State | Local Security

Featured Videos

The Bastrop County, TX  Unified Command was named Winner of GSN’s 2011 Award for “Most Notable Emergency Response – Federal, State or Local.”. Trophies were awarded to the Incident Commanders of...
The Bastrop County, TX  Unified Command was named Winner of GSN’s 2011 Award for “Most Notable Emergency Response – Federal, State or Local.”. Trophies were awarded to the Incident Commanders...
The Bastrop County, TX  Unified Command was named Winner of GSN’s 2011 Award for “Most Notable Emergency Response – Federal, State or Local.”. Trophies were awarded to the Incident Commanders...
The Bastrop County, TX  Unified Command was named Winner of GSN’s 2011 Award for “Most Notable Emergency Response – Federal, State or Local.”. Trophies were awarded to the Incident Commanders...

News

Fri, 2012-02-03 11:57 AM
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, known as the ATF, has proposed a new federal rule that intends to clarify that an applicant for a firearms license whose application has been...
Fri, 2012-02-03 10:22 AM

Ambulance
team with AMR

FEMA has awarded a follow-on contract that could be worth almost half a billion dollars to American Medical Response Ambulance Service, Inc. (AMR) to provide ground and air ambulances, medical...
Fri, 2012-02-03 08:55 AM

Indianapolis International

The Transportation Security Administration is set to deal with tens of thousands more passengers travelling through Indianapolis International Airport before and after Super Bowl XLVI with additional...
Fri, 2012-02-03 08:15 AM

Napolitano at Super Bowl XLVI

As their boss touted this year’s Super Bowl as one of the most secure in history, U.S. customs agents were busy extending protections beyond the physical venue and into intellectual property on the...
Fri, 2012-02-03 07:35 AM

Federal courtroom

Federal cases against two men charged with terror exploits moved forward on Feb. 2, with formal charges against one and an initial court appearance by another. The Florida man accused of planning...
Thu, 2012-02-02 02:53 PM
UK-based manufacturer Conway Security Products has supplied a large number of its custodial corner-mounted cameras as part of a refurbishment and updating project at a high-security correctional...
Thu, 2012-02-02 09:51 AM

U.S. hot spot map

A study by university researchers on terror attacks in the U.S. between 1970 and 2008 found some areas in the U.S. have remained hot spots for the activity.
Wed, 2012-02-01 08:57 AM

North Anna nuclear power station

The agencies in charge of regulating the safety of nuclear power plants in the U.S. released a new study of seismic activity in the eastern and central U.S. aimed at updating a 20-year-old seismic...
Wed, 2012-02-01 07:36 AM
The next generation public safety communications network should be managed by a non-governmental, non-profit organization that could impartially reconcile the myriad standards and procedures...
Tue, 2012-01-31 07:45 AM
Agricultural scientists have found a more effective vaccine for a disease that can jump from cattle to humans. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the new vaccine is more effective...
Mon, 2012-01-30 01:54 PM
The Department of Transportation’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, which is located in Cambridge, MA, has awarded an 8(a) small business set-aside contract valued at $4.3 million to...
Fri, 2012-01-27 07:29 AM

Corp of Engineers video

The suspicious-looking man who jumped a security fence into a restricted area around an Oregon dam last spring -- raising alarms on infrastructure security nationwide -- was sentenced to probation...

Company News

The Ralph Carr Judicial Center in Denver, CO, which is on track for completion in the Spring of 2013, has selected AMAG Technology’s Symmetry Homeland V7 Security Management System.

Minneapolis-based Walden University is offering an online emergency management degree program aimed at developing skills to handle situations from natural disasters to man-made catastrophes to terrorist acts.

Walden University said its new online M.S. in Emergency Management program helps prepare professionals with the advanced skills they need to lead emergency response efforts, improve public policy and protect communities from natural disasters and other hazardous events.

A manufacturer and installer of fiber-optic intrusion detection systems, Future Fibre Technologies (FFT) has opened a new office in Delhi, India, to service and support the company’s growing activity in that country.

India’s development, rapid population growth and the increased security risks combine to present special challenges to the suppliers and operators responsible for protecting the nation’s critical infrastructure sites.

Opened in December 2011 and located at Westfield Stratford City, in the heart of east London, the Aspers Westfield Stratford City Casino represents a new model of casino in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The casino currently has 50 gaming tables, 150 gaming machines, 100 electronic gaming terminals and a sports book, as well as bars and restaurants with views over the 2012 Olympic park.

Robert “Dino” Herrera was named acting deputy manager of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Y-12 Site Office.

He replaces Dan Hoag who was named acting YSO manager. His assignment to YSO was effective Jan. 4, 2012.

The Y-12 site, in Oak Ridge, TN, primarily supports national defense needs by watching over the nuclear weapon stockpile, assists in nuclear non-proliferation efforts, and provides expertise to other federal agencies. The facility also provides secure storage for nuclear material from the U.S. and other governments.

For the first time in the 45-year history of the Consumer Electronics Show, a patrol car from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), equipped with Raytheon Company's integration of the latest generation of public safety communications technology, will be on display.

The car will be shown at the invitation-only ShowStoppers event that runs from 6 – 10 PM on January 10 in the Lafite Ballroom of the Wynn Hotel, located on the Las Vegas strip.

Security service provider Command Security Corporation said Craig Coy has joined the company as its chief executive officer.

Coy was formerly president and chief operating officer of L-3’s Homeland Security Group.

Command Security provides uniformed security officers, aviation security services and support security services to commercial, financial, industrial, aviation and governmental customers throughout the United States.

View Systems, Inc., a security solutions provider, announced on Dec. 28 the installation of four more View Scans in the Philadelphia, PA, school system. The company has recently delivered the systems to the Western High School in Philadelphia. These systems were purchased by Security Data Technology, a security dealer in Pennsylvania.

In a previous product sales update, View Systems reported that it had delivered 50 units of a 60 unit View Scan order from the Detroit, MI, public school system.

Commentary and Opinions

A widely held belief in the law enforcement community is that the more information sharing that takes place among different agencies, the better opportunities law enforcement officials have to connect the dots on possible criminal activity. Tips and leads, or Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) from citizens, can help piece together what otherwise might remain silos of pertinent clues or data -- never a connection to be made.

When reports emerged from Blacksburg, VA, last Thursday afternoon that a shooter had descended upon Virginia Tech’s campus, confirmation that a campus police officer had been killed and headlines of a possible second victim overwhelmed news channels, Websites and every social media outlet.

Throughout the day, there was a jarring litany of that old cliché by anyone that remembers the unspeakable tragedies of April 2007, which claimed 33 lives on Virginia Tech’s campus:

History really does repeat itself.

The frantic phone calls arrived on the leading edge of Hurricane Irene’s assault on the East Coast.

“We are out of flares and need to re-stock fast.”

“Can we drive to you and pick them up at your warehouse?”

“Do you have distributors or retailers in our area and do they have stock?”

Every business day, companies fight to keep manufacturing in the U.S., and with good reason. Companies want to keep highly-skilled, well-paying jobs here. They want to keep profits and taxes in the U.S. But, foremost, when one looks at the total cost of manufacturing, domestic manufacturing truly is the most cost-effective option.

Companies witness this every day and it’s starting to become apparent as more customers are re-sourcing product from Mexico, Eastern Europe and the Far East back to the U.S. So, why is the U.S. becoming the next low-cost region for manufacturing?

Securing our cities in a post 9-11 environment -- characterized by terrorist actions, civil unrest and natural disasters -- has emerged as one of the biggest challenges facing security professionals around the world. Leading-edge technologies for citywide monitoring and collaboration are widely available to improve security, but progress has been slow.

 

Essential Guides

Technology Sectors

Market Sectors

Recent Videos

Entrust, Inc is an identity-based security company that focuses on government and enterprises, according to Bill Conner. The company had a big night at GSN’s 2011 Awards Program, being named Winner in “Best Certificate Management Solution”, “Best Smart Card Solution” and “Best Integrated Systems for HSPD-12/FIPS 201 Compliance”.  In the same week, Conner reports, the company also won a four-year GSA contract for PKI capability estimated at $4.5 million.

Scott Paul describes Pelco by Schneider Electric – 2011 winner in “Best Network IP Cameras” -- as a leading provider of video surveillance equipment sold around the world. Products range from analog to IP cameras and include the Spectra and Sarix lines. Among the markets served are new building and construction, highway and transportation infrastructure, casinos, banks, education, airports, seaports and government buildings.

Verint Video Solutions was a 2011 Winner of “Best Intelligent Video Surveillance Solution” for its Nextiva Physical Security Information Management System (PSIM). According to Bill Eckerd, the PSIM technology allows users to integrate subsystems with a four-phase incident management system which includes personnel training plus planning, monitoring and debriefing.  Major markets include state and local government, petro chemicals, critical infrastructure protection and airports.

According to Howard Ryan, Total Alert Systems is a one-stop shopping mass notification portal used by government agencies, DOD, industrial and health care users. It is capable of sending alerts to cell phones, giant voice, billboards, text messaging and handheld radios. The company is a successor to Desktop Alert, which was a Finalist and Winner in previous GSN Award programs. Despite Desktop Alert’s success in signing up the U.S. Army and Air Force, he felt the name was too limiting and he created Total Alert to incorporate new products.

Rapidly growing Nixle, which has signed up 4500-plus municipal, county, state and federal agencies in all 50 states – mainly law enforcement and public safety agencies -- and developed an opt-in membership of more than 700,000 local residents, received its Winner’s Trophy in the “Best Mass Notification System” category of GSN’s 2011 Awards Program. According to Travis Scott, Nixle does not require additional personnel at the agency level, because it is a one-way communications service.

Upcoming Events

Event Details Dates of Event
SANS Monterey 2012 Jan 30 - Feb 4
2012 Adobe Government Assembly Feb 8
SANS Phoenix 2012 Feb 13 - 18
SANS Secure India 2012 Feb 20 - 25
The Airport Law Enforcement Symposium Feb 23-24, 2012 Feb 23 - 24
Physical Security: Introductory Applications and Technology Feb 27 - Mar 1
Conducting Corporate Investigations Feb 27 - 28
ISC CHINA 2012 (International Security Conference & Exposition CHINA) Feb 27 - 29
RSA Conference 2012 Feb 27 - Mar 2
SAP Public Sector Partner Exchange Feb 28 - 28
SANS Secure Singapore 2012 Mar 5 - 17
SANS Germany 2012 Mar 5 - 10
Homeland Security Finance Forum 2012 Mar 6 - 6
Basic Hands-On CAMEO Training Mar 12 - 14
ASIS Assets Protection Course: Principles of Security (APC I) Mar 12 - 15
SANS Mobile Device Security Summit 2012 Mar 12 - 15
Aviation Week's Innovation Challenge Showcase Mar 13 - 14
Symantec Government Technology Summit Mar 20 - 20
STI at SANS 2012 Mar 23 - 30
SANS 2012 Mar 23 - 30
The 9th Two Day Conference On Indian Medical Devices & Plastics Disposables Industry 2012 Mar 23 - 24
SANS Northern Virginia 2012 Apr 15 - 20
Active Shooter Apr 18 - 19
SANS AppSec 2012 Apr 24 - May 2
SANS Cyber Guardian 2012 Apr 30 - May 7
Telework Exchange Spring 2012 Town Hall Meeting May 2 - 2
5th Sample Prep - Sample Preparation for Virus, Toxin, & Pathogen Detection & Identification May 3 - 4
SANS Security West 2012 May 10 - 18
SANS Toronto 2012 May 14 - 19
Counter Terror Expo US May 16 - 17
CEIC 2012 (Computer and Enterprise Investigations Conference) May 21 - 24
SANS Rocky Mountain 2012 Jun 4 - 9
Data Center Brainstorm 2012 Jun 19 - 19
SANS Forensics and Incident Response Summit 2012 Jun 21 - 27
Vanguard Security & Compliance 2012 Jun 25 - 28
SANS Canberra 2012 Jul 2 - 10

New Products

Digital Ally, Inc., which develops, manufactures and markets advanced video surveillance, speed enforcement and thermal imaging produ...

Created to make metal detection quicker, easier and more reliable, Wizard Industries has released its new Security Wizard 4, a laser...

Based upon American Technologies Network’s original PVS multi-purpose night vision monocular, ATN has now developed a unit, the PVS14-3 (1A...

San Diego, CA-based Sperry West, the video surveillance manufacturer, has introduced the Spyder Big...