Thursday, September 6, 2012

Minority Health Action Alert

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Link to HHS.gov
The Office of Minority Health - 1800-444-6472





Minority Health Action Alert

Provided by the Office of Minority Health Resource Cente

September 06, 2012




NPA - National Partnership for Action

Register: National Conference on Using Data to Promote Health Equity and Address Disparities

The Knowledge 4Equity National Conference, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health and the Office of Minority Health, will be held Nov. 13-14 in Silver Spring, MD. Designed to help community-based organizations better understand how to access, analyze and use existing national, state and local data, the conference will include workshops, breakout sessions and presentations. Register for the Knowledge 4Equity Conference Exit Disclaimer.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

2013 White House Internship Program


Application Deadline: September 23, 2012
As White House Interns, young men and women from across the country dedicate their 
time, talents, energy, and service to better the White House, the community, and the nation. While their tasks vary by department, all interns are united through weekly events including a weekly speaker series with senior staff membersoff-site field trips,and mentorship opportunities. Most importantly, the internship experience includes an emphasis on service and interns participate in regularly scheduled service projects at schools and non-profit organizations in Washington, D.C.

Please encourage the young leaders you know to apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Visit www.whitehouse.gov/internships for details

Contaminated Tattoo Inks Can Cause Dangerous Infections


Tattoo inks and the pigments used to color them can become contaminated by bacteria, mold, and fungi. In the last year, inks contaminated with a family of bacteria called nontuberculous mycobacteria have caused serious infections in at least four states. Some bacteria in this family can cause lung disease, joint infection, eye problems, and other organ infections. The skin ointments provided by tattoo parlors are not effective against them.

Read about symptoms and what you should do if you suspect you have a tattoo-related infection.


Boston Subway System Test


Boston Subway System to be Used to Test New Sensors for Biological Agents

Bacillus subtilis in a dish
S&T scientists will spray small quantities of killed Bacillus subtilis in the subway tunnels.
Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate’s “Detect to Protect” program will assess trigger and confirmer sensors designed to detect biological agents within minutes
The idea that disease and infection might be used as weapons is truly dreadful, but there is plenty of evidence showing that biological weapons have been around since ancient times. Bioterrorism, as it is dubbed, is nothing new, and although medicines have made the world a safer place against a myriad of old scourges both natural and manmade, it still remains all too easy today to uncork a nasty cloud of germs.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) has scheduled a series of tests in the Boston subways to measure the real-world performance of new sensors recently developed to detect biological agents.  
S&T’s “Detect-to-Protect” (D2P) Bio Detection project is assessing several sensors (made by Flir Inc., Northrop Grumman, Menon and Associates, and Qinetiq North America) to alert authorities to the presence of biological material.  These devices with “trigger” and “confirmer” sensors have been designed to identify and confirm the release of biological agents within minutes.
In 2009, and in early August this year, inert gasses were released in the Boston subway system in an initial study to determine where and how released particulates would travel through the subway network and to identify exactly where to place these new sensors. The current study will involve the release of a small amount of an innocuous killed bacterium in subway stations in the Boston area to test how well the sensors work.  After the subway stations close, S&T scientists will spray small quantities of killed Bacillus subtilis in the subway tunnels.  This common, food-grade bacterium is found everywhere in soil, water, air, and decomposing plant matter and, even when living, is considered nontoxic to humans, animals, and plants. 
S&T’s Dr. Anne Hultgren, program manager for the D2P project, says, “While there is no known threat of a biological attack on subway systems in the United States, the S&T testing will help determine whether the new sensors can quickly detect biological agents in order to trigger a public safety response as quickly as possible.”
DHS leads federal efforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a possible domestic biological attack.  The testing will continue periodically for the next six months and will be monitored by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority as well as state and local public health officials.
The particles released in the stations will dissipate quickly.  But before they do, their brief travels will provide invaluable data for DHS’ ongoing effort to protect American travelers from potential hazards. Unlike the “Charlie on the MTA” made famous by the Kingston Trio folk group, these particles will NOT ‘ride forever ’neath the streets of Boston.’

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

TSA. Thank you for the Protection. Glad to have you as BEMA Critical Infrastructure members



FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2012

TSA Week in Review: BB Gun in a Book


BB Gun in a Book – While we regularly find BB and pellet guns, I don’t usually write about them, but this one was kind of interesting. Why? Well, first off, it has the appearance of a real firearm, and it was taped inside of a book! The book wasn’t hollowed out mind you, it was just taped there. This was discovered at Fargo (FAR). Realistic replica firearms are prohibited for the same reason that inert grenades are. They not only cause the checkpoint to come to a halt when we find them, but imagine if somebody waved one of these items around on a plane. There are many scenarios of what could happen, and not one of them is good.

Oops, I Forgot There Was a Pistol in My Pocket: A passenger traveling out of Oklahoma City (OKC) was removing items from his pocket prior to walking through a body scanner when he realized he had an unloaded .22 pistol in his pocket.

Items in the Strangest Places – It’s one thing to forget you had a prohibited item in your bag, but when you intentionally try to sneak it past us, you could be cited or even arrested by law enforcement. Here are a few examples from this week where passengers tried to sneak items past our Officers.



  • Two knives were detected concealed between a metal sheet and the nylon sleeve of the bag frame at Seattle (SEA).
  • A multi-tool was discovered concealed in a sock that was filled with change at Tucson (TUS).
  • A knife was detected concealed under the lining attached to the pull handle of a bag at Harrisburg (MDT).
  • A  belt buckle knife was discovered at Salt Lake City (SLC).
  • A pocket knife (a pink one!) was attached to the back of a key with a rubber band in an attempt to conceal it at Wilmington (ILM).
  • See “BB Gun in Book” above to read about the find in Fargo (FAR).
 
People Say the Darndest Things – Here is an example of what not to say at the airport. Statements like these not only delay the people who said them but can also inconvenience lots of other passengers if the checkpoint or terminal has to be evacuated:
  • A passenger at Honolulu (HNL) told the ticket agent that he had a bomb in his bag. When the ticket agent reprimanded him for the comment, he told the gate agent that he had a nuclear bomb in his bag.  Law enforcement officers responded and arrested him on a state charge.
  • While an Officer was conducting an explosive trace sample at Orlando (MCO), the passenger stated: “I hope the residue doesn’t show up on the test.”
  • A passenger at Charlottesville (CHO) stated he had a bomb in his shoe after he was asked to place his shoes on the x-ray belt.
Inert Grenades Etc. – We continue to find hand grenades and other weaponry on weekly basis. Please keep in mind that if something looks like a bomb, grenade, mine, etc., it is prohibited - real or not. When these items are found at a checkpoint, they can cause significant delays to you and other passengers. I know they are cool novelty items, but again, please do not take them on planes! Read here and here on why inert items cause problems.
  • An inert grenade was discovered in the carry-on bag of a passenger at Indianapolis (IND).
Stun Guns – Zzzzzzap! 6 stun guns were discovered in carry-on bags at checkpoints around the nation: 2 at Denver (DEN), Atlanta (ATL), Tucson (TUS), Los Angeles (LAX), and Kansas City (MCI)

Miscellaneous Prohibited Items - In addition to all of the other prohibited items we find weekly, our Officers also regularly find firearm components, realistic replica firearms, brass knuckles, ammunition, batons, and a lot of sharp pointy things. Just to mention a few…


Firearms - Here are the firearms our Officers found in carry-on baggage since I posted last Friday.


You can travel with your firearms in checked baggage, but they must first be declared to the airline. You can go here for more details on how to properly travel with your firearms. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality. Travelers should familiarize themselves with state and local firearm laws for each point of travel prior to departure.

















































































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