for your communities.
They provide a number of valuable services and functions,
including:
• Assisting in and supporting comprehensive risk and
physical/technical security analyses
• Conveying local concerns and sensitivities to DHS
and other federal agencies
• Relaying disconnects between local, state and
national protection activities
•
•
•
Communicating requests and coordinating for federal
protection training and exercises
Providing reach-back capability to DHS or other
federal government resources
Providing local context and expertise to Homeland
Security to ensure that community resources are
used appropriately, efficiently and effectively
`
Upcoming Events
• August 28, State of Ohio Security Task Force
(SOSTF) Meeting
• August 29, National Preparedness Month kick-off
Event
• September 9, 12:30p.m. Anti-Terrorism Advisory
Committee Training Conference.
• September 10, 8:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Law
Enforcement Coordination Committee Training
• September 11, National Preparedness Month 9/11
Event at the Statehouse
• September 15, Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO)
Training at the ODOT Auditorium
• September 25, 2-4pm. Ohio Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC)
• September 29, Ohio Medical Reserve Corp
Committee meeting at EMA
• October 16, OPISSC Meeting
• October 17, Private Investigator/Security Guard
(PISG) Informational Seminar
• October 28, Transportation Seminar
A Newsletter of Ohio Homeland Security
William F. Vedra, Jr., Executive Director
http://www.homelandsecurity.ohio.gov
Terrorism Tipline:
1-877-OHS-INTEL (1-877-647-4683)
Ohio Department of Public Safety
1970 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43223