Review – Chemical Security Inspector Reduction in Force – Part 3

Yesterday I published a guest post over on my CFSN Detailed Analysis blog by a CISA Chemical Security Inspector about the role of the CSI in the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program and their pending abolition in the current restructuring of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. I thought that that letter was important enough that it should stand on its own before I added my two cents worth.

First, I want to clear up a mistake on my part in the introduction of yesterday’s post. I stated that the post was written by CSI that had “recently received their reduction in force notification.” What they had received from CISA was an advanced notice about the reorganization of CISA that has been described elsewhere. The actual RIF notices have not yet been sent out. What they were told was that the CSI were no longer required. About the only thing that can stop that is action by Congress, which is, unfortunately, unlikely to happen.

The bulk of my comments on that guest post are going to be published on CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/chemical-security-inspector-reduction-faa - again as a free-to-all post.

Moving Forward

In the face of the mass layoffs at so many federal agencies, many would ask why I would take up the case of these eighty or so CSI that are most probably facing their own layoffs. The simple answer is that I have been advocating for them and their compatriots for the last 16 years or so and I am not going to stop now. More importantly, I have a solid understanding of what CISA and DHS are going to lose if these CSI are going to be let go. This is a valuable resource that CISA will eventually deeply regret losing.