The Dallas Emergency Response Network
Think Globally, Act Locally
Protecting Communities is a Community Effort
08/03/05
What can communities do in a post-9-11 world to guard against terrorist attack?
Our Dallas field office came up with a great idea: use web technology to bring together law enforcement, the military, first responders, businesses, and community organizations in North Texas to partner and share information. The Emergency Response Network (ERN) was born.
The ERN—now led by our Dallas Field Intelligence Group—uses a website to gather and share information quickly and easily.
On the collection side, we’ve provided a fill-in-the-blank form for members of the network or the local community to file a report when they witness something suspicious. Once the form is filled in, it’s delivered with a click of a button to our Dallas office, where it’s reviewed by agents and analysts.
What kind of information have we gotten? All kinds. For example:
- A military supply company reported possible sabotage at its facility.
- Regarding reports of persons photographing electric transformers and other critical infrastructure equipment, we got the license plate number of a suspicious vehicle from a utility company worker.
- Another member reported a suspicious identity theft: a company jacket, hard hat, employee identification, and day planner were stolen from a regional utility truck, leaving expensive tools untouched.
- We’ve also had reports of people filming or photographing bridges, buildings, and other critical infrastructure—and sometimes asking questions about the types of businesses inside.