Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) is launching a new program in the capital area. The Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program (BMAP) is a federal bombing prevention program with over 300 participants trained across cities in Texas. Austin HSEM’s program is unique as it is the first local jurisdiction in the nation to use grant funding to launch the initiative. Funding for this program is made possible by the State Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) from The Governor’s Public Safety Office.

“BMAP is one way our office is increasing capacity beyond emergency management response,” said Ken Snipes, HSEM Director. “Prevention and risk management are key tenets of our work. This program will allow us to expand outreach to the business community to help prevent domestic terrorism.”

BMAP is a counter-terrorism risk management bombing prevention program sponsored by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP). BMAP focuses on restricting access by malicious actors to explosive precursor chemicals, explosive powders, exploding target materials, associated components, and delivery methods.

The program is most effective during the terrorist attack cycle’s planning phase. The two focus areas of BMAP are the acquisition of materials and bomb-building stages. The outreach program will entail HSEM staff reaching out to businesses in specific industry verticals including hardware, pool, pharmacy, fireworks, and beauty supply companies to educate them about the types of products they sell that can be used for homemade explosive devices and how to recognize and report suspicious activity.

What The Public Can Do To Keep Our Community Safe

If you see something, say something. If you see behavior that seems suspicious and could be related to making improvised explosive devices, you can report it to www.iwatchtexas.org or call 844-643-2251. If you see an imminent threat, call 9-1-1.

It is important to remember factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity are not suspicious. It is important to ensure that people’s civil rights and civil liberties are not diminished by security efforts. Members of the public are encouraged to report only suspicious behavior and situations (e.g., someone breaking into a restricted area), rather than one’s appearance, to authorities.

What Businesses Can Do To Keep Our Community Safe

Retail managers and employees play an important role in keeping the community safe. BMAP encourages businesses to practice the RACK system: Recognize, Ask, Check, Know.

Recognize products within your inventory that can be used to make bombs.
Ask for customer I.D. and note suspicious purchases.
Check your inventory and report missing or stolen products.
Know your customers and report suspicious purchases or behaviors.

Report to www.iwatchtexas.org or call 844-643-2251. If you see an imminent threat, call 9-1-1.

Austin HSEM’s BMAP outreach experts will be contacting businesses in the 10-county region to educate about the prevention program.

Regional chambers, associations, businesses, and law enforcement agencies can request training and educational materials at hsemcommunications@austintexas.gov.

Learn more at ReadyCentralTexas.org/BMAP.

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