The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the following statement on safety and enforcement during Tropical Depression Imelda:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are concerned about the flooding caused by Tropical Depression Imelda to southeast Texas. Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety. In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the storm, except in the event of a serious public safety threat.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are concerned about the potential impact of Hurricane Dorian to portions of the East Coast.  Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety. In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the storm, except in the event of a serious public safety threat.

Including first responders when developing an emergency plan and conducting exercises establishes relationships and helps ensure that chemical facilities have appropriate security measures in place in the event of a chemical incident.

S&T—in collaboration with FEMA, USFA, and other key stakeholder experts—determined WUI incidents and life-saving functions as the optimal areas for S&T to explore technology innovation.

Presentations from the 2019 Chemical Sector Security Summit that took place in New Orleans, Louisiana.

When disasters and flu outbreaks strike communities, hospitals; emergency responders; and other city, state, and federal response agencies need to know what resources are available to accommodate a potentially large influx of injured or ill patients. Until now, emergency planners have lacked reliable tools to help them manage their resources for specific disasters or disease outbreaks.

Marcello is a customizable, Web-based tool that integrates oceanic and atmospheric forecasting, plume modeling, and real-time information updates that can help decision-makers and emergency responders prepare for, respond to, and recover from events. The tool overlays multiple datasets, model outputs, and information sources in a single, user-friendly interface.

Researchers from the Center for Visual and Data Analytics (CVADA), a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Center of Excellence, have worked with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to develop the Coastal Operations Analysis Suite of Tools (COAST) that meets a broad set of USCG mission requirements. This suite of tools includes visualization, simulation, math modeling, and optimization techniques.

In an emergency, it is vital that first responders are able to communicate and share information, regardless of the agency they represent. Yet, interoperability and information integration remain a challenge when it comes to real-time, multi-agency coordination.

To address this challenge, the Center for Visualization and Data Analytics (CVADA) at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Center of Excellence, developed the Mobile Computing Application Platform (MCAP) in partnership with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center.

The ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) storm surge model combines rain, atmospheric pressure, and wind forecasts to predict when, where, and to what extent flooding will inundate a coastal community with greater precision than other available models. This enables decision-makers to identify which locations will become unsafe and plan for mitigation and response before severe storms occur.