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DHS Aspires To Be More like Defense DHS to Beef Cybersecurity Staff NVFC Names Congressman John Larson 2008 Legislator of the Year
DHS Aspires To Be More like Defense The Department of Homeland Security has made several proposals in its 2009 budget request that are based on programs and initiatives used by the Defense Department. What can the DHS learn from the DoD? In an article in the April issue of National Defense, Stew Magnuson says among the proposals is a $1.65 million request to develop the first “Quadrennial Homeland Security Review,” which is similar to a Defense Department program. The DHS also requested $3.1 million for the chief procurement officer to enhance the acquisition intern program, which recruits, trains and certifies the workforce that oversees the development and purchasing of technology. “I am constantly reminded by Congress of the fact that there’s concern about our over-reliance on contractors to manage contracts,” DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff told Magnuson. To remedy this, the department needs to build a corps of acquisition experts, he said. “We need to have money to hire those people. Continually trying to punish us by cutting our management budget in order to induce us to hire more people is literally working at cross purposes,” Chertoff added. To read the full article, click here: http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2008/April/SecurityBeat.htm
FEMA Administrator Tours Flooded Areas in Missouri, En Route to Arkansas FEMA Administrator David Paulison joined Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder and other federal and state officials on Thursday to tour damage across that state from last week’s flooding. The group met in Jefferson City, Mo., before traveling to affected areas near St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. Disasters have been declared in Missouri and Arkansas, paving the way for federal assistance. Today, Paulison was scheduled to travel to Arkansas and meet with officials there about the widespread flooding.
Source: FEMA FEMA and GSA Partner on Logistics Coordination Forum More than 100 people from federal, state, and local governments, and the private sector, attended the National Logistics Coordination Forum, sponsored by FEMA and the General Services Administration (GSA) on March 27. Participants at the March 27 meeting discussed ways the two agencies can work more effectively with their partners to identify gaps, duplications, and challenges that adversely impact emergency response operations. “The discussions and comments generated in the forum were of tremendous value in our endeavor to achieve the National Logistics Coordinator Concept,” said FEMA Assistant Administrator for Logistics Management Eric Smith. “It is only through collaboration and transparency built through solid partnership that we will transform and enhance our capability to provide effective disaster responses.” Meeting participants weighed in on a variety of topics, including issues involving the recently published National Response Framework and its Emergency Support Functions (ESFs). Each ESF, when activated, is coordinated and led by a federal agency and has several support agencies. The mission of ESF-7 is to synchronize and fully integrate logistics management and resource support capabilities into an effective national supply chain management system, by leveraging the strengths, capabilities, and resources of its partners. During the conference, FEMA and GSA officials briefed participants on how they would coordinate their activities under ESF-7. Source: FEMA FEMA Administrator Credits Employees for Improvements Testifying before the Senate last week, FEMA Administrator David Paulison said that the reforms and improvements at FEMA over the past three years would not have been possible without the hard work of employees. In testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Paulison said all FEMA employees play an essential role in the agency’s mission. “FEMA has made it a priority to hire seasoned professionals, whether in the field of logistics, in IT, in acquisitions, as operational planners, or as experts able to deliver assistance to those in need.” As part of his testimony, Paulison addressed the findings in a report from DHS Inspector General (IG) Richard Skinner, who also testified at the hearing. Both presented their perspectives on the IG’s “scorecard for selected FEMA preparedness areas” that listed areas in which the agency needs improvement. Paulison told the committee that FEMA leadership “views this report as a validation of our efforts and as an additional learning opportunity as we continue our progress.” He noted that, in the past year alone, FEMA has responded to 63 major disaster and 13 emergency presidential declarations. “From Greensburg, Kansas, to the fires of California, to the current flooding along the Mississippi, we have seen an improved and respected response from FEMA. I have visited these disaster scenes, first-hand, and have seen the difference,” he said. He noted that FEMA is continuing to build a stronger network to respond to disasters, as it works with federal partners, tribal, state, and local governments, the private sector, and the nonprofit community. Committee Chairman Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Ranking Member Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) praised FEMA for its progress and recent responses to floods and storms across the country. Source: FEMA DHS to Beef Cybersecurity Staff A new report says the Department of Homeland Security’s infrastructure and cyber units are currently interviewing and hiring candidates for more than 300 job openings. Will filling the gaps shore up the nation’s cybersecurity? In an article on the Government Technology website, Alice Lipowicz says Robert Jamison, the department’s under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, told her the directorate currently has 330 open positions. “We’ve made substantial progress. We’ve got a long way to go. It’s something that we focus on daily,” Jamison said. “If we don't get the people on board to execute the missions, not only will we not accomplish what we're trying to do from a mission standpoint, but we're in jeopardy for a transition, so we make it a top priority.” In addition to the new hiring, the department will also convert more than 200 contractor jobs into government positions, in an attempt to stabilize the cybersecurity and infrastructure protection divisions for the upcoming presidential transition. Jamison told Lipowicz he is close to finishing the conversion of 107 contractor positions into government positions, and has identified another 120 contractor positions that may be converted. Jamison also described the director’s role in an interagency effort to secure the “dot-gov” network by consolidating access points, expanding intrusion detection capabilities and improving response capabilities. To read the full article, click here: http://www.washingtontechnology.com/online/1_1/32563-1.html
NVFC Names Congressman John Larson 2008 Legislator of the Year The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) honored Congressman John Larson (D-CT) with the NVFC 2008 Legislator of the Year Award during the organization’s Spring Board Meeting on April 3. Larson sponsored H.R. 943 – the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act (VRIPA) – and made passage of the legislation his top priority. VRIPA, which was signed into law in December, exempts certain benefits provided to volunteer emergency responders from federal taxation. “I’d like to thank Congressman Larson for all of his hard work in getting this important piece of legislation passed,” said NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg. “The compensation that some volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel receive is modest in comparison to the many hours that they spend training for and responding to emergencies. Federal taxation reduces the incentive value of these benefits, which communities use as recruitment and retention tools. Without Congressman Larson’s efforts, this landmark achievement on behalf of volunteer emergency services personnel would not have been achieved.” Larson first introduced VRIPA in 2003 after the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ruled that property tax reductions for volunteer firefighters were subject to income taxation. Many municipalities in Larson’s home state of Connecticut provide property tax relief to their volunteer firefighters in order to make living in those communities more affordable. In February 2007, NVFC Connecticut Alternate Director Scott Potter and Director of Government Relations Dave Finger participated in a meeting hosted by Congressman Larson in South Windsor, CT, to announce the introduction of VRIPA in the 110th Congress. Last October, NVFC Connecticut Director John McAuliffe testified before the House Ways and Means Committee, which Larson sits on, regarding VRIPA. Past winners of the NVFC’s Legislator of the Year Award include: 2007, Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) has received notice of the following firefighter fatalities: Name: Robin Broxterman
Name: Brian Schira
Fire Department: Colerain Township Department of Fire & EMS Address: 3251 Springdale RD., Cincinnati, OH 45251 Fire Department Chief: G. Bruce Smith Fire Department Website: http://www.coleraintwp.org/fire.cfm The cause of the fire and the structural collapse remain under investigation. The occupants of the residence escaped the fire without injury. Funeral Arrangements: Pending
Name: Walter William Michl
Fire Department: Roanoke - Wildwood Volunteer Fire Department Address: 790 Lizard Creek Road, Littleton, NC 27850 Fire Department Chief: Stewart Garnett Incident Description: Roanoke - Wildwood Fire Department was dispatched for a reported structure fire and Firefighter Michl, when his pager sounded, prepared to leave his residence in response. Michl’s wife discovered him shortly thereafter having passed away in the kitchen of his residence from a cause not yet reported.
Incident Location: Unk Map View: Unk
Funeral Arrangements: 03/18/2008
Memorial Fund Contact and Address: Roanoke - Wildwood Fire Department, 790 Lizard Creek Road, Littleton, NC 27850
Tribute is being paid to Firefighter Walter William Michl at http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/fireservice/fatalities/ Name: Michael D. Crotty
Source: USFA |
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