Voluntary Program for New Jersey's Domestic Security Efforts

State of New Jersey State of New Jersey DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND INSURANCE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER PO BOX 325 TRENTON, NJ 08625-0325 Tel (609) 292-5360 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Visit us on the Web at www.njdobi.org New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer • Printed on Recycled Paper and Recyclable JAMES E. MCGREEVEY Governor HOLLY C. BAKKE Commissioner BULLETIN NO. 03-12 TO: LICENSEES AUTHORIZED TO TRANSACT BUSINESS PURSUANT TO TITLE 17 FROM: HOLLY C. BAKKE, COMMISSIONER RE: VOLUNTARY PROGRAM FOR NEW JERSEY’S DOMESTIC SECURITY EFFORTS This bulletin provides information and guidance about a voluntary security program proposed by Governor McGreevey’s New Jersey’s Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force (“Task Force”), Infrastructure Advisory Committee (“IAC”) for various business sectors including banking and insurance (“Banking and Insurance Sector”) to consider when developing or modifying their business security plans. The Department of Banking and Insurance (“Department”) wishes for you to know about this program, which may be implemented if our national threat level escalates. This voluntary plan may be implemented by the State in the event that the national security threat level is increased to the highest threat level, Code Red. Under Code Red, the threat of terrorist attack is severe and the State may restrict transportation access throughout the State. We are currently under Code Orange, implemented on May 20, 2003, one level below the highest threat level. The Task Force has created several sub-committees to ensure the concerns of various business sectors are included in the dialogue about safety. The IAC’s Banking and Insurance Sub-Committee encourages Banking and Insurance Sector companies to develop or modify their domestic security plans in such a way that will assist the New Jersey State Police and other authorized law enforcement personnel in their efforts to secure highways and roads in the event of an escalation of the security threat to Code Red. To implement Code Red’s severe restriction on transportation, while recognizing the infrastructure needs of some businesses, the State Police may utilize a security program that will allow only “critical” employees access to the roads. Each entity in a business sector (health care, banking and insurance, law enforcement, etc.) will be responsible for identifying its critical 2 employees. These are employees whose role is so critical to your operations that they should be allowed to travel to and from the work location despite the threat elevation to Code Red. Examples of critical employees for the Banking and Insurance Sector may include your security officers, your computer technicians and maintenance personnel, or other key personnel that you deem critical to your operations. Those employees will be the only individuals from the business sector that will be allowed on the roads and highways in a Code Red situation. In a Code Red environment, the State Police will require that all motorists provide evidence that they are critical employees. In addition, the State Police will verify the critical status of an employee by verifying the status with a company representative (“verifying representative”) designated by the company. Moreover, the IAC’s Insurance and Banking Sub- Committee may confer directly (via email or telephone conferences) with high-level company representatives (preferably “senior executive” and “senior security” personnel) as needs may require. In summary, to prepare for an elevation to Code Red, the New Jersey State Police encourages the banking and insurance industries to provide the State Police with the following information that will be used in the event of a Code Red elevation: A. TO DEVELOP A POINT-OF-CONTACT LIST WITH THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE Please provide (via email at: cireg@gw.njsp.org) 1. Name of company/agency (max of 50 characters) 2. 24-hour contact number (area code + number. extension if needed) 3. Name of 24 hour contact person or dispatch center (max of 50 characters) 4. Critical infrastructure sector name (Banking and Insurance Sector) The State Police has further advised: • That only the above information should be provided • If no 24 hour number is available, please do not submit information • Do not provide any additional info as it will not be captured • Any e-mails with information beyond that listed above will be segregated for later entry into the system Some members of the banking industry have already provided this information. We request, however, that this information be re-submitted as requested in this bulletin to the State Police. B. TO DEVELOP A CRITICAL EMPLOYEE LIST For your own internal records, you may also wish to implement the additional following actions: 1. Develop a standardized letter that will be carried by each of your critical employees that identifies them as critical, provides the address for your business, and identifies the name of the company representative for verification with means to communicate with the representative immediately (cell number, home number, pager, etc.), and 3 2. Safeguard the above information in the event that the State Police or other law enforcement entity will, in the future, request that any portion of it be recorded with the State Police. C. TO IDENTIFY CORPORATE LEADERS In addition to apprizing you of the voluntary measures that you may take in light of the current international crisis, the Department of Banking and Insurance strongly encourages you to cooperate with the IAC’s Banking and Insurance Sub-Committee’s efforts to communicate directly with banking and insurance sector corporate leaders with respect to ongoing security issues and measures that may arise. If you wish to create a direct communication link between your company and the IAC’s Banking and Insurance Sub-Committee, please select a senior executive and a senior security person to be liaisons with the State. These two individuals may be contacted in the event that the Task Force, IAC’s Sub-Committee, or the Office of Counter-Terrorism must provide them with information directly and immediately. These two individuals must routinely be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and must identify their email addresses, cell numbers, pagers, home numbers and any other means of immediate and constant communication. To create a direct communication link between your company and the IAC’s Banking and Insurance Sub-Committee, please contact the Chair of the IAC’s Banking and Insurance Sub-Committee, Eric Levine, Vice President, Global Security, Prudential Financial at 973-802-7996 (office). Mr. Levine is also available via email at eric.levine@prudential.com Any questions on the voluntary programs discussed in this Bulletin may be addressed to Peter Hartt, Assistant Director of Insurance, at 609-292-0844 extension 50039. 5/22/03 /s/ Holly C. Bakke Date Holly C. Bakke Commissioner