Natural Disaster   Report: Nursing homes unprepared for natural disasters SUMMARY:  Tornado, hurricane, or flood, nursing homes are woefully unprepared to protect frail residents in a natural disaster.  Investigators from the inspector general’s office of the Department of Health and Human Services noted that nearly 7 years after Hurricane Katrina’s devastation exposed the vulnerability of nursing homes, shortcomings still persist. Emergency plans required by the government often lack specific steps such as coordinating with local authorities, notifying relatives, or even pinning name tags and medication lists to residents during an evacuation, according to findings. The report recommended that Medicare and Medicaid add specific emergency planning and training steps to the existing federal requirement that nursing homes have a disaster plan. Many such steps are in nonb...

Information Technology   NASA: Hackers had 'full functional control' SUMMARY:  NASA this week released details of security breaches the organization has recently experienced. Out of 47 attempts last year, hackers managed to penetrate NASA’s computer network 13 times.  (ZDNET) NASA HACK  ANALYSIS: by Firestorm Principal Lt. Col Oz Hill (Ret.) The cyber security threat posed by hackers and cyber terrorists is palpable. A significant cyber attack on the nation’s classified networks and critical infrastructure will have far-reaching effects that adversely impact national security and the nation’s economy. The potential effects of the 13 penetrations against the NASA computer network, on national security and government functions are alarming; and underscore the vulnerability of government computer networks to cyber terrorism. Some experts argue that cyber terroris...

Operational Risk   No quick fixes for Apple’s Foxconn problem SUMMARY: Apple can't appease critics of the working conditions at Foxconn where it manufactures its iProducts, even with a formal statement from CEO Tim Cook, its own internal inspections and now an independent audit by the Fair Labor Association. Apple's latest effort sounds promising. The company has enlisted an organization founded by anti-sweat shop groups hoping to improve overseas abuses. Still, to some, it looks like more of a PR play than appropriate action. STORY LINK  ANALYSIS By Oz Hill, Firestorm Principal:  Although the Fair Labor Association’s President, Auret van Heerden’s, initial assessment of the Foxconn facilities is favorable, "the facilities are first-class; the physical conditions are way, way above average of the norm;" van Heerden also suggests that monotony and boredom a...

Operational Risk and Safety   Port Interruption by Occupy Protestors HEADLINE:  Occupy protesters blocking gates at West Coast ports, halt operations at some SUMMARY:  Hundreds of Wall Street protesters blocked gates at some of the busiest ports December 12, causing the partial shutdown of several.  Protestors hoped to cut into the profits of the corporations that run the docks. The closures affected some of the terminals at the ports in Oakland, California, Portland, Oregon, and Longview, Washington.  Protesters picketed gates, beating drums, carrying signs such as “Shutdown Wall St. on the Waterfront” and causing longer wait times for trucks. Though the demonstrations were largely peaceful and isolated to a few gates at each port, local officials in the union that represents longshoremen and, in some cases, port officials, determined the conditions were un...

Nationwide Emergency Alert System - EAS Test Introduction   National Safety and Security SUMMARY:  FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will conduct the first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test on November 9, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. A more effective and functional EAS requires continual testing to identify necessary improvements so that all levels of the system can better serve our communities and deliver critical information that will save lives and property. STORY LINK ANALYSIS by Lt. Col Oz Hill (Ret.), Firestorm The collaborative effort between FEMA, FCC, and NOAA, to conduct the first nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) Test on November 9, at 2:00 p.m. (Eastern), reflects the fundamental tenets of Firestorm’s PREDICT.PLAN.PERFORM.® methodology. The tes...

National Security and Homeland Security - Protecting Utilities   Warning of insider threat to utilities A recent article from Sacramento's News10.net states that a new intelligence bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security cautions state and local law enforcement officials about threats to private utility facilities on or before the 10th anniversary of 9/11, ABC News reported. "While DHS has no specific, credible intelligence of an imminent threat posed to the private-sector utilities, several recent incidents highlight the ongoing threat to infrastructure in the utility sectors from insiders and outsiders seeking facility-specific information that might be exploited in an attack," DHS spokesman Matthew Chandler said.    Analysis by Lt. Col. Oz Hill (U.S. Army, ret.) The security considerations in a post-9/11 world demand that leaders and decision-makers ...

National Security - Airport Security Breaches   25,000 Security Breaches since 2001  Analysis by Lt. Col. Oz Hill (U.S. Army, ret.) A recent article in The Daily Caller states: "U.S. airports have suffered more than 25,000 security breaches in the past 10 years under the watch of the Transportation Security Administration, a House subcommittee on national security reported. At a hearing this week, lawmakers reported thousands of breaches and slammed the TSA for what members saw as a litany of security lapses at airports across the country. According to numbers provided to the committee by the TSA, more than 14,000 people accessed sensitive areas of airports and around 6,000 passengers and pieces of luggage were able to make it past security checkpoints without proper screening. A Government Accountability Office report found that only 17 percent of U.S. airports have receiv...

Retired U.S. Army Officer the Latest Firestorm Franchisee MAY 17, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ROSWELL, Ga. – During a 20-plus year military career, Lt. Col. Oz Hill (U.S. Army, ret.) learned the necessity and value of preparedness. As the newest Firestorm® Franchise Principal, he will be using those lessons to help business consulting clients reach their peak preparedness levels.  Lt. Col. Hill has extensive experience in security management, emergency preparedness and response, and continuity of operations planning. He said the value of Firestorm’s intellectual capital was evident during his franchise research. “Two things resonated with me,’’ Hill said, “Firestorm’s extraordinary capacity to provide solutions tailored to meet the specific requirements of each client, as evidenced by its Online Resource Center of proprietary documents and materials; and the body of knowledge repr...