Largest Massachusetts Homeland Security Drill to Commence This Week

Largest Massachusetts Homeland Security Drill to Commence This Week

Sirens, helicopters, military vehicles, first responders and other disaster response measures are expected to be present this week in various locations across the state. The public should not be alarmed, as the emergency response presence is part of the training exercise.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • Nov 06, 2018

The largest homeland security training exercise ever conducted in Massachusetts, Vigilant Guard MA 19-1, began Monday and will run through Friday, Nov. 9.

Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Coast Guard, local police and fire departments, federal public safety officials, private sector partners, the Massachusetts National Guard and representatives from other states are undergoing a training exercise to test their procedures and processes under the stress of large scale disaster and domestic threat situations.

The times, locations and disaster or threat type have not been disclosed to the public in order to maintain the integrity of the scenarios for those involved in the training. The first responders and other participants will need to react as they would in the event of a disaster or threat actually happening — with zero prior notice.

Sirens, helicopters, military vehicles, first responders and other disaster response measures are expected to be present this week in various locations across the state. The public should not be alarmed, as the emergency response presence is part of the training exercise.

“This type of stress test is what we need to be prepared to support government and private entities during a real world disaster,” said Col. Margaret C. White, Director of Military Support, Massachusetts National Guard. “I am confident that this exercise will make us collectively stronger, more focused and more effective than ever before.”

According to Col. White, the training will challenge all involved, testing their ability to assess and respond to dynamic and complicated scenarios both as individuals and in collaboration with one another.

“The citizens of Massachusetts depend on state and federal agencies to work together to prevent, protect, respond and recover from disasters,” said Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard. “Throughout the week-long exercise, the scenarios will be as realistic as possible for those involved in the training, but will pose no risk to the general public.”

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services

  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.