Additionally, on a parallel track, the House-version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), H.R. 7900, includes the BPA language in its entirety. The Senate is still considering its own version of the NDAA and, if passed, would conference with the House to produce a final version.

To review, if passed by the Senate, the Bombing Prevention Act would give OBP statutory authority to, among other things:

• Enhance secure information sharing between government offices and the public
• Provide critical training, guidance, assessments, and planning to public and private organizations, and others facing bomb threats
• Work with international partners to develop and share effective practices to mitigate and respond to terrorist threats and attacks
• Develop and maintain the Department of Homeland Security’s comprehensive strategy for countering explosive devices

Among OBP’s many bombing prevention resource beneficiaries include first responders, emergency managers, and the law enforcement community.

As Congress continues consideration of multiple avenues for the BPA, CISA OBP remains steadfast in its commitment to securing our communities by responding to and preventing bombing incidents and threats.

For more on OBP’s offerings, including trainings, information, collaborative opportunities, information sharing, awareness materials, and helpful videos, visit our website.

As the use of advanced robotics in public safety and military bomb squads has recently increased, it is the responsibility of bomb technicians to better understand those capabilities and potential limitations.

The 6^th Annual Eastern National Robot Rodeo (ENRR) took place the week of August 8 in West Memphis, Ark. This multi-agency event provided opportunities for operators from the military and public safety bomb squads to network and exchange information on tactics, techniques, and procedures.

ENNR Benefits

The annual ENRR offers numerous advantages. These include: 

• Exposure to new and emerging robotics technologies 
• Challenging operational environments
• Vendor engagement – teams and sponsors provide direct feedback 
• Identification of robotic capability shortfalls, new technology needs 
• Networking opportunities 
• Early development of training 

Participants spent the week evaluating new and emerging robotic capabilities in real world scenarios. They were provided hands-on opportunities to work with the newest technologies, identify equipment shortfalls, and realize areas for improvement. Vendors were also on hand to showcase their capabilities and teams engaged in friendly competitions with their respective technology. The objective was to push capability boundaries and share live feedback to ensure these technologies are safe for deployment.

In attendance were a host of prominent leaders and organizations within the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) community including Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) and CISA OBP. Of note, Rep. Crawford is a former EOD Technician and leads the U.S. House of Representatives’ EOD Caucus.

Following the event, OBP’s Associate Director Sean Haglund stated, “Collaborative opportunities such as the ENRR are critical to the EOD community by providing a platform to discuss emerging technologies and best practices while collectively refining methods and tools to enhance public safety.”

The U.S. Bomb Data Center’s 2021 Explosives Incident Report identified nearly 2,000 bomb threats last year, with education institutions placing in the top three targets. In response, officials across the U.S. are refining methods to prepare for the current threat landscape, with CISA playing a leading role.

The latest effort took place August 3, when 150 school resource officers, teachers, principals, and superintendents visited Jonesboro, Ark., for the Congressional District’s first School Safety and Security Workshop, which Representative Rick Crawford (AR-01) hosted at Arkansas State University.

During the event, CISA OBP and CISA’s School Safety Task Force (SSTF) and Security Programs Subdivision shared a variety of capabilities that support risk-mitigation and capacity-building efforts ahead of the upcoming school year.

OBP delivered its Introduction to Bomb Threat Management training course to attendees, offering core information about bombings and instruction on how to evaluate bomb threats. Security Program’s Active Assailant Security Branch presented an active shooter preparedness briefing, which included an overview of soft-skills security resources to enhance recognition and prevention of incidents of targeted violence, followed by a demonstration from the SSTF on the K-12 School Security Guide and Assessment Tool. The briefings delivered non-confrontational techniques to increase security, emergency action planning tools, and other resources that enhance safety and security in schools.

To conclude the workshop, leaders from CISA Region 6, OBP, Security Programs, Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, University of Arkansas Criminal Justice Institute, and the Arkansas School Safety Commission participated in a panel discussion addressing active threat preparedness and resilience. This panel collectively discussed many of the topics and trainings provided throughout the week and served as a platform to tie all of those elements together.

With schools across the nation having begun the 2022-2023 academic year, CISA remains a steadfast partner for schools and communities by providing security capacity-building resources, videos, tools, and other materials that assist with recognizing, reporting, responding to, and preparing for various threat scenarios.

This year, a wide range of domestic violent extremist (DVE) groups have threatened attacks against the electric grid and urged followers to use specific explosives-related tactics to carry out their attacks.

Multiple DVE accelerationist social media postings in 2022 have called on followers to attack the electric grid and provided a mix of threats, incitements, and tactical guidance.  Accelerationists urge the use of violence and terror to bring about societal collapse.

For instance, in July 2022, the “Terrorgram” channel published “The Hard Reset” on Telegram, which included tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for manufacturing explosives and targeting the electric grid and other critical infrastructure targets as well as calls by Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists to attack their perceived ideological adversaries. In addition to providing instructions for making explosives, the publication calls for luring first responders to a location and ambushing them with hidden IEDs, as well as so-called “martyrdom” operations, adopting a term often associated with Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

These posts continue a trend illustrated in a 2021 indictment by the Department of Justice that lays out accelerationists’ plans to purchase hundreds of pounds of exploding target material to “take out the power grid,” targeting a dozen transformers, substations, and other components.

This spring, DVE eco-fascist groups made several threats against the electric grid on encrypted social media, providing explosives-related TTPs to followers and highlighting vulnerabilities of target infrastructure. These groups urged attacks on the electric grid in the name of saving the environment—one of their heroes is the Unabomber—but use imagery often found in neo-Nazi social media channels.

DVEs in Europe have also plotted attacks on the electric grid this year. In April, German law enforcement authorities arrested four anti-government violent extremists plotting to cause a nationwide blackout, which they hoped would lead to the breakdown of societal order and the downfall of the government.

As the threat of targeting the electric grid remains very real, OBP offers a variety of resources to help stakeholders prepare including trainings and products, the TRIPwire website that combines expert intelligence analysis and reports with relevant awareness products, and the joint OBP-FBI Security and Resiliency Guide, which helps security and operations managers, public safety officials, and others to plan and implement C-IED activities.

A total of 1,876 bomb threats, 4,935 suspicious or unattended packages, and 381 bombing incidents occurred across the United States in 2021, according to the U.S. Bomb Data Center (USBDC). Further, over 250,000 businesses operate across the U.S. that sell explosive precursor chemicals that can be used for nefarious purposes – including to build IEDs.

On July 19, CISA OBP teamed up with the FBI to raise awareness of Operation Flashpoint at an event in Orlando, Fla. This nationwide initiative is designed to promote awareness of dangerous chemicals and bomb-making materials to local business and store owners. CISA and FBI leadership joined the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orlando Police Department to inform the region of the importance of the collective effort to keep our communities secure by reporting suspicious activity. Combined media coverage from this event reached an estimated 42 million people across television, radio, print, and online outlets in central Florida and surrounding areas.

During the press conference, Dr. David Mussington, Executive Assistant Director of CISA’s Infrastructure Security Division, provided an overview of CISA’s mission, current statistics on national bomb threats, and the future of bomb prevention. “By using the collective power of the quarter-million businesses in the U.S. that sell or distribute the everyday materials that can be used for deadly purposes, we can save lives and stop criminals before they have a chance to act,” said Dr. Mussington.

Further expanding this effort in August, CISA delivered an Operation Flashpoint event to members of the public, local law enforcement, and first responders in Fort Collins, Col., where CISA OBP’s Bomb-making Materials Awareness Program (BMAP) team detailed the concerns related to the misuse of common explosive precursor chemicals.

“Operation Flashpoint is a rallying call for communities to come together and learn how to help keep our businesses, our families, and ourselves safe,” said CISA Region 8 Regional Director Shawn Graff. “I really appreciate Joseph’s Hardware and our other community partners joining us today to get the word out about preventing bomb attacks. When we work together, we build safer communities.”

Businesses interested in participating in Operation Flashpoint are invited to email CISA’s Operation Flashpoint program office at bmap@cisa.dhs.gov. Additionally, more information about Operation Flashpoint is available at cisa.gov/operation-flashpoint. Follow #OperationFlashpoint on Twitter: @CISAgov and @CISAInfraSec.