The Latest from National Terror Alert Response Center

Alarming Cost Of False Alarms, Anthrax Hoaxes Posted: 09 Mar 2009 10:42 PM PDT A security camera recorded the man wearing dark sunglasses and a hooded sweat shirt as he walked by Boston’s Symphony Hall Feb. 9 and dropped a cardboard tube marked “Anthrax Beware” at the door. Emergency medical crews raced to the site, firefighters cordoned off the area, police halted traffic and life froze to an anxious halt until a hazmat team signaled the all-clear: The tube was empty. In the 7 ½ years since America’s worst bioterror attack — when letters laced with anthrax spores killed five people, closed Congress and the Supreme Court and crippled mail service for months — U.S. agencies have spent more than $50 billion to beef up biological defenses. No other anthrax attacks have occurred. But a flood of hoaxes and false alarms have raised the cost considerably through lost work, evacuations, decontamination efforts, first responders’ time and the emotional distress of the victims. That, experts say, is often the hoaxsters’ goal. “It’s easy, it’s cheap and very few perpetrators get caught,” said Leonard Cole, a political scientist at Rutgers University in Newark, N.J., who studies bioterrorism. “People do it for a sense of power.” Among the recent targets: • Nearly all 50 governors’ offices • About 100 U.S. embassies • 52 banks • 36 news organizations • Ticket booths at Disneyland • Mormon temples in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles • Town halls in Batavia, Ohio, and Ellenville, N.Y. • A funeral home and a day-care center in Ocala, Fla. • A sheriff’s office in Eagle, Colo. • Homes in Ely River, N.M. The FBI has investigated about 1,000 such “white-powder events” as possible terrorist threats since the start of 2007, spokesman Richard Kolko said. The bureau responds if a letter contains a written threat or is mailed to a federal official. Full Article - Seattle Times Newspaper. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

FEMA: Check Emergency Kits For Recalls Posted: 09 Mar 2009 10:35 PM PDT U.S. - Currently the United States is in the midst of one of the largest food recalls in American history. As Americans dig through their cabinets and refrigerators to remove potentially contaminated food associated with the recent peanut recall, FEMA would like to also remind citizens to open and check their Emergency Preparedness Kits to remove any potentially harmful items from these also. Because peanut products are often recommended as staples in Emergency Preparedness Kits due to their long shell life and because they are a good source of protein, we encourage all kit owners to look at their kits to ensure food products are not on the peanut recall list. Please keep in mind that the peanut product recall extends beyond peanut-flavored products. The following are some examples of foods also included in the recall that may contain peanuts: * Granola * Snack bars * Crackers * Cereal * Trail Mix * Cookies * Noodles * Dog treats A full list of recalled peanut products and what individuals should do with recalled items can be found on the Food and Drug Administration's Web site, http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall/index.cfm . In addition to checking for peanut-related items, please be sure to check for other items in your kit that may have expired, including medications, food and pet food, water, and other recalled items. The U.S. government provides information on unsafe, hazardous, or defective products ranging from consumer products, food, medicine, and cosmetics at www.recalls.gov . Ensuring family and neighbors are prepared is an essential step in helping communities during and after an emergency. Families should have an Emergency Preparedness Kit in all locations that are frequented often, including homes, offices, schools, cars and day care facilities. These kits should hold a variety of essential items that are needed during a disaster, such as a flashlight, radio, cash, clothing, protective equipment, medicines, and of course food and water. For a complete list of Emergency Preparedness Kit recommended items, please visit http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/supplykit.shtm . This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

Pentagon: Chinese Ships Harassed U.S. Naval Ship in International Waters Posted: 09 Mar 2009 08:00 AM PDT The Pentagon charged Monday that five Chinese ships shadowed and maneuvered dangerously close to a U.S. Navy vessel in an apparent attempt to harass the American crew. The Obama administration said the incident Sunday followed several days of “increasingly aggressive” acts by Chinese ships in the region. U.S. officials said a protest was to be delivered to Beijing’s military attache at a Pentagon meeting Monday. [....] A Chinese intelligence ship and four others surrounded the USNS Impeccable, an unarmed vessel with a civilian merchant marine crew, as the craft conducted ocean surveys in international waters in the South China Sea, the Defense Department said in a statement. The Impeccable sprayed one ship with water from fire hoses to force it away. Despite the force of the water, Chinese crew members stripped to their underwear and continued closing within 25 feet, the Defense department said. “We expect Chinese ships to act responsibly and refrain from provocative activities that could lead to miscalculation or a collision at sea, endangering vessels and the lives of U.S. and Chinese mariners,” Upton said. via Fox News This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Share this post

	Email delivery powered by Google