Stop.Think.Connect.  These three small words can make a big impact in keeping the internet safe.  Here at DHS, we are asking for your help in spreading this message of shared responsibility. 

If you'd like to help us in our efforts to make the internet a safe place to be, we encourage you to enter the Stop.Think.Connect PSA Challenge.  We are asking people to create and upload videos that will inspire Americans to be vigilant about developing safe online habits. 

• Keep a Clean Machine
• Protect Your Personal Information
• Connect with Care
• Be Web Wise
• Be A Good Online Citizen

As you gather to celebrate Thanksgiving with your friends and family, DHS, FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) want to help keep you and your loved ones safe from fire hazards.

That's why USFA has teamed up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to 'Put a Freeze on Winter Fires'.  They have compiled helpful videos, fact sheets, podcasts and more to keep you and your family safe this Thanksgiving.

As families gather in kitchens across the country to cook Thanksgiving dinner, many are stepping into what can be one of the most hazardous rooms in the house if you don't practice safe cooking habits.

According to data from the USFA, an estimated 2,000 Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings occur annually in the United States, resulting in an estimated average of five deaths, 25 injuries, and $21 million in property loss each year. The leading cause of all Thanksgiving Day fires in residential buildings is cooking. In addition, these fires occur most frequently in the afternoon hours from noon to 4 p.m. And unfortunately, smoke alarms were not present in 20 percent of Thanksgiving Day fires that occurred in occupied residential buildings.

USFA's 'Put a Freeze on Winter Fires' provides tons of safety tips for you and your family this Thanksgiving. Some of their safe cooking tips are:

1. Make sure you have smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom. Test smoke alarms monthly and replace them if they are 10 years old or older.
2. Keep a close watch on your cooking. You should never leave cooking food unattended.
3. Keep oven food packaging and other combustibles away from burners and heat sources.
4. Heat cooking oil slowly and watch it closely; it can ignite quickly.
5. Don't wear loose sleeves while working over hot stove burners - they can melt, ignite or catch on handles of pots and pans spilling hot oil and other liquids.
6. Have a "kid-free zone" of at least three-feet around the stove and areas where hot foods or drinks are prepared or carried.
7. Keep a lid nearby to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turn off the stovetop. Leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.

Of course, Thanksgiving just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the turkey.  And deep-fried turkey has become a favorite Thanksgiving tradition in many households.  But if used improperly, an overloaded fryer can easily tip over and set an entire house ablaze.  USFA offers the following helpful tips to backyard chefs who plan to deep-fry a turkey for Thanksgiving:

1. Turkey fryers should always be used outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other flammable materials.
2. Never use turkey fryers in a garage or on a wooden deck.
3. Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce accidental tipping.
4. Never leave the fryer unattended. Most units do not have thermostat controls. If you do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
5. Never let children or pets near the fryer even if it is not in use. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot hours after use.
6. To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer.
7. Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect your eyes from oil splatter.
8. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed and be careful with marinades. Oil and water do not mix, and water causes oil to spill over causing a fire or even an explosion hazard.
9. The National Turkey Federation (NTF) recommends thawing the turkey in the refrigerator approximately 24 hours for every five pounds in weight.
10. Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire. If the fire is manageable, use your all-purpose fire extinguisher. If the fire increases, immediately call the fire department for help.

USFA recognizes that Thanksgiving is a time of food, fun, and fellowship with loved ones.  And as you sit down with family and friends this Thanksgiving, DHS, FEMA and USFA want you to be safe.  So please visit USFA's 'Put a Freeze on Winter Fires' to learn what you can do to protect your loved ones during the holidays.

Thanks, and from all of us at DHS, have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.



Secretary Napolitano delivers remarks on "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign Photo by: Barry Bahler/DHS

"If You See Something, Say Something" - that's what Secretary Janet Napolitano and Transportation Security Administration Administrator John Pistole are urging you to do.  Together, they announced the expansion of the nationwide “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign to Washington, D.C. today.

The goal is simple: encourage everyone to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to the proper law enforcement authorities.

Secretary Napolitano made the announcement at DC's Reagan National Airport (DCA) alongside Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Chief Stephen Holl and Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn.

“As Americans head into the busy holiday travel season, it is important to remember that every individual has a role to play in keeping our country safe and secure,” said Secretary Napolitano.

"If You See Something, Say Something" messages will soon be visible in DC-area airports, public transit, movie theaters, gas stations, and will be heard on local radio stations.  The goal is to encourage citizens everywhere to speak up if they see or observe something out-of-the-ordinary, and give individuals information about where to go with that information if they see suspicious activities.

TSA Administrator John Pistole with TSO's Photo by: Barry Bahler/DHS

"The partnerships we build in communities and with travelers are critical to supporting our security mission, " said TSA Administrator Pistole. "We saw with the failed Times Square attack the impact alert travelers can have and we ask for the public's continued partnership to help keep our skies safe."

We all play a huge role in making this campaign a success and in keeping our nation safe.  So remember, "If You See Something, Say Something."

For more information on the “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, visit http://www.dhs.gov/.

Paul Behe, a CBP Paralegal Specialist in Cleveland, devised an innovative idea for how his office could cut costs and streamline operations. And with your help, this bright idea just might win the President’s 2010 SAVE Award.

The SAVE Award contest offered every federal employee the chance to submit their ideas for how to make the federal government leaner, smarter and more effective – goals that are very familiar to DHS employees through Secretary Napolitano’s DHS-wide Efficiency Review initiative.

Paul was inspired to participate in this challenge after noticing a backlog of over 900 seized items in CBP’s Cleveland office. Because of limited funding available for print advertising, CBP faced a hefty price-tag to store seized items until they could be advertised.

Paul proposed that instead of using print advertisements, CBP should consider advertising online to reduce the cost of ads and storage for items awaiting adjudication.

Paul’s idea was hand-picked to be one of four finalists from the more than 18,000 ideas submitted government-wide. If Paul wins, he will get the chance to visit the White House, meet President Obama, and have his Efficiency Review initiative incorporated into the FY 2012 Budget.

From today until Friday, Nov. 12, you can help us make this innovative idea the winning SAVE idea by visiting http://www.save.gov/ and voting for Paul.

As our Nation pauses to honor the millions of military veterans who have served our country as members of our Armed Forces, I’d like to take a moment to recognize the nearly 48,000 veterans who are continuing their service to America at DHS.

Last August, I directed the Department to implement a new Veterans Coordination Strategy to broaden our efforts to draw on the vast expertise, dedication, and commitment to service of our Nation’s veterans. This Strategy has already yielded significant results.

Veterans currently comprise 25 percent of our DHS civilian workforce, in addition to the 42,000 active duty members of our U.S. Coast Guard. Every day, these men and women bring their skills, talents, and experiences to bear in fulfilling our many missions – from guarding against terrorism, strengthening aviation and maritime security, and protecting our cyber networks and critical infrastructure, to securing our borders, enforcing and administering our immigration laws, and preparing for, responding to, and recovering from disasters.

Beyond our own employees, veterans are also an integral part of our larger homeland security team. Over the past year, we’ve expanded opportunities for veterans to do business with the Department, exceeding our goal of awarding over $1 billion in contracts to veteran-owned businesses in fiscal year 2010. We also expect to be one of only a few agencies that will surpass the Small Business Administration’s goal for contracting with businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.

We plan to do even more in the coming months through additional veterans outreach, recruitment, and hiring, with the goal of having 50,000 veterans working at DHS by the end of 2012 and continuing to promote business opportunities and other partnerships to get veterans to get involved in the Department’s work.

This week USCIS will hold a number of naturalization ceremonies around the country and throughout the world – including one in Baghdad, Iraq – for military personnel who will become our newest U.S. citizens. In 2010, USCIS naturalized more than 11,000 noncitizens serving in our military, more than any year since 1955.

The service and sacrifice of veterans enriches our Department and our nation. I hope you will join me in thanking our veterans for all that they have done – and all they continue to do – in support of our country.

Janet Napolitano

We here at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage you to stop by and take a look at our newly redesigned website - ICE.gov. Directly on the homepage, you can access the latest news, photos and videos, as well as learn about what the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative agency does to combat everything from terrorism to drug or human smuggling as well as enforce our nation’s immigration laws. It’s been our experience that the Web is a great way to tell ICE-related stories. The revamped ICE.gov allows us to do just that using a compelling, accessible and informative platform.

The new site focuses on our two main program areas— Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations. By clicking on “Investigations” or “Enforcement and Removal” from the homepage, visitors can find information about all of ICE’s programs.

ICE.gov also features tools that the public can use.

• Family members, legal counsel or advocacy organizations searching for detainees can use the Online Detainer Locator System to determine where the person is located.
• Individuals can also report counterfeit or copyright crimes through the IPR Center Referral Form.
• Or if you witness suspicious activity related to ICE’s mission, I encourage you to drop us a line at our Tip Line, 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

Best of all, ICE has integrated several Web 2.0 functions into the site. Visitors can share our stories on their Facebook pages, bookmark us through de.li.cious, follow us on Twitter or view short videos about our latest investigations on YouTube.

Next time you have a moment, visit ICE.gov. We’re just a click away.

John Morton
Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Department of Homeland Security