Tag: homeland security

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Colorado State Publications Blog

September is National Preparedness Month

The recent hurricane events have demonstrated the importance of being prepared for disaster.  Even though we don’t get hurricanes in our state, there are a number of other disasters to prepare for — including both natural disasters (floods, fires, tornadoes, storms, avalanches, rockslides) and manmade disasters (terrorism, active shooters, power outages).  There are many personal incidents to prepare for as well — illness, identity theft, personal safety, home protection, and more.  ReadyColorado.com, sponsored by Colorado’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, can help you prepare for hazards large and small.

On the site you can find resources on how to create a preparedness plan for your home or office; how to stay informed of emergencies in your area; a calendar of events and training; 8 signs of terrorism; a natural hazards map; pet safety; resources for educators; resources for people with disabilities; and a blog.  Recent entries in their blog include a wide variety of topics including pedestrian safety, business continuity planning, bears, immunizations, heatstroke prevention, campfire safety, internet safety, and drone safety.  Before the next disaster – personal or community-wide – affects you, check out this informative site.

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Colorado State Publications Blog

National Preparedness Month in Colorado

September is National Preparedness Month, bringing awareness to the need for preparation for natural and man-made disasters.  Governor Hickenlooper has issued a proclamation in recognition of National Preparedness Month (click on image to enlarge):

 

Additionally, the governor, Lt. Governor, and members of the American Red Cross and and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) will annouce the all-new Prepare Colorado initiative at 2:00pm on Friday, Sept. 6.  The announcement will take place on the steps of the State Capitol.  Prepare Colorado encourages all citizens to take part in a step-by-step plan that will ensure better preparedness for everyone.  A preparedness plan checklist can be found at www.redcross.org/Colorado.

There are numerous state publications and resources that can help citizens prepare for emergencies and disasters.  www.Readycolorado.com is a helpful, Colorado-specific, state-sponsored site that can help citizens, businesses, and government agencies plan and prepare.  In addition, some useful state documents include:

Finally, see the Colorado DHSEM’s press release for more details on Prepare Colorado and National Preparedness Month in Colorado.

 

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Civil Defense in Colorado

One of the very interesting historical publications in our library is the Colorado Nuclear Civil Protection Plan, which was created in 1979 “to establish a state-level emergency organization…in the event of an international crisis that could result in a threat of nuclear war upon the United States.”  Obviously, this publication is outdated and no longer used, but it offers an eye-opening historical perspective on the times in which it was written.

Today, we have the Colorado Office of Homeland Security, overseen by the Colorado State Patrol.  See Colorado’s current Homeland Security Strategy document for what the state is doing now to help protect its citizens.  Other recent documents of interest include Governor’s Office of Homeland Security Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan; Terrorism Protective Measures Resource Guide, Water Industry; Senate Select Committee on Homeland Security Report to the Colorado Senate; Homeland Security Research in Colorado; Water Supply Safety; Responding to Chemical Weapons Incidents; Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Terrorism Preparedness; Biological Threats; and Domestic Preparedness:  A Practical Guide to Help the Citizens of Colorado Prepare for Terrorism.

Finally, be sure to visit http://www.readycolorado.com, a state-supported website that gives Coloradans tips on keeping themselves and their homes protected from all kinds of disasters, whether they be natural or man-made. 

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Terrorism and Citizen Vigilance

Last week someone who was taking videos from the top of Dillon Reservoir was reported to authorities and, fortunately, found to be innocent. Did you know there exists the Colorado Information Analysis Center, funded mainly by federal Homeland Security funds and staffed by state agencies? It serves as a “fusion center” where reports of suspicious activities are analyzed for their potential relationship to terrorist activity. On the CIAC site is a form that you can fill out to report suspicious activity. (Of course you can call 911, as well, for immediate response.) Also included on the site is a list of the types of activities you should report. Videotaping dams is on the list.

The site provides a link to the Colorado Rubicon Team, which will provide free training to public and private groups on a variety of terrorism topics as described in their brochure, Prevention and Preparedness through Partnerships.

For related terrorism titles in the Colorado State Publications Library, search our online catalog.

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Homeland Security

Yesterday, the governor announced this year’s funding awards for homeland security programs across Colorado. A breakdown of the monetary distribution is available in the governor’s “Press Release on Homeland Security Grants.”

The Homeland Security pages from the Colorado Division of Emergency Management are a great resource. Make sure to scroll down the page, and glance through the “Information links” on the right side of the page. There are links to information on Colorado Counter Terrorism efforts, emergency preparedness, and where to get help when you need it.

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Violence Prevention

In addition to the tragic events at Virginia Tech, this week also marked the anniversaries of two other tragedies with the 12th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19th and the 8th anniversary of the Columbine school shootings on April 20th.

Our library has several documents on the Columbine investigation, including Report of the investigation into the 1997 directed report and related matters concerning the Columbine High School shootings in April 1999; Report of the investigation into missing daily field activity and daily supervisor reports related to Columbine High School shootings; and The report of Governor Bill Owens’ Columbine Review Commission. We also have in our collection documents from CU’s Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence.

The Oklahoma City bombing was an act of domestic terrorism, and you can read about Colorado’s efforts to prepare for terrorism in the State of Colorado Homeland Security Strategy and Colorado homeland security in 2006, both available in our library.

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Colorado State Publications Blog

Remembering Sept. 11

Next Monday marks the five year anniversary of Sept.11, and CoSPL has a few resources dealing directly with the tragedy, as well as information on what Colorado’s government is doing to protect our state.

CoSPL’s materials concerning Sept. 11 include a number of publications produced by CU-Boulder’s Natural Hazards Research Center. These include:
–Emergency Management in the 21st Century
–Community Response in a Terrorist Disaster
–Victim Identification and Management Following the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers
–The September 11th Attacks on America
–Field Observations of Lower Manhattan in the Aftermath of the World Trade Center Disaster
There are others so search our catalog with the search term “September 11” for more.

In addition, we have some resources on Colorado homeland security, including the 2005 document “State of Colorado Homeland Security Strategy.”