A local training group supported by Homeland Security is fighting back after a Senator sent out a report criticizing a zombie apocalypse training conducted on Halloween, calling it: “A waste of Human Security money.
Halo Corporation hosted the training summit and say the Senator's report is misleading.
The Senator says grant funds and taxpayers paid for the zombie apocalypse training which they say is completely false.
“It's been insinuated that Homeland Security and taxpayer money was used to fund the summit and that's where we are seeing the most backlash,” said Sandy Moul, the director of communications for Halo Corporation. “That was not true; it was completely funded by strategic operations that produced that demonstration.”
The zombie apocalypse training was a part of a five-day summit for local law enforcement and first responders to train for current security threats.
Halo Corporation says the zombie apocalypse was only a small one-hour part of the entire summit and meant to add levity to an exercise done on Halloween.
They add that it was still focused on serious training exercises.
The major focus of the summit, that the corporation says the Senator missed, was the 30 courses offered at the summit on subjects like counter-terrorism and disaster preparedness.
Senator Tom Coburn from Oklahoma is arguing the effectiveness of the training. He released a 55-page report criticizing Homeland Security's use of funding, dedicating two pages to the zombie apocalypse training in San Diego which he finds to be a waste of money and time.
“Grants like zombie apocalypse represent what’s wrong with Homeland Security and Congress' failure to have proper oversight,” said a statement from Coburn’s office. “Among all the threats we face, the zombie apocalypse is low on the list.”
Halo Corporation says the Senator never contacted them to get accurate information on what the zombie apocalypse training was all about.
They are still waiting to hear from his office- and hope they can both move forward in continuing to protect the country effectively.
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