The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Academic Engagement (OAE) today publicly released two Summary Reports and Situational Manuals containing key findings, learnings and scenarios from recent trainings though its Campus Resilience (CR) Program.
As part of the Department’s commitment to safeguarding our nation’s campuses, as recently reiterated by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the Office of Academic Engagement hosts in-person trainings across the nation through a Tabletop Exercise Series (TTX). The goal of the series is to bolster campuses’ ability to mitigate the impacts of an incident and provide tools and resources to develop the necessary plans, policies, procedures, and capabilities to respond to and recover from a crisis.
The reports released today are from the 2018 North Dakota University System Leadership Tabletop Exercise (LTTX), and the 2018 Philadelphia Regional Tabletop Exercise for Institutions of Higher Education Summary Report (RTTX). The LTTX was a half-day event that brought campus leadership together with government officials for a scenario involving cybersecurity resilience. It provided an opportunity for all participants to receive and share information technology (IT)-related information while identifying IT risks, vulnerabilities, and best practices. The RTTX focused on threats and hazards related to a hazardous material (HAZMAT) incident near campus and provided participants with insights into response and recovery best practices. The event was attended by nearly 100 participants from the academic, public safety, and railway transport fields.
Members of the academic community are encouraged to refer to the documents to learn from the findings, as well as use the situational guides for trainings with their staffs. In addition to these reports, the office recently launched a free, online Campus Resilience Resource Library with training materials and guidance on threats ranging from natural disasters to active shooters.
For more information, visit the Campus Resilience Program and TTX Series, or email OAE at AcademicEngagement@hq.dhs.gov.