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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY |
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November 19, 2009
This Week
Travel Tips for Safety, Security and Health
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today was joined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Dr. Anne Schuchat and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Acting Administrator Gale Rossides to promote holiday travel tips and highlight the simple steps travelers can take to prevent the spread of the flu.
“Following these simple travel tips will help expedite the screening process at airports and keep travelers healthy and safe throughout the holiday travel season,” said Secretary Napolitano.
TSA’s holiday travel tips will help decrease the amount of time passengers spend in line at airport security checkpoints, increase the overall efficiency of airport operations and enhance security by engaging passengers in the shared responsibility of watching out for suspicious activity at airports across the nation.
Pregnant women and others at risk should get H1N1 shots as soon as they are available in their communities. The following links reflect updates and new information released over the last week. We encourage you and your organization to incorporate these materials into your flu planning and mitigation efforts. A comprehensive list of "flu resources" follows the updates.
Flu Resources
Attend a PS-Prep Stakeholder Meeting in Your Community
DHS is conducting a series of public meetings across the country to discuss the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep).
PS-Prep is a partnership between DHS and the private sector that will enable private entities—including businesses, non-profit organizations and universities—to receive emergency preparedness certification from a system DHS created in coordination with the private sector. Due to the fact that PS-Prep is a voluntary program for all private entities, we strongly encourage your organization to take the time to read the notice, consider the questions it poses for the private sector, and submit comments. The purpose of these meetings is to provide the public with an opportunity to engage in dialogue with DHS staff and program managers regarding an October 16, 2009, Federal Register Notice (74 FR 53286) announcing DHS’ intent to select three standards for adoption in the PS-Prep program. The dates, times (local time) and locations of the public meetings are listed below. Meeting participants are requested to be seated no later than 12:50 p.m. (local time).
Individuals wishing to submit comments on the proposed standards, recommend additional standards for consideration or comment on other programmatic aspects of PS-Prep may obtain a comment form and instructions for submission online at www.regulations.gov, in Docket ID: FEMA-2008-0017. The deadline for comments has been extended to January 15, 2010. For more information about PS-Prep, please visit: www.fema.gov/privatesectorpreparedness/.
Protecting our Nation’s Critical Infrastructure
From energy systems that power our neighborhoods, to transportation networks that move us around our communities and the country, to facilities that provide our families with safe drinking water, Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) impacts nearly every aspect of our daily lives.
In short, CIKR is an umbrella term referring to the assets of the United States essential to the nation's security, public health and safety, economic vitality, and way of life. CIKR is divided into18 separate sectors, as diverse as agriculture and food, emergency services, and cyber networks.
Because this critical infrastructure provides our country with the enormous benefits, services and opportunities on which we rely, we are very mindful of the risks posed to CIKR by terrorists, pandemic diseases and natural disasters. At the Department of Homeland Security, we know that these threats can have serious effects, such as cutting populations off from clean water, power, transportation, or emergency supplies.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Secretary Napolitano is working to raise awareness about the importance of our nation’s critical infrastructure, and strengthen our ability to protect it. Since the vast majority of America’s critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, ensuring the protection and resiliency of the nation’s CIKR involves an unprecedented partnership between government and the private sector.
This partnership is at the heart of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, which establishes a unique coordination and information-sharing framework that unifies protection of our nation’s CIKR into an integrated plan. The partnership now includes more than 200 trade associations from every CIKR sector, representing more than 4 million members.
The NIPP was an important topic of conversation this week when the Secretary held the first of three meetings with CIKR leaders. In the first session with the energy, nuclear, water and chemical sectors, Secretary Napolitano re-emphasized her continued commitment to coordination and information-sharing, and asked CIKR partners to provide continued feedback on critical infrastructure protection planning.
DHS this week also launched a new online resource center – available at www.dhs.gov/criticalinfrastructure -- which will serve as the center for CIKR information and training, and raise awareness about the Department’s CIKR protection, readiness and resiliency efforts.
And check out this video to learn more about how the groundbreaking public-private partnership works to safeguard the nation’s Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources.
Secretary Napolitano’s Address on Reforming our Immigration System
On Friday, November 13, 2009, Secretary Napolitano delivered remarks about the Obama administration’s efforts to reform the United States’ immigration system. The Secretary outlined the “three-legged stool” of immigration reform that includes: serious and effective enforcement; improved legal flows for families and workers; and a firm but fair way to deal with those who are already here.
You can watch the speech here, and read the text of her remarks here.
To participate in the conversation about immigration reform, join Our Border – a new online tool that brings people together to continue the dialogue on this important issue.
Other Immigration News
New Campaign to Recognize Employers Committed to Maintaining a Legal Workforce 11/19/2009 Secure Communities Initiative Identified More Than 111,000 Criminal Aliens in Its First Year 11/12/2009
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security · Washington, DC 20528 · 800-439-1420 U.S. Department of Homeland Security
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