CISA and FBI Talk Bomb Prevention in Fort Collins

Fort Collins, Colo. – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) brought their joint Operation Flashpoint public awareness bomb-prevention program to Fort Collins, Colorado today. Operation Flashpoint encourages people to voluntarily report suspicious activities, such as buying large amounts of chemicals, or a combination of chemicals and materials, that can be used to build bombs. The two agencies walked customers and employees of Josephs’ Hardware through Operation Flashpoint, teaching business and the public about preventing bomb attacks.  

“Ensuring the safety and security of our communities requires a team effort of individuals, businesses and government.  Operation Flashpoint serves as an opportunity to come together as a community to mitigate this threat,” said CISA Region 8 Regional Director Shawn Graff. “I really appreciate Joseph’s Hardware and our other community partners joining us today to get the word out about preventing bomb attacks. When we work together, we build safer communities.”

“The FBI works tirelessly to stay ahead of evolving threats facing the United States,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Michael Schneider. “This opportunity to engage the community and local law enforcement partners is crucial in helping us identify bomb-making threats and successfully mitigate them.”

The program highlights threats posed by domestic violent extremists and others who can build improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from common household items found at retail stores across the country. Approximately 250,000 businesses in the United States sell, use, or distribute everyday materials that can be nefariously used to build bombs. IEDs can cause mass casualty events and pose a significant threat within the United States. In 2020 alone, there were 2,061 total bomb threats, suspicious packages, and device-related incidents across the Nation, according to CISA’s Office for Bombing Prevention TRIPwire report.

CISA leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to our cyber and physical infrastructure.  Operation Flashpoint demonstrates the whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach to protecting critical infrastructure and people. If business owners or employees observe suspicious activity, they should confidentially report the information to 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or contact local law enforcement (for emergencies, please call 911).

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