Washington, DC - MSA sponsored this years Women in Homeland Security (WHS) third annual BBQ Cook-off on September 29, 2012.  This event brought together Homeland Security industry leaders, family and friends to support the Coast Guard Enlisted Memorial Fund.  In addition to sponsoring this event, MSA's CEO, Lilly Harris spent the afternoon promoting emergency preparedness as part of MSA's community outreach during Nation Preparedness Month.   The event was a great testament of how like minded individuals can raise money for a great cause.  You can find pictures to the event, here.  To find out more about Women in Homeland Security visit their website at http://www.womeninhomelandsecurity.com.

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About Women in Homeland Security - WHS is a non-profit, non-partisan organization founded in March 2009. The Mission of Women in Homeland Security is to provide a professional organization for women working in the field of homeland security who are committed both to their jobs and to combating the threat of terrorism.  “Homeland security” is a relatively new field and the organization strives to provide women with a forum to learn about the many facets of the discipline and to build the connections necessary for their own professional development.  Through monthly meetings, book club, WHS University and the group’s charity work, Women in Homeland Security fosters a collaborative environment for homeland security professionals to improve our nation’s security and intelligence on critical homeland security topics confronting the nation. 

SHIRLINGTON, VA (8/13/12) – The Village at Shirlington, invites all animal lovers to the village Saturday, August 25, 11am-4pm, for the Fifth Annual Wags n’ Whiskers, a community-oriented event for animal enthusiasts and their four-legged friends. The afternoon animal extravaganza will feature pet adoptions from local shelters, pet contests, demonstrations, exhibitions, pet portrait photos, live music, and children’s activities including face painting, balloon animals and more. The merchants at Village at Shirlington will also host in-store specials, promotions and free giveaways. Top Dog Sponsors include: Barkley Square Pets, Caring Hands Animal Hospital, Dog Paws n Cat Claws Pet Care, Dogma Bakery & Boutique , Fetch! Pet Care, Fur-Get Me Not, Helping Hands Affordable Veterinary Surgery and Dental Care, Man-Machine Systems Assessment, The Mid-Atlantic Chinese Shar-Pei Rescue Operation, Inc., My Life Simpler, Nova Mobile Vet and NOVADog Magazine.

Washinton, DC - Representatives from MSA’s Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division have accepted an invitation from FEMA’s Region III Office in Philadelphia, PA to instruct the L146 Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) Training Course in August.

The course has been developed by the U.S.Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is a capabilities-based exercise program that includes a cycle, mix, and range of exercise activities of varying degrees of complexity and interaction. The purpose of HSEEP is to build self-sustaining exercise programs and provide a standardized methodology for designing, developing, conducting, and evaluating all exercises.

MSA’s certified professionals will facilitate course modules that allow participants to share personal lessons learned and best practices while gaining practical experience. The course also providesoverviews of HSEEP-related initiatives such as technology (e.g., the HSEEP Toolkit) and capabilities-based planning (e.g., Target Capabilities List [TCL]).

“For the past two years MSA has instructed the FEMA Continuity Practitioner Series Courses and we now welcome the opportunity to extend our expertise in delivering the HSEEP toolkit,” said Todd Jasper Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) and MSA’s Associate Director of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. 

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Man-Machine Systems Assessment, Inc. (MSA) is a Minority, Women-Owned, government Services firm providing professional, technical and analytical solutions to Federal, State, Local, and Commercial clients. With over 20 years of experience, they are committed to providing clients with the absolute best solutions to their biggest challenges. They offer subject matter experts, strong program management methodologies, and multiple locations throughout the United States to best serve their clients needs. For more information visit, www.msaincorp.com.

MSA’s president and CEO, Lilly Harris, is an avid spokesperson for personal, family, and business emergency preparedness. “While MSA is very accustomed to providing emergency management support to our Federal government clients,” Ms. Harris explains, “it’s important that families and businesses take a moment to reflect on the tragedy of 9/11 and pledge to be better prepared in the future.”

National Preparedness Month, now in its eighth year, is a nationwide, month-long effort hosted by the Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps that encourages households, businesses and communities to prepare and plan for emergencies. Throughout the  month of September, MSA will utilize Twitter and other social media to spread a message of preparedness. “Building a culture of preparedness is essential. MSA has been an early adopter of new technology, so it’s only natural that we would assist the Ready Campaign by engaging the social media community during National Preparedness Month,” said Ms. Harris.

As part of National Preparedness Month, citizens are encouraged to visit www.Ready.gov to learn more about planning for disaster. As the site explains, disaster preparedness can start with three simple steps: 

1. Assemble an emergency supply kit
2. Make a plan for what to do in an emergency 
3. Be informed about emergencies that could happen in your community, and identify sources of information in your community that will be helpful before, during and after an emergency. 

“In the past two weeks, the eastern coast of the United States has experienced a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, Hurricane Irene, and significant flooding,” said Todd Jasper, an associate director with MSA’s Homeland Security & Emergency Management Division. “There’s no better time to begin preparing for emergencies. Proper planning can save lives and, in some cases, even mitigate damages.”

This is the second year MSA has participated in NPM. 

For more information about the Ready Campaign and National Preparedness Month, visit Ready.gov or call 11-800-BE-READY, 1-888-SE-LISTO, and TTY 1-800-462-7585. 

Man-Machine Systems Assessment

Man-Machine Systems Assessment, Inc. (MSA) is a Minority, Women-Owned, government Services firm providing professional, technical and analytical solutions to Federal, State, Local, and Commercial clients. With over 20 years of experience, they are committed to providing clients with the absolute best solutions to their biggest challenges. They offer subject matter experts, strong program management methodologies, and multiple locations throughout the United States to best serve clients needs. For more information please visit, www.msaincorp.com.

Washington, DC – September 1st heralds the start of the 7th Annual National Preparedness Month (NPM). Hosted by FEMA’s Ready Campaign, NPM 2010 is designed to encourage all Americans to take proactive measures in preparation for emergencies at home, at work and within their communities. As an NPM 2010 Coalition member, MSA is supporting the Ready Campaign objectives by promoting the readiness message across the National Capital Region. MSA will share preparedness information with our fellow members, clients, employees, and communities while spearheading activities to encourage hands-on planning for individual, neighborhood, and community preparedness.

Throughout the month MSA plans to make use of their own recently launched digital communication platforms to reach a broad audience and reinforce the necessity for all American’s to take preparedness more seriously. MSA also hopes to address the diverse cases which preparedness may prove challenging and necessitate unique solutions, such as families with services members, small children and those with communication disabilities.

The Campaign’s websites (ready.gov and listo.gov) and toll-free numbers (1-800-BE-READY, TTY 1-800-462-7585, and 1-888-SE-LISTO) provide Americans with free emergency preparedness information. To find out how to prepare your organization for an emergency, Contact Justin Pierce at 202.408.0042 or email us to learn more about how we can assist you.