The Russians Are Coming? The Russians Are Coming!

 

To be sure, the reaction from people in and beyond Groton and New London, Connecticut to the sighting of a Russian spy vessel sitting thirty miles off their coast and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base last month spanned as wide as those in the Norman Jewison comedy film, The Russians are Coming!  The Russians are Coming! Locals voiced their concerns and opinions at a town meeting.  On Facebook, folks wondered if they should keep their children home from school.  Retired navy commanders, American submariners, CT lawmakers and elected officials calmed nerves and offered threat assessments and possibilities spanning the gamut from “this is nothing new” to “Putin is testing the resolve of the new American President” to “yet another Russian aggression.”  A resident of coastal Connecticut myself, I certainly noted the sighting and couldn’t shrug it off.  After musing about it with a colleague, I went to my local library for the DVD, The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!  Curiously enough, there was quite a wait list for the 1966 farce that parodies Cold War concerns.   

Days ago, just as my turn to rent the DVD came up, that same ship, the Viktor Leonov, was spotted twenty miles south of the U.S. Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia.   That’s when I reached out to Dr. Stephen J. Blank, internationally renowned authority on Russian military and foreign policies, for a better sense of Russia’s motives in sending this 300 foot-long ship with surveillance equipment that can intercept radar, radio and other electronic signals.  Unlike the guileless submarine crew in the comedy, The Russians are Coming! the Russians aboard the Viktor Leonov are not sneaking an irresistible and innocent “peek” at America with wide-eyed curiosity.  And “spying” seems too vague a term to be useful to describe what it really happening as this ship traverses our coast, albeit in international waters.  As ever, Dr. Blank’s informed analysis put it all in perspective and I share it with you here:

The appearance of the Russian vessel off the US submarine base at Kings Bay, Georgia is not merely another example of Russian surveillance of our submarine capability or another attempt to send a psychological message that its subs can get within striking range of the continental United States.  Rather it is also part of an evolving strategy that appears to be intelligence and combat preparation for a possible contingency of a protracted war with the U.S. when Russian subs will have a mission of interdicting U.S. naval vessels and submarines en route to Europe and/or cutting communication cables with Europe.  If seen in tandem with recent military moves, these submarine sightings, aerial, and naval probes of the U.S. and our allies, suggests a mounting concern in Russia that it will have to fight a protracted war with NATO.  Indeed, the scope of Russia's comprehensive information warfare against the U.S. and Europe already indicates that Moscow deems itself to be in a "Cold War" type scenario with NATO.

Dr. Stephen J. Blank is available for talks, lectures and briefings through Lisa Bernard's SecuritySpeak, LLC.  (203) 293-4741.  LisaBernard@SecuritySpeak.net. 

 

 



9-1-1. What is Your Emergency ... Action Plan? Business Continuity Plan? Disaster Recovery Plan? An Interview with Bo Mitchell, President of 911 Consulting, Former Police Commissioner, Wilton, CT

Be it a flood, fire or medical emergency, active shooter or terrorist, when lives are at stake, stress levels rise and fear moves in.  We fear injury, loss of life, loss of livelihood, loss of our sense of security.  One man has made it his life’s mission to offer real and practical alternatives to panic and the potential for pandemonium and irrecoverable loss when disasters strike.  Bo Mitchell, President of 911 Consulting and former Police Commissioner of Wilton, Connecticut, offers CEOs, business-owners, managing partners, university presidents, and other heads of enterprises, the opportunity to minimize the risks associated with emergencies, manage them when they occur, communicate efficiently with those who need information and instruction, and bring things back to normal. 
 

  

“Amateurs talk strategy.  Professionals talk logistics.”  That distinction by General Omar N. Bradley echoed in my head as I listened to Bo Mitchell, arguably our nation’s leading private-sector emergency management professional.  In fact, from the cauldron of scary scenarios on the agenda when you speak with him, emerges a calm and reassuring sense of security as his expertise and devotion are revealed.  With twenty-one earned certifications in organizational safety and security, and an encyclopedic knowledge of safety laws, security protocols and emergency procedures, he addressed my followers’ concerns concisely and practically.  I was heartened by his refreshingly apolitical and holistic approach to crisis management.  His no-nonsense style and genial manner put a confident and human face on an otherwise unsettling subject.  I can see why he is called upon as an expert witness in landmark court cases.  It is not simply the depth and breadth of his thirty-plus years of experience in law enforcement, security management and emergency preparedness that makes Bo Mitchell an approachable and reliable leader in this industry.  It is his deep respect for human life and the organizations and reputations we build, his intellectual honesty and his deep regard for details.  He is a realist and a human being.  I hope these excerpts capture all that and offer you an entrée to what needs to be done for your employees, colleagues, customers and stakeholders.

BERNARD:  Since your retirement in 2001 as Commissioner of the Wilton Police Department, how has the nature or landscape of emergencies changed? 



BERNARD:  My blog followers are all around the world, but the majority of them are in and around the tri-state area in the U.S.  What keeps you up at night with regard to emergencies and disasters in our area?  

 


BERNARD:  Reviewing the literature, my impression is that conceptually, Emergency Action Plans, Emergency Management, Business Continuity Plans and Disaster Recovery Plans are overwhelming to think about.  But practically, approaching these plans is actually quite linear, logical and feasible.  Is that a fair assessment?  

BERNARD:  With less than ten per cent of companies in the U.S. having a designated Security Officer, who are the candidates for spearheading Emergency Action Plans and the like?
 

 

BERNARD:  Experts are in agreement that when a crisis occurs, communications must be centralized with one uniform message and one consistent “voice.”  With the proliferation of mobile devices and social media platforms, how can an outfit work to keep individuals in a crisis situation  from reporting updates themselves?

 
BERNARD:  What kind of employee makes a good candidate for spokesperson during a crisis?

 

BERNARD:  Regarding Business Continuity Plans, one thing my followers uniformly express is that they know they need a plan.  What can you share today that will give them the first step or two  towards initiating one?



BERNARD: In a presentation to JP Morgan Chase, you mentioned the substantial costs of litigation and the hefty fees companies pay out when disaster strikes and people are injured or die.  How does having OSHA and other compliant plans offset costs?  Is it because plans and training save lives and there are fewer lawsuits or grounds for litigation?

 

 

BERNARD: Bo Mitchell, I thank you for your service and for educating my clients and followers at Security Briefs on these critical safety and security matters.