Homeland Security: Inside & Out

A candid interview with the administrator of the nation's railroad about the transportation of the most dangerous forms of hazardous cargo

1. Biometric ID cards for the nation's airport workers
2. Is DHS broken beyond repair?
3. Building a framework for thinking about disasters and public policy
4. If you had five minutes with the presidential candidates ....
5. The nuts and bolts of firefighting in a medium-size city

Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m. CDT (KAMU 90.9 FM, College Station)

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1. Inside the Beltway

The nation's railroads move tons and tons of hazardous materials from coast to coast, yet a relatively few truly pose a threat to homeland security. In this interview,  Joseph H. Boardman, the nation's 11th Federal Railroad Administrator, talks about the need to bring focus to the regulations that govern transportation of those materials. "Moving hazardous materials by rail is the safest way to move that material in the world," Boardman says.

2. News Media

Congress wants to screen 100 percent of the nation's airport workers. The big question of the Transportation Security Administration is: How do you get to 100 percent? Alice Lipowitz, reporter with Washington Technology, discusses the upside and downside of the TSA's many options, including the use of biometric identification cards.

 

3. Outside the Beltway

Is the DHS broken beyond repair? Scholar Donald F. Kettle explores this question in his book, "System Under Stress: Homeland Security and American Politics." Kettl is the Stanley I. Sheerr Endowed Term Professor in the Social Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, director of the Fels Institute of Government and professor of political science. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. "The fundamental problem," he says in this interview, "lies in this notion that we can and should solve these problems purely organizationally. That is, if we shuffle the boxes, we'll come to whatever the right answer is to be able to deal with homeland security issues."

4. Spotlight

If we want to think about the connections between extreme events and public policy, what is the mental framework?  Richard T. Sylves, a professor of political science at the University of Delaware, has been teaching disaster policy since 1988. He is the author of more than a half-dozen books on the subject, including a new one, "Disaster Policy and Politics: Emergency Management and Homeland Security." In this interview, he talks about theory, frameworks and their relationship to conducting public policy in the face of catastrophic situations.

5. Five minutes with the presidential candidates

Bill Smullens, a career military officer who spent 13 years with Gen. Colin Powell as public affairs officer and later as chief of staff, answers the question: "If you have five minutes with the presidential candidates, what would you say?" He now directs the national security program at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

6. Homeland Security at Home

Chief R.B Alley of the College Station Fire Department (Texas) has worked in fire service for 31 years.   He joined the Virginia Beach (Va.) Fire Department as a firefighter in April 1977 and served as a fire inspector, company officer, battalion chief, chief of training, and district chief.

Extreme biological events: Medical experts react to DHS Sec. Chertoff's major speech

Recently, the secretary of homeland security devoted a major speech to the challenge posed by an extreme biological event in the United States. On this edition, co-hosts Randy Larsen and Dave McIntyre devote the entire hour as some of the nation's leading experts analyze key aspects of that speech.:

1. Anthrax: Where's the vaccine the experts say we need?
2. Providing leadership during a bio-attack
3. Quarantine vs. isolation: What's the difference?
4. How do you quarantine 500,000 people in a city of 2 million?
5. Who takes the lead when a bio-event strikes a major U.S. city?
6. Advice for families: Preparing for a major bio-event

Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m. CDT (KAMU 90.9 FM, College Station)

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1. Outside the Beltway, Take One

Anthrax is the most likely bio-weapon of choice among our enemies, the experts say. So why doesn't the U.S. have an adequate supply of anthrax vaccine? We get an analysis from immunologist Gigi Kwik Gronvall, a senior associate at the Center for Biosecurity at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. She also explores the question, "Are scientific papers giving ammunition to bioterrorists?"

2. Outside the Beltway, Take Two

Say you're the mayor of a small city, and you find out that letters containing anthrax have turned up in your local post office. What do you do? It happened to Glen Gilmore, who was mayor of Hamilton, N.J., during the anthrax crisis of October 2001. His leadership during the crisis was profiled in the New York Times, the Washington Post and Time magazine. In this interview, Gilmore explains how his township reacted to the event, and his surprise at the federal and state governments' nonchalance. "If we hadn't set up a clinic on our own," he says, "it's likely more people would have died."

3. Spotlight

What is the difference between quarantine and isolation? It's a crucial distinction during a pandemic. We get precise definitions on these and other critical terms from Jennifer Nuzzo, senior analyst at the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A public health professional by training, Nuzzo’s research focuses on disease mitigation strategies for pandemic influenza as well as issues related to water security, international preparedness, mass critical care and hospital preparedness.

4. Perspectives

How effective is quarantine during a potential pandemic? We ask Peter MacIntyre, manager of special projects for Toronto Emergency Medical Services, who was the city's manager community safeguards during the 2003 SARS outbreak. He and his family also experienced quarantine during the crisis. "It's very difficult to quarantine half a million people in a city of 2 million," he says. "The logistics of it don't work."

5. Homeland Security at Home, Take One

If there was a bioattack in a major U.S. city like Baltimore, who would take the lead? We ask that of Brooke Courtney, an associate at the Center for Biosecurity at UPMC and former director of public health preparedness and response for the city of Baltimore's health department. Her research at UPMC focuses on altered standards of care, hospital preparedness, medical countermeasures dispensing, and public-private partnerships.

6. Homeland Security at Home, Take Two

What steps can families take to prepare for bio-events that overwhelm a community's health services? We get answers from Dr. Ann Norwood, a senior associate at the Center for Biosecurity at UPMC. She joined the center after serving as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

From Michigan to Arizona: Is immigration a security issue or a social issue? Plus ...

• Should spy satellites track the average American?
  
• What are the gaps in homeland security and civil defense?
  
• How should we treat spies when we catch them?
• What can one learn from a graduate level education in homeland security studies?
  

Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m. CDT (KAMU 90.9 FM, College Station)

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1. News Media, Take One

The DHS domestic satellite surveillance program is running into fresh opposition from Congress, which says it may shut down the system if the department fails to more thoroughly address concerns over protecting privacy. Wall Street Journal reporter Siobhan Gorman talks about her coverage of this political battle.

2. Outside the Beltway

Elected as the first Hispanic senator in Michigan's history, Valde Garcia represents the 22nd District, which comprises Livingston, Shiawassee, and the southern portion of Ingham counties. 2008 represents Senator Garcia's seventh year serving as a state senator and his ninth year working as a legislator. Sen. Garcia presents the perspective of the nation's northern border on immigration issues.

3. News Media, Take Two

Two new GAO reports show that, despite progress in planning for homeland defense and civil support operations, there are significant gaps in coordination and readiness. Katherine Peters, senior correspondent for Government Executive Magazine, discusses her coverage of these two reports.

4. Outside the Beltway, Take Two

As sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County since 1993, Joe Arpaio has earned a reputation as  “America’s Toughest Sheriff.” He is head of the nation’s third largest sheriff’s office, which employs more than 3,000 people.  Before that, he served in top management positions around the world with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He concluded his 32-year federal career as head of the DEA for Arizona. In this interview, the sheriff presents the perspective of the southern border on immigration issues.

5. Spotlight

Jim Olson is a senior lecturer at the Bush School, where he teaches courses on intelligence, national security, and international crisis management. He served for more 25 years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agencys, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. He is the author of  "Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying." In this interview, he talks about the rules for the treatment of captured spies.

6. What Would You Tell the Candidates?

Fred Burton is vice president for counterterrorism at Stratfor. In this interview, he answers the question, "If you had five minutes with the presidential candidates, what would you tell them?"

7. Homeland Security at Home

Sean O'Neil is a graduate student at the Bush School of Government & Public Service who is about to receive his master's degree. In this interview, he talks about the advantages of a graduate education in homeland security studies.