The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) isn’t just about making the cyber world safer. One of its missions is keeping our physical world safer as well, and the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) plays a key role in this mission. And while CISA employees are an integral part of this mission, everyone, no matter where they work, can use CISA’s resources to learn how to handle bomb threats.
“The OBP has a nationally accredited training program,” explained Lesli Frye, OBP Lead. “It’s free of charge, and anybody can take it. We want everyone to know what to do if there’s a bomb threat or an explosion.”
Part of Frye’s job involves establishing effective training methods for CISA’s curriculum. Bomb threats don’t happen every day. But in situations like the Boston Marathon bombing, CISA’s training of everyday people kept a terrible situation from getting worse.
“There was a woman in one of the restaurants near the finish line,” said Frye. “Once the bombs had been detonated, people were trying to rush out and see if they could help, or to just try to flee. This woman had taken our training program, so she knew the potential for a secondary explosion. She kept everyone in the restaurant and wouldn’t let them leave. If she hadn’t taken our training, who knows how many more people could have left the location and put themselves or first responders in harm’s way.”
Knowing that the training program is impacting lives is part of what makes a career at CISA so rewarding. “When I first started with OBP four years ago, I had no idea the doors that would open,” said Frye. “The most rewarding thing about working for CISA and with the Office for Bombing Prevention is knowing that we have a direct impact on saving lives.”
To learn more about how you should respond to a bomb threat or explosion, visit CISA’s website.
SPONSORED CONTENT: This article is written on or behalf of our Sponsor.
