COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT SPEAKS OUT ON HOMELAND SECURITY WHAT BUSINESSES SHOULD KNOW BEYOND DUCT TAPE

Counterterrorism Expert Elsa Lee to present terrorism awareness, terrorist methodology, and ways to protect against terrorism in the U.S. at Culver City Homeland Security seminar April 10th.

(PRWEB) March 23, 2003 -- Los Angeles, CA - Companies and business owners should be very aware of their surroundings," said Counterterrorism Expert Elsa Lee, CEO and Founder of Advantage SCI (www.advantage-sci.com), Redondo Beach, CA, which provides security consulting, training, and e-learning to protect people and corporate assets from sabotage, espionage, cyber attacks, and terrorism.

An organization that provides services to the public should be really concerned about their security practices, their emergency plans, their contact lists, the training of their people and ensuring that organizations are up to date in their security training," explained Lee.

As for the Weapons of Mass Destruction" the public has heard so much about she said, There are four types of weapons of mass destruction; radiological, nuclear, chemical and biological. If there is a radiological threat then you want to protect yourself the best that you can and your best defense may be to stay in a building, close the vents and stay there until you know whats going on.

Lee says there are three critical things to remember: Look, analyze, and act, but dont be reactive." Additionally, Lee says every organization or company should make sure that their building is functional, which means that the ventilation system can be shut off if necessary, and that the filters are being changed and up to date. She says that could possibly increase the survival rate of a chemical attack.

Lee reminds the public that they should not take a company hiring policy for face value. You need to take a look at your hiring practices, make sure your new hires are compliant with the law and if you have a need to be concerned with their background you should be contacting the authorities. Make sure you have concrete evidence before you call. Organizations are doing more background checks, even before 9-11. So that is not a new action sparked by the terrorist attacks, because many companies recognize the value of doing background checks."

For families and schools Lee has this advice for surviving a catastrophe. I think it needs to start in the home by having some kind of an emergency plan. Knowing that youre not at home and if your home is wiped out, that you have a number you can call or you have a rendezvous point where the family will come together, and knowing where your children are during the event. I would encourage schools to contact Advantage SCI, to assess emergency plans and security."

Lee cited an example of her own experience. Last summer I was in close proximity of a house that blew up in Torrance due to a natural gas explosion. The walls in my house actually contracted. I immediately thought it was the refinery, power plant or something of that nature. Before I went out I looked out the window to make sure there wasnt any fallout and Im not sure how many people were thinking about that. When I was pretty sure I could go outside I saw everything was in order, but then I started to see gray smoke. I expected sirens and the news to come on and alert the public, but nothing happened for about 15 minutes. During that crucial time I was prepared to close the vents, windows or evacuate the area with my family if I needed to."
                                                
Asked whether everyone should have gas masks in the house Lee said, I dont know that we have to go that extreme, and I dont think everyone could afford that. We need to have solutions in the absence of the gas masks.
You might have a little plastic bag with a wet washcloth that might carry you through for 15 -- 20 minutes to get out of a disastrous area."

Lee, who was in the Cold War in Germany, and spent 20 years in the military in counterterrorism said, Terrorists have been with us for decades. Weve monitoring their terrorism for at least 40 years, but only recently has it become a major concern for our country."

April 10th at the Ramada Plaza, Culver City, (8:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m.) Lee, along with other government and security experts will be coaching and presenting a Homeland Security seminar on: "Threat Assessments - Who Needs Them?" - "Espionage and Terrorism Deterrence" - "Business Continuity Management & Other Crisis Plans," and "Securing the Enterprise through People, Process, and Best Practices"

The events are changing by the minute, so people should increase their awareness and if they see anything suspicious know exactly where theyre going to report it," said Lee.

Lee advises the public to have an emergency disaster plan at work and at home, and to report anything unusual without doing it in a way theyre going to burden the police stations or emergency rooms.

For example when we had the anthrax scare we had 60,000 calls into emergency rooms," explained Lee. Citizens will be the first to respond, because they will be the first to see something. They should prepare themselves and know in advance where to call and under what circumstances they should be reporting events."

As America braces for the stepped-up war on terrorism Lee has this additional advice. If someone looks suspicious in your neighborhood or at work you should not assume necessarily that they belong there. You should be more inclined to ask questions. A gesture as simple as asking 'may I help you can deter a person, who might be ready to do something that is going to hurt everyone."

Before and after the 9-11 tragedy, Lee helped clients in the security, government, law enforcement, insurance, financial, and apparel industries to achieve both, organizational leadership and security excellence. She has 22 years of public and private sector experience in anti-terrorism operations, counterespionage investigations, threat and vulnerability assessments, and information systems security in the United States, Asia, Central America, and Europe. Elsa is a member of the FBI Los Angeles Infraguard.

Now, more than ever people should listen or watch the news at least once or twice a day, be more aware of their surroundings, because we want to be prepared for anything that happens," said Lee.

About Advantage SCI
Advantage SCI (www.advantage-sci.com), Redondo Beach, CA, which provides security consulting, training, and e-learning to protect people and corporate assets from sabotage, espionage, cyber attacks, and terrorism.

For more information, to book Elsa Lee as a speaker or advanced interviews contact George McQuade at: 818.340.5300 or 818.618.9229, or to register for the seminar call: 310.330.0129 or Visit: www.MayoCommunications.com and click on headline Counterterrorism -- Beyond Duct Tape."