As 2013 comes to a close, MSA Security invites you to walk through our Top 10 Blogs from this year.
10. X-ray Security Update: Continuing Education for X-ray Screeners Opens in a new window
In this number 10 blog we take you through what to look for when X-ray screening with regard to suspicious packages containing basic electronic items. We have complied various X-ray images from our SmartTech™ Opens in a new window Emergency Operations Center to reinforce that screeners should pay careful attention to not only component identification but how these components are packaged. This entry is perfect for X-ray Security Training Opens in a new window.
9. Event Organizers Heighten Security After Boston Marathon Attack Opens in a new window
As more and more details began to emerge about the Boston Marathon attack, our 9th blog talked about how to protect yourself. We created a mock-up of the pressure cooker bombs used in the Boston Marathon bombings to educate our readers.
8. School Shooting in St. Louis, Missouri Opens in a new window
Next is blog number 8, which chronicles a 34 year-old college student's shooting of a school administrator at Stevens Institute of Business and Arts (SIBA) in St. Louis, Missouri. It was reported that shooter, Sean Johnson and administrator, Greg Elsenrath had a heated dispute about his lost financial aid the previous day. According to a probable cause statement, the school shooting occurred after another discussion between the two.
7. X-ray Security Update: A Parcel Bomb Sent to Italian Newspaper Opens in a new window
Our 7th blog details a parcel bomb Opens in a new window that was sent to the offices of Italian newspaper La Stampa, but failed to detonate when opened, prompting an evacuation of the building as bomb disposal teams were deployed. “Inside there was a mechanical system, which did not function, but was capable of detonating a device,” La Stampa said on its website, which showed a photograph of the bomb in a type of hard case usually used for carrying CDs.
6. Quick Law Enforcement Response Thwarts Active Shooter Opens in a new window
A potentially devastating active shooter incident Opens in a new window, our number 6 post, was interrupted by police at the University of Central Florida. University of Central Florida student James Seevakumaran Opens in a new window, 30, was planning to conduct a mass shooting in his dormitory. While police investigated the circumstances behind the failed attack, there was clear evidence he was in the final stages of preparation and was ready to implement his plan.
5. Explosive Incident Brief: Boston Marathon Explosions (Part 1 Opens in a new window/Part 2 Opens in a new window)
Our number 5 blog is a two-parter. At approximately 2:45pm on April 15th, two explosions Opens in a new window occurred almost simultaneously, roughly 10 seconds apart, causing extensive damage, injuring dozens, and killing at least two. The bombs exploded at the 4:08-hour mark of the Boston Marathon, and the bulk of the casualties were among spectators on the north side of Boylston Street.
4. MSA Security Develops "Golden 15" Active Shooter Strategy Opens in a new window
Number 4 came in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting. Assessing and improving school security has become a crucial next-step for officials attempting to ensure that individuals are safe in schools and the workplace. Given the marked increase in active shooter incidents across the U.S. and because these deadly events most often take place before first responders arrive, MSA created key practices to help schools refine their present security programs and deal with these unexpected events. While designed with schools in mind, these practices can also be adopted for business environments to deter workplace violence.
The concept behind The MSA Golden 15 hinges on the fact that on average there are 15 minutes between the initiation of an active shooter event and the arrival of law enforcement personnel. MSA refers to this 15-minute window as the "Golden 15," and developed a corresponding Golden 15 Security Checklist to help school officials prepare and respond to the active shooter threat.
3. AQAP Releases Tenth Edition of Inspire Magazine Opens in a new window
Blog number 3 reported on the tenth edition of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) English-language Inspire magazine Opens in a new window which was released on jihadist forums. This issue served as a follow-up to the simultaneous release of the eighth and ninth editions in May 2012. Although drone strikes continue to target militants in Yemen, AQAP had yet again proven its ability to produce the magazine without key figures like the group’s late chief of external operations, Anwar al-Awlaki, and the magazine’s primary editor, Samir Khan. Holding true to the purpose of the magazine, this edition aimed to inspire Western extremists to conduct their own attacks and to show the resiliency of the al Qaeda franchise.
2. Terrorism Threat Analysis: New Edition of Inspire Magazine Opens in a new window
The Yemen-based al Qaeda affiliate, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released its 11th edition of the English-language magazine Inspire titled, “Who and Why?” Our blog on this new edition which is displayed as a “Special Issue,” (joining two other such editions: (1) Issue #3 which outlined the 2010 cargo bomb plot and (2) Issue #7 which focused on commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2011) takes our number 2 spot. This special issue has a particularly heavy emphasis on the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings Opens in a new window, which is highlighted as a successful terrorist operation carried out by naturalized U.S. citizens. The type of attack is the exact purpose of the Inspire series, which is to encourage Western individuals to conduct their own attacks wherever they live. AQAP did not claim responsibility for the Boston attacks; however, there is an article titled “Inspire by Inspire” which highlights how the brothers were motivated by the magazine “not only because Inspire offers bomb recipes, but also because of the contents of the magazine alone.” The Boston bombers likely utilized their “Open Source Jihad” instructions on how to build a bomb using easily obtainable materials. There are several articles featured in this edition of the magazine in which AQAP touts itself for providing bomb-making instructions in the infamous “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of your Mom” article.
1. Bomb Dog Demand on the Rise: CBS News talks to MSA Security Opens in a new window
And our number 1 blog post of 2013 goes to (drum roll)...Our story on CBS News in which Lead Canine Trainer, Zane Roberts spoke about the high demand for bomb dogs Opens in a new window, especially following the Boston Marathon Attack. Roberts explained to CBS's Chip Reid that dogs are still the best detectors of bombs. "If you took a machine and tried to search all that luggage as fast as I can
search it with one dog," said Roberts, "I'd beat you every time."
CBS News visited MSA's state-of-the-art training academy Opens in a new window, the central location for all phases of MSA's comprehensive bomb dog and handler training program.
To watch the full segment click here Opens in a new window.
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MSA Security would like to thank our loyal readers for making our blog such a success over the past year! Also, a special thanks to our blog contributors for all of your efforts and support throughout 2013. Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy New Year!
Happy Reading!
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