Whats DHS plan?

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Out of 47 “scenarios” being practiced by first responders during Urban Shield 2013 this October 25 – 28 in the San Francisco Bay Area, at least 20 of them are “domestic” – either stated explicitly, or implied (see below in BOLD CAPS) – and possibly more. Overall, the scenarios vary widely in scope – up to and including “odor investigation” – but the “domestic terrorists” are generally characterized as being anything from “anarchists” (Tea Partiers? Christians? Patriots?) to “homegrown” terrorists (recent American-Moslem converts duped into FBI-sting operations?) Interesting to note that, as of this writing, the English “Urban Shield” Wikipedia entry has disappeared… but you can still get it in French. (Too bad for you if you don’t read French.) However, there is still a brief mention of Urban Shield in the English Wikipedia entry for the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ASCO). According to Wikipedia’s ASCO entry, Urban Shield is the largest urban “SWAT” exercise in America. Always held in autumn, it provides “opportunities” for first-responder teams from all over the nation to train in what appears to be mostly “terrorist” scenarios. (As an aside – since I scan the news feeds daily – I’ve been noticing variations of ALL these “scenarios” making the news on a regular basis, including recently locking down an entire school district in Richmond, California due to an “odor investigation”… for an odor which turned out to be from a smelly barge starting its engine several miles outside the city limits. Oh, the hysteria.) You should also be pleased and comforted to note that among the many “public/private partners” (and corporate sponsors) taking part in this year’s Urban Shield will be the Boy Scouts, FedEx and Verizon Wireless. And, in addition to the 18 federal agencies listed (including Louisiana State University?), there will also be 12 foreign countries keeping us safe from domestic terrorists: Israel, Brazil, Guam, Israeli Yamam, Norway, Switzerland, France, Jordan, Bahrain, Singapore, Canada and Qatar. With all this “help” – in what is turning out to be a huge multi-billion dollar industry – it makes you wonder who is keeping us safe from the “helpers?” Scenario #1: Fitness Assessment/Confidence Course Scenario #2: Medical Checkpoint #1 SCENARIO #3: INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE RECONNAISSANCE Tactical teams will be provided a scenario in which they must rescue a judge from a Homegrown Violent Extremists group. Teams will be tested on their ability to develop a plan of action. Host: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office – Black Command Location: Alameda County Firearms Training Facility Sponsors: TCI Tactical Command Industries Fulcrum Concepts LLC ZMB Industries Zistos Portable Video Systems SCENARIO #4: COLLEGE CAMPUS HOSTAGE RESCUE Tactical teams will be evaluated on their ability to transition between many different tactics based on a rapidly evolving, dynamic scenario. Host: Livermore Police Department – Black Command Location: Las Positas Community College Sponsor: VieVu-Video Cameras SCENARIO #5: SWAT & K9 INTEGRATION DURING DEPLOYMENT Tactical teams will coordinate with K9 units to search a rural wooded area for suspected narco-terrorists who recently murdered one CHP officer and wounded another. Host: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office – Black Command Location: Del Valle Regional Park Property Sponsor: None listed SCENARIO #6: HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS ASSAULT Tactical teams will properly respond to a terrorist attack at a school, testing their ability to operate under fire, and rescue hostages. Host: Fremont Police Department – Gold Command Location: Coyote Hills Shooting Range, Fremont Sponsor: 5.11 Tactical Series TCI Tactical Command Industries SCENARIO #7: ANARCHIST REFINERY BOMBER Teams are presented with a scenario testing their ability to operate in a large open area and minimize damage to critical infrastructure. Host: Redwood City Police Department – Silver Command Location: Port of Redwood City Sponsor: Digital Sandbox Scenario #8: Water Treatment Facility WMD Attack SCENARIO #9: DOMESTIC TERRORIST WATERSHED TAKEOVER Tactical teams will be evaluated on their ability to respond to a chemical attack while mitigating further terrorist activity and rescuing hostages. Host: San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office – Silver Command Location: Crystal Springs Reservoir Sponsor: Fraser Optics Scenario #10: Medical Checkpoint #2 SCENARIO #11: HIGH RISK SEARCH WARRANT Tactical teams will be presented with a scenario to work in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to successfully execute a buy-bust search warrant. Host: Drug Enforcement Agency – Silver Command Location: Simunitions Training Warehouse, South San Francisco Sponsor: None listed SCENARIO #12: COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER TAKEOVER Teams are provided a scenario testing their ability to work in a confined area under duress. Host: San Francisco Sheriff’s Department – Green Command Location: San Bruno Jail Complex Sponsor: Securus Technologies ATK Force On Force SCENARIO #13: EXTREMIST MANHUNT Tactical teams will respond to violent terrorist(s) who have gunned down an undercover agent and taken hostages. Host: San Francisco Sheriff’s Department – Green Command Location: San Bruno Jail Complex Sponsor: Securus Technologies ATK Force On Force Scenario #14: Terrorist Attack on Public Transit SCENARIO #15: TRANSAMERICA PYRAMID CENTER TAKEOVER This scenario was developed to test tactical teams response to a homegrown terrorist attack on a San Francisco high rise building. Host: San Francisco Sheriff’s Department – Green Command Location: Transamerica Pyramid Center Sponsor: Digital Sandbox Scenario #16: Human Trafficking Interdiction Scenario #17: Medical Checkpoint #3 Scenario #18: Laboratory Takeover Scenario #19: Parking Structure WMD Dispersal Device Scenario #20: Critical Infrastructure Assault (SF-Oakland Bay Bridge) Scenario #21: Commuter Train Assault Scenario #22: Maritime Interdiction Scenario #23: Military Installation Assault Scenario #24: Airplane Hijacking Scenario #25: Medical Checkpoint #4 Scenario #26: Vehicle Assault (Old Mervyn’s Headquarters) Scenario #27: Dignitary Rescue Scenario #28: High Rise Rappelling Scenario #29: Chemical Sabotage SCENARIO #30: DOMESTIC TERRORIST SCHOOL TAKEOVER Tactical teams will be provided an active shooter scenario testing their ability to effectively engage the terrorist(s) and effect a rescue of the hostage(s). Host: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office – Blue Command Location: Canyon Middle School, Castro Valley Sponsor: Black OPS Airsoft Applanix A Trimble Company Scenario #31: Hospital Assault Scenario #32: Technology Showcase EOD Scenario #1: Explosive Ordnance Disposal Response 1 EOD Scenario #2: Explosive Ordnance Disposal Response 2 EOD SCENARIO #3: EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL RESPONSE 3 Two teams work together to enter a booby trapped apartment, render safe a number of booby traps, and analyze chemicals present for their use in IEDs. Host: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office – Black Command Location: Alameda County EOD Bomb Range Sponsor: HazMasterG3 FIRE SCENARIO #1: ENVIRONMENTAL TERRORIST SABOTAGE Responding US&R task force teams will be confronted with multiple and conflicting priorities while freeing two trapped construction workers. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: South San Francisco Fire Department Trench Rescue Training Site Sponsor: MES Municipal Emergency Services Inc. FIRE SCENARIO #2: IED EXPLOSION IN A CONFINED SPACE An IED placed in a refinery pipe maze by environmental terrorists is accidentally detonated by bomb squad personnel while attempting to render the device safe. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: South San Francisco Vehicle and Equipment Maintenance Facility Sponsor: FoxFury Personal Lighting Solutions FIRE SCENARIO #3: BUILDING COLLAPSE A member of the Sovereign Citizen movement has driven a truck into a government building which resulted in a partial building collapse and fire. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: South San Francisco Fire Department Collapse Structure Training Facility Sponsor: Parrot AR Drone FIRE SCENARIO #4: HIGH-ANGLE RESCUE The sniper attack on a government high-rise building by a Homegrown Violent Extremist (HVE) has left two window washers injured. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: Boston Properties, South San Francisco Sponsor: None listed FIRE SCENARIO #5 AND 11: COOPERATIVE USAR/HAZMAT RESPONSE US&R and Hazmat task-force teams will cooperatively respond to a car bomb detonated by extremists that has resulted in a collapse of a medical research facility. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: Alexandria Development Building, South San Francisco Sponsor: Western Shelter Systems Grainger Applanix A Trimble Company Fire Scenario #6: Terrorist Bus Hijacking/Low-Angle Rescue FIRE SCENARIO #7: CLANDESTINE DRUG LAB EXPLOSION An explosion of an IED at a clandestine drug lab has resulted in members of a SWAT team and other first responders becoming contaminated with unknown chemicals. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: South San Francisco Vehicle and Equipment Mainenance Facility Sponsor: None listed Fire Scenario #8: Odor Investigation Fire Scenario #9: Cargo Container Sabotage FIRE SCENARIO #10: MONITORING/DETECTION DIRTY BOMB ATTACK Members of an anarchist group have detonated a dirty bomb in the mail room of a credit card processing facility, resulting in exposure to employees. Host: South San Francisco Fire Department – Red Command Location: Boston Properties, South San Francisco Sponsor: MES Municipal Emergency Services Inc. Fire Scenario #12: Arson Fire SOURCES: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ blogs/ on-leadership/ wp/ 2013/ 10/ 11/ the-tea-party-is-giving-anarchism-a-bad-name/ http://www.examiner.com/article/another-terrorism-report-demonizes-christian-patriots-preppers http://www.investigativeproject.org/1341/the-creeping-homegrown-threat http://www.activistpost.com/2010/12/why-are-feds-cultivating-their-own.html https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_shield https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alameda_County_Sheriff%27s_Office http://www.alamedacountysheriff.org/ http://publicintelligence.net/alameda-urban-shield-2013/ http://info.publicintelligence.net/AlamedaCountyUrbanShield2013.pdf http://www.contracostatimes.com/west-county-times/ci_24267003/richmond-residents-report-strong-gas-odor http://www.contracostatimes.com/west-county-times/ci_24276573/gas-smell-that-enveloped-richmond-came-from-disabled This post appeared in the U.S. News category.