To advance the readiness of New Jersey's more than 6,400 houses of worship (HOW), NJOHSP, with the support of its Interfaith Advisory Council, is providing bleeding control kits to help prevent deaths from traumatic injuries received during an active violent event prior to the arrival of first responders. Large public gathering places can be targets for violent extremists, and places of worship are particularly vulnerable due to their easy access and limited security measures. A person with severe bleeding can lose their life in just a few minutes, making it critical to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. The kits contain basic items used to stop extreme hemorrhages and pneumothorax injuries. They were purchased with U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funding awarded to the State of New Jersey and are provided at no cost to the recipient. HOW leaders can register to receive a bleeding control kit using the Houses of Worship Distribution Survey. 

NJOHSP staff will be on hand to speak to job seekers regarding potential employment and to answer questions at the annual New Jersey Civil Service Commission Statewide Job Fair.

Date: Thursday, August 15, 2024
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Location: Kean University, Liberty Hall Academic Center, Union, NJ

The job fair will provide information and opportunities for individuals interested in pursuing employment in State and local government agencies, universities, and colleges.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) kicks off its "Back to School Safety Month" to highlight resources, tools, and stakeholder events for the education community. These initiatives are designed to enhance security measures and build resilience against various threats and hazards, ensuring a safer future for all. CISA actively works with the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) to provide information, guidance, technical assistance, and other resources to help K-12 stakeholders reduce their cyber and physical security risk while increasing their resilience and capability. Follow CISA on social media in August as it highlights both cybersecurity and physical security resources for K-12 and beyond. For information on proactive measures the New Jersey Department of Education takes to protect the safety and security of all of its students and staff members, visit https://www.nj.gov/education/security/. For additional resources, visit SchoolSafety.gov.

Anti-government extremists, foreign terrorist organizations, and their supporters are capitalizing on border vulnerabilities by illegally obtaining entry into the U.S., profiting off human smuggling, and plotting attacks against individuals at the border. In March 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified at a U.S. Senate hearing where he warned members about threats from the U.S. border stating, "there is a particular network that has ISIS ties that we’re very concerned about, and we’ve been spending enormous amount of effort with our partners investigating." He said threats from various groups have "gone to a whole other level."

The application period for the New Jersey Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NJ NSGP) and the Reproductive Health Security Grant Program (RHSGP) began July 15, 2024, and concludes September 30, 2024. NJOHSP, through its Grants Management Bureau, administers both programs. The NJ NSGP provides funding to eligible nonprofit organizations for target-hardening equipment and security services. The RHSGP provides funding to eligible reproductive health care facilities, licensed by the State of New Jersey and in good standing, that provide reproductive health care services and determined to be at a high risk of unlawful activity, including acts of violence, property damage, vandalism, harassment, etc. Recipients can use the funding to purchase security services, physical security equipment, preparedness training, emergency planning, and cybersecurity assets.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in conjunction with NJOHSP, is sponsoring a Hunterdon County Emergency Operations Planning (EOP) Workshop for Houses of Worship (HOW) to assist religious institutions in developing comprehensive emergency plans.

Date: Thursday, August 22, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: Hunterdon County Complex (Building 1), 314 State Rt. 12, Flemington NJ 08822

The program’s primary goal is to build a robust planning team to address various threats and hazards effectively. Participants will learn to create clear objectives and actionable strategies for emergencies. The workshop also emphasizes sharing lessons learned and best practices among attendees. Resources from FEMA, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency, and NJOHSP will be available to support these efforts. This initiative is the result of recently passed State legislation, S-721, which mandates that HOW with a capacity of 500 or more must have an EOP. By attending this workshop, HOW can ensure they comply with the new legislation and are better prepared for emergencies. For more information and to register, download the flyer.