NewsMine — deceptions — eastern-blackout — Viewing Item

Homeland security passed blackout test { August 19 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95088,00.html http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,95088,00.html Ridge: Blackout Was 'Initial Test' for Homeland Security System Tuesday, August 19, 2003 Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS — Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge (search) said Monday last week's blackout was an "initial test" of new systems and partnerships with states designed to enhance the nation's response to crises. "The systems that were put in place, the means by which we communicate and share information that we have set up in our respective organizations to help one another if we need one another, were clearly tested that night," Ridge said during a meeting of the National Governors Association (search). "Let's just call it an initial test of our relationship, and I think it worked pretty well." Although state and local authorities shouldered most of the load in responding to the outage, Homeland Security teams stood ready to deploy. One group was prepared to set up backup telecommunications networks so the federal government could manage police, fire and emergency services. But the primary networks did not break down. "Clearly we still have additional work to do, but it demonstrated again the notion that the federal government has to partner with the states in order to maximize our ability to prevent a crisis or respond to a crisis," Ridge said. During his public remarks, Ridge did not discuss heightened concerns that the nation's electricity grid and power plants might be vulnerable to terrorist attacks. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (search), energy secretary during the Clinton administration, said Monday that Ridge should conduct an immediate assessment of security at plants and electricity grids, and develop a plan that includes "additional security assistance to the states." Richardson stressed the need to improve security at nuclear plants. Ridge said he was asking governors to identify five officials in their states through whom top-level security information could be shared over a secure Web site.

15 minute outage college park { August 14 2003 } 50 million affected Air traffic control 30 second power failure { August 17 2003 } Alqaida claims responsibility for blackout { August 18 2003 } Blackout affecting parts metro detroit { August 14 2003 } Bush says not terrorism { August 15 2003 } Canada blames lightning Cia possibility terrorist tempering Consumers to pay 50m to update grid { August 17 2003 } Deregulation makes electric grid complex web Excuse for more deregulation { September 3 2003 } Fire destabalized grid { August 15 2003 } Fire edison plant manhattan { August 14 2003 } Fire florida substation Fire in pennsylvania nuclear plant Fire manhattan generator { August 14 2003 } Firstenergy assigned blackout blame Homeland security passed blackout test { August 19 2003 } Homeland security teams alerted Homeland security teams ready with blackout Huge power blackouts ny detroit { August 14 2003 } Human error cause of blackout { August 27 2003 } Italy has blackout Lodon outage lack of funding London loses power Major power outage Maryland schools open power back { August 29 2003 } Northeast blackout fire coned transformer Ny power outages not terrorism { August 14 2003 } Officials blame ohio Power2 [jpg] Simultaneaous faults caused england power out { August 29 2003 } System crash was predicted { August 15 2003 } Taskforce points the finger over blackout { November 19 2003 } Terror not ruled out Thats why no electricity in baghdad Traffic agent wrote tickets { August 20 2003 } Uk firm cleared in blackout Unconfirmed reports major fire { August 14 2003 } University maryland power outage Us canada argue over cause Utility deregulation possible villain { August 16 2003 } Files Listed: 42

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