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Category Archives: Jewish Security

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More info on the NYS Sandy grant opportunity

August 01, 2013
Thanks to Edie Mesick of UJA-Federation of NY’s Government Relations Department for digesting and distributing information on this opportunity. The latest information can be found immediately below. Scroll down for the information on the grant.

Additional information has been posted by NYS OCFS on the Federal SSBG RFP opportunity for funding for certain Superstorm Sandy losses not covered by other resources. Use this link to view the Q&A post.

From our brief review, of particular interest are the following points:

  1. Houses of Worship and Parochial and private schools are eligible to apply for this funding (assuming that the services are provided to a population that was directly impacted by Sandy and that the program meets all other eligibility requirements).
  2. Insurance deductibles are eligible for reimbursement under the Sandy SSBG.
  3. For sites that were damaged that you rent, the entity responsible for the building would have to be an eligible applicant.

Use this link to view the bidder’s conference and access the PowerPoint used during the conference, for more insight that might help you in determining whether to apply for this funding.

Hint: In order to be considered for this grant all not-for-profit organizations must be prequalified in the Grants Gateway by the time of contract award. To register go here.

Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant (SandySSBG)

NYS has $200,034,600 in federal Superstorm Sandy Social Services Block Grant (Sandy SSBG) funding for eligible health and human services providers. Sandy SSBG resources are dedicated to covering necessary expenses resulting from Superstorm Sandy, including social, health and mental health services for individuals, and for repair, renovation and rebuilding of health care facilities, mental hygiene facilities, child care facilities and other social services facilities.

Sandy SSBG funding must be used for costs that are 1) directly related to Superstorm Sandy and populations that were impacted by it; and 2) not reimbursed and not currently eligible for reimbursement by the federal government (including FEMA), private insurance and any other public or private funding sources. Duplication of benefits is prohibited. Read More More info on the NYS Sandy grant opportunity

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Updated: Bomb Threat Guidance 2013

June 25, 2013

OBP_DHS DOJ Bomb Threat Guidance Image

Did you hear the one about a forgetful British bridegroom who made a hoax bomb threat rather than admit he’d neglected to book the venue for his wedding? He was sentenced to a year in jail.

What should you do if your organization receives a threat? The FBI and DHS released a new “pocket” bomb threat guidance document available here. It provides a two-page overview to help  you deal with bomb threats: planning and preparation, your “emergency toolkit”, what you should do if you receive a threat, how to assess the threat and the possible responses.

Now is a good time to review, or to think through your own plans. Our own Emergency Planning: Disaster and Crisis Response Systems for Jewish Organizations has a longer chapter discussing the issue. Learn how to handle a phone threat with this checklist.

Finally, read an New York Times account of an October 15, 2012 bomb threat (with an actual pipe bomb) to the Home Depot store in Huntington, NY. The store’s bomb threat plan was put to good use.

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Conducting Security Assessments: A Guide for Schools and Houses of Worship

April 08, 2013

Key Dates: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (EDT)

Background Information: In support of the Presidential Initiative on Reducing Gun Violence, this virtual roundtable explores how to assess and strengthen security at houses of worship and K-12 schools and will have representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and from religious and educational communities will discuss how to:

  • Develop assessment teams
  • Assess security measures
  • Create a culture of security throughout the institution

This free, online, interactive roundtable will include panel discussions, a question-and-answer session, and additional resources.

 Who should attend:

  • Leaders, administrators, staff, and volunteers from schools and houses of worship
  • Law enforcement and Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial officials

See the resources page here.

 

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Kudos to Manhattan DA and NYPD on synagogue bomb plot conviction

December 05, 2012
Mayor Bloomberg, DA Cy Vance and Police Commissioner Kelly announce the arrests of two plotting to blow up Manhattan synagogues.
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Considerations for digital & online security at Jewish institutions

November 28, 2012

The hackings of 82 synagogue websites during Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense by the “Moroccan Ghosts” brought appropriate responses from law enforcement agencies. The intrusions should remind us that cybersecurity is in our own hands. The following recommendations from the ADL make sense.

Read More Considerations for digital & online security at Jewish institutions

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NYPD High Holiday Briefing: Increased vigilance

September 10, 2012
Michael Miller addresses
NYPD High Holiday Briefing

Unfortunately, some of it sounded familiar. At the NYPD High Holiday Briefing on September 5th, NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly reported that, once again, the Jewish High Holidays brought with them heightened threats against Jewish institutions. Fortunately, the NYPD will respond with additional coverage.

Commissioner Kelly invited Michael S. Miller, Executive VP & CEO of the JCRC-NY to speak at the briefing. Michael Miller spoke of the role that the leaders of Jewish institutions have played as partners to the police and how they can do more. He also recognized the importance of intelligence operations, which interrupted the Riverdale and Manhattan bomb plots against synagogues.

Read Michael Miller’s remarks after the jump.

Read More NYPD High Holiday Briefing: Increased vigilance

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It’s Elul — planning security for the High Holidays

August 27, 2012

As the High Holidays approach, organizations should be refining their security arrangements, along with their other planning obligations. Those responsible for synagogue security are not alone. Some important resources follow:

  1. Attend the NYPD High Holiday Security Briefing with Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly at One Police Plaza on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 11AM. RSVP’s are required. Email your reservation to Sgt. Richard Taylor in the Office of the Chief of Community Affairs by clicking here. See the information about the Nassau County Police Department’s meeting to discuss its High Holiday Policing Strategies at http://www.facebook.com/JCRCLI.
  2. Review the ADL Security Recommendations for the High Holidays below.
  3. Check out the JCRC-NY’s presentations on High Holiday access control and preparing for the unexpected below the ADL recommendations. Read More It’s Elul — planning security for the High Holidays
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Again, active shooters

July 20, 2012

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the shootings in Colorado. The greatest horror is the realization that such incidents are all-too-easy to commit. How should organizations plan to protect their students, staff, congregants and others?

Recommendations (scroll down for resources)

There are no perfect solutions, but planning and training can mitigate active shooter incidents. The first step is maintaining good access control. Keeping someone who wants to do harm outside is the best way of protecting those inside.

  • Evacuate: Building occupants should evacuate the facility if safe to do so; evacuees should leave behind their belongings, visualize their entire escape route before beginning to move, and avoid using elevators or escalators.
  • Hide: If evacuating the facility is not possible, building occupants should hide in a secure area (preferably a designated shelter location), lock the door, blockade the door with heavy furniture, cover all windows, turn off all lights, silence any electronic devices, lie on the floor, and remain silent.
  • Take Action: If neither evacuating the facility nor seeking shelter is possible, building occupants should attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by throwing objects, using aggressive force, and yelling.
  • Other considerations?
    • Train building occupants to call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so.
    • Train building occupants on how to respond when law enforcement arrives on scene.
    • follow all official instructions, remain calm, keep hands empty and visible at all times, and avoid making sudden or alarming movements.

Summer camps

Summer camps bring special challenges, especially when the campers are young. Planning and training may be even more critical, but the general guidance remains:

  • Evacuate. Staff should know your plan and be able to evacuate to a safer area, if possible. It will be difficult to run with groups of young children.
  • Hide. Summer camp structures are rarely constructed in a way to withstand an attack by a determined intruder and they rarely have heavy furniture that might be used to blockade a door. If no secure structure is available, consider designating scattered, but assigned, assembly points for each small camper group. By making an intruder search for victims (over many acres of campgrounds)  this tactic buys some of the  time necessary for help to respond. Staff should be prepared with “quiet activities” alternatives. This is a situation when good communication can be the difference between life and death.
  • Take action. The actions available in summer camps are dependent on the ages and abilities of the groups involved.

Resources

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Schumer, Gillibrand on Homeland Security grants.

July 10, 2012

SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND SECURE OVER $3.4 MILLION TO IMPROVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR 42 AT RISK JEWISH SCHOOLS AND CONGREGATIONS

Schumer and Gillibrand Secured over 30% Of Total Funding For Organizations Based in New York Out of the Total $10 Million Granted to Awardees Across the Country

The Awardees Include 42 Jewish Educational Institutions and Congregations; The Money Will Help These At-Risk Nonprofits For Security Preparedness

Schumer, Gillibrand: These Schools and Congregations are Vital Parts of our Community – the Grant Money Will Go To a Good Cause

U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that 42 New York Jewish organizations, including schools and congregations, have received a combined total of $3,419,184 for the 2012 fiscal year as Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) Awardees. The program, run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, awards federal funds to nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a national terrorist attack to encourage preparedness efforts.

Read More Schumer, Gillibrand on Homeland Security grants.

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