Terrorism Hardens Austin

Tuesday's Homeland Security acronym-camp-cum-counterterrorism-awareness-workshop for the public sector brought those in attendance at UT's J.J. Pickle Research Campus into the world of DHS' OBP and its current campaign to improve preparedness against IED, WBIED, and VBIED attacks. Though DHS has an NIPP and is backed by HSPD-7 and HSPD-19, officials at the workshop said that Austin cannot depend upon the department to quell the carnage the terrorists are apparently causing here. Got it?

Okay, before we lose you:

DHS = Department of Homeland Security

OBP = Office of Bombing Prevention

IED = improvised explosive device

WBIED = waterborne improvised explosive device

VBIED = vehicle-borne improvised explosive device

NIPP = National Infrastructure Protection Plan, a document that says a lot but does very little

HSPD-7 = Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7 (a document that told DHS to draft the NIPP)

HSPD-19 = Homeland Security Presidential Directive 19 (a document that says terrorists really like to use IEDs)

Now plug the acronym definitions back into the first paragraph, and it'll almost be like you attended the workshop!

Sessions taught participants about national DHS efforts pushing for steady state planning – basically beefing up your business' security during periods of relative calm so that when the terrorists do come for your barbershop or pet-food store, you'll be prepared. Presenters also explained how to identify homemade bombs and how to make a soft target hard. (That part was slightly less exciting than you're thinking.)

"If you're putting all your security eggs in the [federal] government basket, you're probably preparing for failure," said Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo. "I'd rather take ownership of our safety than leave it in someone else's hands." (Again, was that hard or soft?)

Mike Fisher – one of the presenters from A-T Solutions Inc., the company contracted by the department to stage these workshops around the country – added that the federal government has grown less fond of raising the official threat level, because doing so makes state and local agencies want to build up their staffs, which in turn causes those agencies to call upon the government for more funding.

Why does every local comic-book store need a bomb expert on hand, anyway? "As soon as we take away the target overseas," said Tom Hogdahl, another presenter, "the target is coming back home."