The First Facility Management Blog

Advance announces that its Advance University interactive ballast training website has been officially approved by the National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors for the “NAILD Lighting Specialist” (LS) certification program.

In order to achieve successive levels of certification within the Lighting Specialist program, NAILD members are required to complete and demonstrate successfully their knowledge of a range of lighting courses and skills. Completion of Advance University’s first-level course, “Ballast Basics 101,” which covers basic information about ballast technology, is now a mandatory requirement towards NAILD certification as a Lighting Specialist 1 (LS1).

Said NAILD President Bill Hurd, “We are delighted to recognize and promote the high-quality ballast training offered by Advance University. A key element within the NAILD Lighting Specialist certification program, mastery of Advance University modules will help enhance the effectiveness and success of our specialized lighting distributor members, support the promulgation of good lighting practices, and continue to maintain the NAILD’s position as a leading industry association in the lighting arena.”

Advance University is an on-line ballast training program currently offered in four course levels. The first level, “Ballast Basics 101,” covers ballast basics. The second level, “Ballast Basics 201,” covers more basics and also features ballast troubleshooting techniques as well as an introduction to many newer lighting technologies. Level 3 provides an overview of the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) lighting standard and its use in creating new and powerful lighting designs. The new, fourth-level course, “The ABC’s of High Intensity Discharge (HID) Ballasts,” is designed to help students understand, evaluate, and specify HID ballasts, both magnetic and electronic. Each course consists of numerous lessons and is followed by a short quiz. Students who successfully complete each level can print out a personalized Certificate of Completion.

Advance University is accessible at www.advanceuniversity.com and is open for enrollment to anyone at no charge. Currently, over 10,000 students of all types have registered for Advance University and benefited from their access to this invaluable industry site.

About the National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD)
The National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD) was founded in 1977 by a small group of lighting distributors. Since then it has grown to well over 180 members. Membership in the association is made up of Specialty Lighting Distributors and Vendor/Manufacturers of lighting goods and supplies used in the operation of specialized lighting distributors. Among other objectives, the NAILD aims to increase the effectiveness and profitability of the specialized lighting distributor through educational programs, provide updated information relative to the distribution of lighting products, enhance membership awareness of supplier marketing programs and develop targeted marketing programs for members, and promote the need for and benefits of good lighting.

About Advance
Advance, a ballast manufacturer based in Rosemont, IL, offers a full line of electronic and magnetic fluorescent and magnetic and electronic HID ballasts as well as a broad family of drivers for LED light sources. Advance is a division of Philips Electronics North America.

Gerrard Wendell (G.W.) Haworth, the founding chairman of Haworth, Inc., died today at age 95. An influential entrepreneur, he established Haworth, Inc., a manufacturer of office environments that grew from a garage-shop venture in 1948 to a $1.4 billion, global corporation.

Recognized in 1993 as Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Michigan Business School, Haworth was a pioneer in the office furniture industry, whose garage-shop venture became a global corporation.

“My father was a distinguished business leader, but more importantly, a great man,” said Richard Haworth. “He followed his natural instincts as a thinker and a teacher. His philosophy of satisfying customers and his high regard for people and their skills are still the core values of our company.”

G.W. was known for his wit, generosity and steadfast determination. “You can risk doing nothing, or you can risk doing something. Life’s a fifty-fifty proposition. I can confidently say that doing nothing is the greater risk,” G.W. was once quoted as saying.

Haworth was a patriarch of the company and beloved by the members of Haworth who knew him. One of the keys to his success was his passionate devotion to serving his customers. He often told associates that the surest sign of success is not the first sale to a customer, but the second. They know what to expect by that time, and if they choose you again, you know you are serving them well.

At age 93, he still came to work three or four days a week, but eventually deferred to his wife Edna in the spring of 2005, who requested he remain closer to home to spend more time with his family.

A former high school teacher, Haworth maintained a life-long passion for education. He promoted continuing education to company members (employees) through reimbursement programs and scholarships. Notable contributions went to Western Michigan University and Hope College, each receiving multi-million dollar endowments from Haworth, Inc. and the Haworth family.

“G. W. Haworth is a role model for all of our students,” noted Darrell G. Jones, Professor Emeritus of Western Michigan University’s Business Information Systems. “An entrepreneur who started with little, he exemplified how intelligence, honesty, and integrity can find opportunities in our society.”

Born in Alliance, Nebraska, in 1911, Haworth and his family moved to Michigan when he was in high school. Upon graduating in 1937 with a B.A. in Education from Western Michigan University, Haworth moved to Holland to teach industrial arts at Holland High School. In 1940, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration from The University of Michigan.

In the 1940s Haworth began to build special-order wood products as a sideline enterprise; this eventually led to the formation of a company that has ranked among the 400 largest private companies in the U.S., according to Forbes magazine. His son, Richard Haworth, who has led the company since 1976 and now serves as Chairman, is credited as the visionary who grew the company to a global corporation and for revolutionizing the office furniture industry with the invention of the pre-wired office furniture panel.

G.W. Haworth was a recipient of Western Michigan University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1986 and awarded an honorary Doctorate degree from the Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids in 1987. In addition to being named Entrepreneur of the Year by the University of Michigan Business School, Haworth was named as Manufacturer of the Year by the Michigan Manufacturers Association in 1995.

Haworth is survived by his wife, Edna, and five children, Lois Lamb, Richard Haworth, Joan Abbett, Julie Falconer and Mary Schregardus, 19 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

Haworth Inc. is a leader in the design and manufacture of adaptable workspaces, including raised access floors, moveable walls, systems furniture, seating, storage, and wood casegoods. Family-owned and privately held, Haworth is headquartered in Holland, Michigan, and serves markets in more than 120 countries though a global network of 600 dealers.

In September 2006, Universal Protection Service, a security, fire/life safety, and electronic security company based in Santa Ana, CA, began a ground-breaking, joint training program with the Los Angeles Fire Department. The training resulted in the certification of 30 of Universal Protection Services’ top managers in the city of Los Angeles as High Rise Fire Safety Instructors.

The three-day training program, conducted by Inspector Darryl Bolden of the Los Angeles Fire Department, prepared all the managers to test for their Certificates of Fitness with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Inspector Bolden described the training as “ground breaking,” and further added that he had never witnessed that level of commitment to training from any other contract security firm.

Regional Vice President for Universal Protection Service, Louis Boulgarides, reinforced the firm’s dedication by stating, “Universal Protection Service is committed to providing the best trained leaders in the contract security industry.” Steve Jones, COO of the company, added that the partnership “is just a small part of the overall training program we have committed to; over the next several months we will be rolling out new programs never seen before in the security guard industry.”

The Director of Security for the Wells Fargo Center and training participant, Martin Fellbaum, summed up the experience by saying that he had “never been with a security company that invests as heavily in training as Universal Protection Service.”

The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII) Central Code Committee has announced that its comprehensive online catalog of U.S. and Canadian elevator industry codes, standards and regulations—the long-anticipated NEII CodeFinder Database—is now operational. NEII Full Regular Members can easily locate all local codes, including accessibility, building, electrical, new and existing elevator and life safety codes, regulations, and laws applicable throughout the United States and Canada. Accessible through the MEMBER area of the NEII Web site, CodeFinder also features a directory of code enforcement authorities, their referenced codes and all modifications pertaining to the referenced model code for elevator and escalators.

“Three years in the making, the NEII CodeFinder database is an invaluable, one-of-a-kind resource for every level of North American elevator industry professional, from field personnel and engineers to manufacturing managers, company attorneys and senior executives,” said Edward Donoghue, Administrator of NEII. “For the first time, there is now a single source for all NEII Full Regular Member companies and their employees to search and find accurate, up-to-date information on all the local codes, standards and regulations that affect the industry.”

Updated quarterly to provide the most current information and code modifications, the NEII CodeFinder Report Catalog provides convenient categories for querying the CodeFinder database.

For example:
· Field personnel will find information relevant to their jobs in the Enforcement Authority for a Jurisdiction and the Code Information for a Jurisdiction sections.
· Engineers will find the Model Code Modifications by Edition and Requirement Number, the Model Code Modifications by Requirement Number, and the Word Search sections especially useful.
· Factory personnel can use the Code Information for a Jurisdiction and the Model Code Adoption by Edition sections to access reliable information.
· Industry attorneys will appreciate the Enforcement Authority for a Jurisdiction and the Code Information for a Jurisdiction reports, especially the historical information. All the queries return their results in an Acrobat file that can be saved to the user’s computer.

In addition to the online database, CodeFinder is supported by dedicated NEII CodeFinder Editors who can answer questions and quickly correct any errors in the database. Members can also tailor their personal profile options to receive weekly e-mail notifications of updates to the NEII CodeFinder database. All reports can be easily stored or printed for off-line use, and outdated information is archived for future reference or historical analysis.

“NEII CodeFinder goes well beyond the usual parameters of comprehensive industry databases,” said Donoghue. “What members are especially excited about is the fact that it’s interactive, historical and very easy to use and understand. We are truly excited about the affect this tool will have on our industry and in growing NEII’s membership.”

Existing, Full Regular Members can access the password-protected database through the MEMBER area of the NEII Web site. If your company is not a Full Regular Member you can view sample reports under the Code & Safety section of the NEII home page. Non-members or Associate members interested in the CodeFinder database should contact their corporate officer and ask them to complete a NEII application form for Full Regular Membership located under the MEMBER section of the NEII home page.

Fifty civil engineering firms are celebrating a major accomplishment, but it’s not the type of honor they typically enjoy for executing a great project. No, this honor is much more personal and, consequently, much more meaningful to the firms’ leaders and staff.

On September 28, the top 50 and honorable mention 2006 Best Civil Engineering Firms To Work For were announced at an awards presentation during the Best Firm To Work For Summit. Firms on the list are honored for achieving high levels of employee satisfaction and a great workplace.

Shanon Fauerbach, P.E., editorial director for CE News, which hosts the ranking program, said, “This year, 157 firms competed in the thorough evaluation and comparison of their culture, benefits, performance/recognition practices, compensation, professional development programs, recruiting and retention efforts, and more. All of these firms are committed to creating a positive work environment for their staff. The top 50 firms are reaching the goal.”

And besides the pride in knowing that employees have a great place to go to work each day, firms will reap tangible benefits form this honor. Fauerbach said, “The number one challenge firms face today is hiring and keeping employees who have the technical skills and the attitudes that fit within their organizations. Receiving recognition for achieving an excellent workplace will put these firms ahead of others when competing for the best candidates in the market.”

The 2006 Best Civil Engineering Firms To Work For are as follows:
1. Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., Cary, N.C., 2,025 employees
2. RBF Consulting, Irvine, Calif., 961 employees
3. Appledore Engineering, Inc., Portsmouth, N.H., 24 employees
4. Provost Pritchard Engineering Group, Inc., Fresno, Calif., 130 employees
5. Hall Foreman, Inc., Irvine, Calif., 215 employees
6. Fehr Peers, Walnut Creek, Calif., 143 employees
7. Atwell-Hicks, Ann Arbor, Mich., 432 employees
8. Langan Engineering Environmental Services, Elmwood Park, N.J., 594 employees
9. Pacific Advanced Civil Engineering, Inc., Fountain Valley, Calif., 92 employees
10. Mid-Valley Engineering, Inc., Modesto, Calif., 110 employees
11. Psomas, Los Angeles, 675 employees
12. Stanley Consultants, Muscatine, Iowa, 943 employees
13. Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., Watertown, Mass., 830 employees
14. Wood Rodgers, Inc., Sacramento, Calif., 408 employees
15. Walter P Moore, Houston, 335 employees
16. Robert Peccia and Associates, Helena, Mont., 47 employees
17. McCarthy Engineering Associates, P.C., West Lawn, Pa., 31 employees
18. Traffic Planning and Design, Inc., Pottstown, Pa., 108 employees
19. Geotechnical Environmental Services, Inc., Las Vegas, 45 employees
20. MSCW, Orlando, Fla., 126 employees
21. Delta Airport Consultants, Inc., Richmond, Va., 78 employees
22. Roth Hill Engineering Partners, LLC, Bellevue, Wash., 50 employees
23. J.L. Patterson Associates, Inc. , Orange, Calif., 50 employees
24. R.A. Smith Associates, Inc., Brookfield, Wis., 235 employees
25. Chen and Associates, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 20 employees
26. Golder Associates Inc., Atlanta, 975 employees
27. CRW Engineering Group, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, 50 employees
28. Olsson Associates, Lincoln, Neb., 521 employees
29. NorthStar Engineering Group, Inc., Modesto, Calif., 36 employees
30. Kleingers and Associates, Inc., West Chester, Ohio, 88 employeesv
31. Simpson Gumpertz Heger Inc., Waltham, Mass., 271 employees
32. Wolverton Assoc., Inc., Duluth, Ga., 91 employees
33. GeoSyntec Consultants, Inc., Atlanta, 578 employees
34. A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc., Rockville, Md., 165 employees
35. Judith Nitsch Engineering, Inc. , Boston, Mass., 63 employees
36. BHC Rhodes, Overland Park, Kan., 45 employees
37. J-U-B ENGINEERS, Inc., Boise, Idaho, 270 employees
38. Wallace Engineering - Structural Consultants, Inc., Tulsa, Okla., 140 employees
39. Winzler Kelly Consulting Engineers, Santa Rosa, Calif., 263 employees
40. Bolton Associates, LLC, La Plata, Md., 59 employees
41. Quincy Engineering, Inc., Sacramento, Calif., 44 employees
42. West Yost Associates, Davis, Calif., 95 employees
43. Barr Engineering Co., Minneapolis, 310 employees
44. Sharrah Dunlap Sawyer, Inc., Redding, Calif., 37 employees
45. Capital Consultants, Inc., Lansing, Mich., 93 employees
46. Johnson, Mirmiran Thompson, Inc., Sparks, Md., 457 employees
47. Cole Associates, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., 63 employees
48. David Evans and Associates, Inc., Portland, Ore., 948 employees
49. FOX Engineering Associates, Inc., Ames, Iowa, 43 employees
50. Matrix Design Group, Inc., Colorado Springs, Colo., 125 employees

Honorable mentions include:
Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc., Portland, Ore., 69 employees
Morton Pitalo, Inc., Sacramento, Calif., 90 employees
Thomas Hutton Engineering Co., Savannah, Ga., 330 employees
V3 Companies, Ltd., Woodridge, Ill., 370 employees
Vector Engineering, Inc., Grass Valley, Calif., 240 employees

This ranking was developed six years ago by CE News to provide the industry with a meaningful ranking concerning human resources issues in the civil engineering industry, as well as to assist firms in their recruiting and retaining activities. Many people in the industry believe it has helped “raise the bar” of firms’ workplace practices nationwide.

Last month, the International Code Council (ICC) announced that negotiations have ended with the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) on a joint venture to develop a single plumbing code and single mechanical code.

“Both organizations worked cooperatively in good faith to try and put this joint venture together,” said ICC Board President Henry Green. “We made it clear to IAPMO from the beginning that the code development process had the potential to be a real stumbling block, and that we would seek input from our members and stakeholders before finalizing any agreement. Our entire organization has given extensive consideration to a hybrid code development process that would have satisfied IAPMO’s desire to maintain ANSI accreditation. Ultimately our members and stakeholders made it clear that they were unwilling to deviate from the ICC governmental consensus process, in which public officials˜who have no economic interest in the outcome˜determine the content of the code.”

A successful joint venture would have strengthened both organizations by bringing the Uniform Plumbing Code and Uniform Mechanical Code into the comprehensive, coordinated family of codes offered by ICC, according to Green.

“A successful venture also would have increased resources available for training and member services, and reduced costly code adoption struggles,” said Green. “Like IAPMO, we are disappointed that we could not reach an agreement. But the commitment to ICC’s process runs deep among our members and stakeholders. We received input from all across the country that deviating from that process was unacceptable, even for a goal as worthy as creating a single family of codes and ending code adoption battles. ICC will not sacrifice the ICC governmental consensus process for the one code mission.”

Green said that a wide array of ICC’s members, chapters and stakeholders provided extensive feedback on the outline of the proposed joint venture, and voiced significant concerns about the code development process, composition of committees, the base document, and ownership.

“We had hoped that these negotiations would bring us closer to our goal of a single set of codes, and put an end to the code adoption battles that we have sometimes found ourselves engaged in,” said ICC Chief Operating Officer Rick Weiland. “Unfortunately, these goals cannot be accomplished within the context of the proposed arrangement. We remain hopeful that we can achieve them at some point in the future.”
ICC uses a code development process that permits any interested party, including consumers and industry, to participate on committees, recommend code changes, testify, make motions and vote. However, the process reserves the final decision on code content for governmental members, who have no vested interest except public health and safety.

IAPMO subscribes to an ANSI style consensus process that involves the participation of industry, governmental representatives and consumers, and reserves the decision on code content to a representative committee from various interest categories.

In August of 2005, ICC and IAPMO began formal discussions to explore the joint development of new plumbing and mechanical codes. Initiated by then ICC President Frank Hodge and IAPMO President Chris Salazar, both organizations signed a memorandum of understanding in September 2005. The parties committed to explore a joint venture that would allow them to work cooperatively to develop successor codes to the Uniform and International Plumbing and Mechanical Codes.

Meetings were held in November 2005 and February 2006 to discuss whether the organizations could agree to essential elements needed to create joint plumbing and mechanical codes. In May, both groups announced the points for a tentative agreement on certain key elements. In July, ICC hosted a National Town Hall Meeting to publicly share details of the proposed joint venture and receive feedback from ICC members and stakeholders. ICC also created an e-mail address to obtain input, provided information on its web site and scheduled an open forum to discuss the joint venture at its September Annual Conference.

“Part of ICC’s mission continues to be the development of a single comprehensive, coordinated set of codes for the built environment,” said Weiland. “While both sides wanted this to work, ICC is a member focused organization. Listening to our members is a strength. The feedback from our members and stakeholders made it clear that the joint venture as currently proposed would not be sustainable without further modification.”

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has approved a third alternative in its LEED for Commercial Interiors EQ 4.5 low-emitting furniture credit. Called Option C, it is based on the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) Furniture Emissions Standards for office furniture systems and seating products.

USGBC applauded the move and noted that the BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards will improve indoor air quality and increase the use of sustainable materials for existing and future commercial construction.

The BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards are the result of over 10 years of development that included the contributions of the U.S. General Services Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the State of California, Berkeley Analytical Associates, the National Research Council of Canada, and many other stakeholders. BIFMA also partnered with Dr. Jianshun Zhang of Syracuse University - a leading scientist in the field of emissions chamber testing with over 20 years experience in building ventilation and indoor air quality research.

Tom Reardon, executive director of BIFMA, notes that indoor air quality continues to be a concern to customers as well as manufacturers. “BIFMA’s goal in developing these standards was to provide a consistent and transparent process for testing, measuring, and determining conformance for furniture emissions,” he says.

The BIFMA Furniture Emissions Standards include the BIFMA M7.1-2005 test method and the BIFMA X7.1-2005 conformance standard. As an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards developer, BIFMA does not certify products and does not test products for compliance; it develops consensus-based standards open to architects, designers, laboratories, scientists, researchers, manufacturers, and government agencies.

As a result, Option C as an alternative path for achieving the LEED-CI EQ 4.5 credit opens testing and certification to multiple qualified labs and certification bodies throughout North America. Option C facilitates more accessible indoor air quality testing and validation. It also allows customers, architects, designers, and manufacturers to select which option is most suitable to them.

Cummins Power Generation, a business unit of Cummins Inc., has received the “2006 North American Diesel Engine Technology Leadership of the Year Award” from Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company. In granting the national award, Frost & Sullivan noted it was in recognition of “impressive advancements and market leadership in emissions technology and [Cummins Power Generation’s] presence as a major environmentally minded market participant.”

Each year Frost & Sullivan presents the award to a company that has demonstrated excellence in technology leadership within their industry. According to the award citation, “Cummins Power Generation has demonstrated technology leadership by excelling in all stages of the technology life cycle–incubation, adaptation, take-up and maturity–to ensure a continuous flow of improvements.”

As the first generator set manufacturer to offer EPA-compliant Tier 2 and Tier 3 products to the power generation marketplace, Cummins Power Generation has also helped educate customers about the complex emissions regulations affecting stationary and nonroad diesel engine-driven generator sets. The award cites the company’s state-of-the-art in-cylinder emissions control strategies, which provide cleaner engine exhaust by preventing the formation of most oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide

Product platforms have been developed for emissions-compliant diesel and spark-ignited generator sets that will meet regulations out to 2017. The parent company to Cummins Power Generation, Cummins Inc., has also developed vertically integrated subsidiaries to design, manufacture, and service exhaust aftertreatment technologies that will be needed for advanced Tier 4 emissions compliance in the future.

A new Yoh study of HR managers finds that 81% of companies have remote work policies, and 67% believe it’s likely that telecommuting will increase over the next two years

The option to work from home, satellite offices, and other locations is becoming part of standard operating procedure in most companies, according to a survey conducted by Yoh, a leading provider of talent and outsourcing services, and a unit of Day & Zimmermann. The survey also found that most HR managers expect telecommuting adoption rates to somewhat or completely increase over the next two years.

“The war for talent, combined with commuting times and costs, and an increasing need for work-life balance are all factors that promote telecommuting,” says Jim Lanzalotto, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing for Yoh, which places high-impact consultants and direct employees. “This survey validates what we’ve seen over the years: high-impact talent prefers-indeed, thrives-in an environment that provides a flexible work-life balance. All things being equal, a well-articulated telecommuting policy can make the difference between winning and losing a bid for a high-impact professional, especially when more than 27 million people in the United States work from home.”

Yoh surveyed 198 HR managers at the Society for Human Resource Management 2006 Conference and Exposition in June about their company’s telecommuting policies. The survey found 81% of hiring managers now have policies that allow employees to work remotely. The breakdown of telecommuting options:

None 19%
Satellite Office 13%
Home 25%
Other 44%

Moreover, 67% of hiring managers believe the number of employees who work remotely will likely increase over the next two years. The likelihood of more telecommuters:

Unlikely 35%
Somewhat likely 23%
Likely 44%

“It’s not difficult to infer what is driving this trend,” says Lanzalotto. “People and organizations have long wanted the business flexibility telecommuting offers. But it’s only in recent years that the technologies that enable cost-effective telecommunications have reached critical mass-such as wireless broadband, PDAs and smart phones, and standard issue PCs capable of remote enterprise access. Likewise, telecommuting itself is reaching critical mass. And that’s why hiring managers and HR professionals need to make sure these policies are attractive if that want to attract high-impact talent.”

About Yoh
Yoh is a provider of talent and outsourcing services to customers in the United States. Yoh operates from more than 75 locations and provides long- and short-term temporary and direct placement of technology and professional personnel, as well as managed staffing services, for the information technology, scientific, engineering, health care and telecommunications communities.

Just a few minute ago, the threat has been confirmed as a hoax. Jake J. Brahm of Wauwatosa, WI has been charged in the matter today, after being taken into custody on Wednesday.

This from the Associated Press:
An FBI official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation, told The Associated Press that the man acknowledged posting the phony stadium threat as part of a “writing duel” with a man from the Brownsville, Texas, area to see who could post the scariest threat.
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(Original FacilityBlog post)
The Department of Homeland Security has released a statement discounting a Web site that claimed seven football stadiums around the country would be targeted for dirty bomb attacks this Sunday, October 22.

Here is part of the official report:
“The Friend Society’ Web site Posting Claims 22 October ‘Dirty’ Bomb Plot Targeting Football Stadiums in Seven US Cities

GMP20061017281001 Jihadist Websites — OSC Report in Arabic 17 Oct 06

On 16 October 2006, a posting on an English-language Web site said that “dirty” bombs, delivered in trucks, will be detonated outside stadiums at NFL games in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland, and Cleveland on 22 October. The content of the Web site, which requires registration to post, is sometimes crude and contains none of the hallmarks of jihadist Web sites. The threat appeared as part of a thread entitled “New Attack on America Be Afraid” that included a rambling conversation on a variety of topics.

On 12 October at 9:31 PM, a participant called “javness” posted comment #36 which contained the threat, which follows:

“On Sunday, October 22nd, 2006, there will be seven ‘dirty’ explosive devices detonated in seven different U.S. cities; Miami, New York City, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Cleveland. The death toll will approach 100,000 from the initial blasts and countless other fatalities will later occur as result from radioactive fallout. The bombs themselves will be delivered via trucks. These trucks will pull up to stadiums hosting NFL games in each respective city. All stadiums to be targeted are open air arenas, excluding Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, the only enclosed stadium to be hit. Due to the open air, the radiological fallout will destroy those not killed in the initial explosion. The explosions will be near simultaneous, with the cities specifically chosen in different time zones to allow for multiple attacks at the same time.

The 22nd of October will mark the final day of Ramadan as it would fall in Mecca. Al-Qaida will automatically be blamed for the attacks. ‘Later, through Al-Jazeera, Osama bin Laden will issue a video message claiming responsibility for what he dubbed “America’s Hiroshima.”

In the aftermath civil wars will erupt across the world, both in the Middle East and within the United States. Global economies will screech to a halt. General chaos will rule.

The Department of Homeland Security said it warned law-enforcement officials and the NFL earlier this week ”out of an abundance of caution,” but stressed that the Internet posting was “not credible.” Security in all stadiums increased after 9/11, but no additional measures will be enforced as a result of the current threat, according to NFL officials.

The Associated Press reports:
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said stadiums around the country “are very well protected through the comprehensive security procedures we have in place, including secure facility perimeters, pat-downs and bag searches.”

Several NFL teams and stadium owners acknowledged that they were in contact with federal officials, including the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which operates Giants Stadium, the home of the Jets and Giants. The NCAA, which oversees college athletics, said it was also notified.

Authorities traced the site’s Internet provider back to Voxel Dot Net Inc., which has support and engineering staff based in Troy, NY. A man who answered the phone at Voxel, who declined to give his name, said he was unaware of the posted threat on the Web site and refused further comment.