DHS Publishes 2016 CSSS Presentations

This week the DHS Chemical Sector-Specific Agency (CSSA) finally got around to updating the Chemical Sector Security Summit (CSSS) web site to provide links to a number of the presentations for the 2016 CSSS that was held last July.

CSSS Presentations

As with all ten of the CSSS to date, the CSSA has not provided links to all of the presentation that were made at the CSSS, but the list of presentations included is informative and useful. This year’s list includes:

• Keynote Address (webcast) https://share.dhs.gov/p5wokztr7et/

• CFATS Update (webcast) https://share.dhs.gov/p5wokztr7et/

• Unmanned aerial systems https://share.dhs.gov/p1q16s5zpla/

• First Responder – Chemical Facility Response Planning https://share.dhs.gov/p9n0za7br14/

• What to Expect During a CFATS Inspection (webcast) https://share.dhs.gov/p8qeyz3qduq/

• Personnel Surety Program Overview https://share.dhs.gov/p13chl6f7m0/

• Compliance Inspections Lessons Learned (webcast) https://share.dhs.gov/p2o28kncglg/

• Chemical Security on a Global Front Chemical Security on a Global Front https://share.dhs.gov/p4qi18pazca/

• Chemical Facilities and Regional Resiliency Assessment Program – Lessons Learned https://share.dhs.gov/p1eou6o7gmw/

• DHS Voluntary Programs Update (webcast) https://share.dhs.gov/p3uyb44cbzy/ (slides - https://share.dhs.gov/p21djdnrym6/)

This is the first year that the CSSS included web casts from the meeting. There were more webcasts available in real time, but the list above does include some interesting presentations. I really, again, want to congratulate DHS for including these web casts in both the meeting and presentation list. I would also note David Wulf’s efforts (and those of the folks that work for him) in getting this done.

Sorry about showing the URLs, but I wanted to point out that at least someone at DHS is doing something to shorten the length of their links. Now, whether this particular method is a good thing or not is open to discussion because you cannot tell by looking at the URL what the link is to, nor if it is up to date. I also suspect that it might make spoofing an DHS site easier with a URL shortener site.

CSSA Web-Site

I do not follow the CSSA web site nearly as closely as I probably should. In fact, I only routinely (weekly) look at the CSSS web site for changes. In any case the CSSA updated their web site last month and it provides some links to some useful information, some of it even new.

I am disappointed, however, in the “Safety and Security for Small and Midsize Chemical Facilities” page. They definitely should take the word “chemical” off of the title since the page just provides links to probably valuable information for generic small and midsize businesses. Just sayn.

On the much better side of the information available, if you click through a number of links, is a page from the Office of Bombing Prevention on a wide variety of courses on dealing with improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including planning, identification and response. I have not had a chance to check out any of the individual on-line courses, but this looks like a wealth of good information that security managers at any type of facility should have.