Rail Security
Senate may add another $3.5 billion in security spending into stimulus package
February 2nd, 2009
The Senate version of the Obama Administration's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is beginning to resemble a glittering Christmas tree, as billions in new security expenditures are being added, like ornaments, to the legislation's branches.
TSA gathering data on shoe scanners and metal detection portals
January 27th, 2009
TSA is gathering information from companies with the ability to make scanning devices that can detect explosives or weapons parts concealed inside shoes as well as walk-through detectors that can detect prohibited metallic objects.
Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace warn about Obama's inaugural train ride
January 6th, 2009
Two leading environmental groups, the Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace, have written a letter to the Secret Service warning about the potential danger of a catastrophic terrorist attack on a hazardous chemical facility along the East Coast rail corridor while Barack Obama and Joe Biden make a highly-publicized pre-inaugural whistle-stop train trip to Washington, DC, on Jan. 17.
NIST’s “phantom” mannequin used to test metal detectors
January 5th, 2009
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a “phantom” mannequin which simulates the mass and height of the average American male adult so it can be pushed through a walk-through metal detector and help determine how effectively the detector can discriminates between weapons and innocuous objects.
Radio manufacturers will attest to their compliance with P25 standards
December 17th, 2008
Manufacturers of emergency response radio systems that ostensibly comply with Project 25 technical standards laid out by DHS and the National Institute of Standards and Technology will be asked to submit a "Supplier's Declaration of Compliance" and a summary test report to support their claims.
Morgan Keegan initiates its coverage of Axsys with a 'Market Perform'
December 11th, 2008
Morgan Keegan & Co., the Tennessee-based investment bank, has initiated equity coverage of Axsys Technologies, a provider of optical technology for the homeland security and defense markets, with a "Market Perform" rating. That means Morgan Keegan expects Axsys to perform in line with the S&P 500 over the next six months.
NGA gathering detailed geospatial data on 50 states and border areas
December 10th, 2008
The National Geospatial-
Intelligence Agency is looking for vendors who can supply detailed commercial off-the-shelf mapping information about transportation facilities, public venues, water-related areas and geographic boundaries in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and within 100 miles of the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada.
'Safe havens' required for highway transport of radioactive materials
December 5th, 2008
Under strict new security measures issued by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear facilities planning to transport radioactive materials along U.S. highways must identify potential “safe havens” along the route – such as military installations, police barracks, weigh stations or truck stops with secure areas – where, in an emergency, the transportation crews could wait safely for law enforcement authorities.
