Homeland Security Foundation of America (HSFA) to Sponsor Community Awareness Week 2010

HSFA continues to push forward with its mission to help people across America be safe and live better, announcing its upcoming Community Awareness week and the slated launch of RubyWATCH, a suspicious activity reporting system provided free to the public and law enforcement for terrorism and crime prevention.

Boston, Massachusetts – The Homeland Security Foundation of America (HSFA), a non-profit organization, today announced they will sponsor a Community Awareness Week September 6-11, 2010. With an emphasis on empowering citizens to be vigilant and report suspicious activity, Community Awareness Week will focus on providing citizens with tips and tools to be active participants in protecting our homeland.

Starting September 6th, the Homeland Security Foundation of America will launch a social media campaign to communicate with citizens across the country via Twitter and LinkedIn. Ensuring that students, parents, businesses, individuals, civic and neighborhood associations alike are armed with information and reporting tools to foster an engaged population is a goal of the organization. To that end, the Foundation has developed RubyWatch, an online reporting system focused on tip submission.

RubyWatch has rolled out pilot programs in Texas, City of Pflugerville Police Department and has been successful in integrating with public safety associations. Today, the Homeland Security Foundation is in the final stages of a Massachusetts RubyWatch rollout, which is anticipated in October 2010. “Our foundation looks forward to partnering with Massachusetts and providing a tool to help keep the Commonwealth safe and secure”, stated Eric Brown Chairman of the board.

Brown further elaborated, “Our goal with Community Awareness week is to engage the population and communicate that their involvement is key to our safety. Remember that aware citizens informed authorities about suspicious activity in Times Square and the results were tangible… lives were saved. As a nation, our citizens and their senses are valuable tools, therefore we ask that everyone be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity.”

The Homeland Security Foundation of America is a 501(c)(3) certified nonprofit organization founded in 2002. The organization focuses on public safety, energy security, health and human services, and other national security-related issues. Because the organization’s success is based on volunteerism, the Homeland Security Foundation of America requires public involvement.

For more information about the Homeland Security Foundation of America please visit www.hsfamerica.org or email Matthew Anthes at [email protected].

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