Fusing Counterterrorism, Crime And Natural Disasters: My Piece On The Delaware Valley Intelligence Center In Philadelphia

My piece on the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center appears in the current issue of Counterterrorism magazine.

"The Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC) will provide tangible security benefits for our region," said Philadelphia Mayor Nutter during a tour of the $20 million dollar site. "At the most basic level, any first responder in the field with a radio will have the ability to connect with the DVIC and share real-time information with a host of agencies. This is a key step for our City and region, the sixth largest metro region in the Nation, in preparing to respond to emergency situations."

Located on the site of a former Defense Department logistics center in South Philadelphia, the stated primary mission of the DVIC is to collect, integrate, evaluate, analyze and disseminate intelligence about all types of hazards, including terrorist threats, criminal activity and weather events. The DVIC was established to house all of the region's assets together for counterterrorism, crime and natural disasters.

You can read the rest of the piece below:

Add caption

Note: The above photo is of Philadelphia Police Inspector Walt Smith, the Executive Director of the DVIC.  

You can click on the above photos to enlarge.     

Are We Prepared For Another Terrorist Attack?: My Q & A With Professor Michael Greenberger

The current issue of Counterterrorism magazine offers my Q&A with Professor Michael Greenberger, the director of the Center of Health and Homeland Security (CHHS) at the University of Maryland.

Professor Greenberger explains how CHHS works with federal, state and local governments, hospitals and private industry in developing preparedness plans so that we may be better able to respond to catastrophic natural disasters and horrific terrorist attacks.

You can read my Q&A with Professor Greenberger below:

Below are two photos of CHHS personnel training and conducting drills: