Secretary Napolitano's Visit to Alabama and Arkansas

[The Patriot]

Secretary Napolitano's Visit to Alabama and Arkansas

08-22-2011 04:00 AM

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010

WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today visited Anniston, Ala. where she joined Congressman Mike Rogers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) to tour operations and watch a Vapor Wake demonstration at Auburn University’s Canine Detection Training Center. Secretary Napolitano then traveled to Little Rock, Ark. to deliver remarks at the Clinton Center, home to the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, as part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series—highlighting the importance of public service as we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

“DHS and its partners across the federal, state and local government have worked since 9/11 to build a new homeland security enterprise to better mitigate and defend against dynamic threats, minimize risks, and maximize our ability to respond to and recover from attacks and disasters of all kinds,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Our challenge, looking forward, is to continue to engage the public in our shared security and build strong and resilient communities throughout our country.”

The Center for Domestic Preparedness provides advanced training for emergency responders and other state, local and tribal government officials. It is the only facility where civilian responders can train using actual nerve agents and the nation’s only hospital training facility dedicated solely to preparing the healthcare, public health, and environmental health communities for mass casualty events related to terrorism or natural disasters.

Auburn University’s Canine Detection Training Center is a training facility for bomb detection canines used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and has trained a select number of canine teams in the Vapor Wake technique. The TSA National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program has grown from 200 teams in 2001 to over 800 teams in 2011.

On Tuesday, August 23, Secretary Napolitano will travel to Glynco, Ga. to join Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Director Connie Patrick and TSA Administrator John Pistole to open the new FLETC Intermodal Training Facility—a first of its kind facility enhancing FLETC’s ability to provide frontline law enforcement personnel with advanced, realistic and scenario-based training to better deter and combat evolving threats across major transportation modes.

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