DHS gathers input on critical infrastructure

DHS gathers input on critical infrastructure    U.S. Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano met three times late last month with industry leaders about ways to share responsibility for protecting the nation's critical infrastructure and making systems resilient so they don't cripple communities in the event of natural or man-made disasters.
   Napolitano's second roundtable discussion was with officials from the transportation, postal and shipping, emergency services and health care sectors. On other occasions she visited with manufacturing, agriculture, energy, chemical, information technology and other sectors, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
   She told private sector officials that DHS is taking a more national approach to reducing the vulnerability of critical economic, safety and health systems by promoting vigilance, preparedness and risk reduction.
   The department also unveiled a new Web site designed to inform stakeholders and the public about their role in critical infrastructure protection, readiness and adaptability efforts. Individuals can sign up for free Web-based seminars on tools, trends, issues and best practices for infrastructure protection and resilience, resources concerning potential vulnerabilities for chemical facilities, and details about the National Response Framework, which provides guidance on unified preparation and response to emergencies. The site also details DHS's planning and partnership efforts on critical infrastructure preservation.