February 2, 2006 Infogram

This INFOGRAM will be distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures. For further information, contact the Emergency Management and Response - Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) at (301) 447-1325 or by e-mail at emr-isac@dhs.gov.

"Look-Alike" Threat

Various unofficial sources confirm that the numbers of adolescents and adults participating in paintball games and competitions continue to increase nationwide. The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) also learned that the growing interest and involvement by so many Americans hastened the emergence of an industry to support this serious "sport" with equipment and supplies. Paintball activists can purchase paintball guns, gun replacement parts, grenades, mines, etc., at a multitude of websites.

After some research on this matter, the EMR-ISAC verified that paintball players can acquire or manufacture equipment and ordnance that resemble real military weaponry. For example, one website offers a Claymore Mine Simulator that fires airsoft BB's and baby powder. This device appears very similar to the actual Claymore Mine. Additionally, enthusiastic paintball contestants often fabricate their own bombs filled with baby powder instead of explosives. These "baby powder bombs" are extremely comparable to authentic explosive devices used to injure and kill.

Considering the escalating availability of "look-alike" mines and bombs, Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel are compelled to differentiate what is a potential threat and what is only for paintball exercises. This challenge is further exacerbated by the possibility that those who intend to inflict harm will attempt to make a real bomb appear as a harmless paintball contrivance. Therefore, for the protection of internal critical infrastructures, the EMR-ISAC recommends first responder organizations familiarize their rank and file with all paintball gadgets. Moreover, emergency personnel should always exercise caution when approaching paintball instruments until certain each is not an actual mine or bomb.

Magnetized Equipment Threat

Multiple investigations in recent years conclude that medical facilities housing a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) unit may magnetize emergency responder equipment potentially rendering them temporarily inoperative. Further research by the EMR-ISAC substantiated that MRI units are usually always energized. Therefore, police and firefighter personnel who walk nearby an active MRI suite risk the chance of having their equipment (e.g., firearms, breathing apparatus, etc.) magnetized, which could cause the items to malfunction.

This probability is difficult to detect because there are no outward signs that emergency equipment may not function after an MRI magnetic exposure. Hence, awareness of this threat may prevent serious or deadly consequences at an incident where first responders must depend on their equipment for self-preservation or to protect citizens and property.

For critical infrastructure protection purposes, the EMR-ISAC suggests that all first responders know about this threat before going near or into a suite containing an MRI unit. Police, fire, and emergency medical personnel must understand that they should never go nearby or enter an MRI suite if in possession of metal or electronic devices, including those implanted inside their body.

New NIMS Tools Available

In a September 2004 letter to the nation's governors, the Department of Homeland Secretary Michael Chertoff outlined a phased approach to National Incident Management System (NIMS) implementation that states, territories, tribes, and local jurisdictions would need to follow for full compliance with NIMS no later than 30 September 2006. The NIMS was developed to provide a consistent nationwide approach to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from domestic disasters.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) established a web-based, self-assessment tool, the National Incident Management Compliance Assessment Support Tool (NIMCAST), to help organizations identify weaknesses in incident preparedness and become compliant with NIMS. Recently, three news tools have been added to NIMCAST:

Incident Command System (ICS) Instructor Guidelines
These guidelines provide training directions needed by ICS instructors and for agencies offering ICS training programs.
Integrating NIMS into state and local EOPs and SOPs
This tool outlines ways state and local incident managers can modify Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to align with NIMS concepts and terminology.
Fiscal Year 2006 (FY06) Implementation Details
The details reinforce state and local efforts to effectively implement NIMS and encourage, where appropriate, a regional approach to NIMS.

The EMR-ISAC suggests that ESS leadership use the NIMCAST website to understand the FY06 requirements that must be completed in order to receive FY07 federal preparedness funding, and to learn about possible future requirements for continuous full NIMS compliance in FY07 and beyond. The NIMCAST website follows: http://www.fema.gov/nimcast/index.jsp.

CIP for Personnel and Equipment

In 2004, the National Fallen Firefighters' Foundation (NFFF) identified emergency responses as 1 of 16 Life Safety Initiatives. Related to this particular initiative, a recent Firehouse article explained that some jurisdictions experienced a decline in the number and severity of crashes by using a "reduced response" policy. Other positive outcomes of reduced response policies are lower fuel consumption, and less air and noise pollution. In most cases, there has been little difference in the arrival times of units responding as cold versus hot.

When calls are first received, dispatchers use a predetermined list of response criteria to advise whether a response is designated as hot, warm or cold. Hot responses include working fires, and EMS calls that involve respiratory or cardiac problems and serious trauma. A warm response stipulates that only the first-due apparatus uses lights and sirens. Cold responses should be to activated pull stations, smoke detectors or lock outs, for example. Response levels can be raised or lowered as necessary.

To read the full article, visit http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/printer.jsp?id=47235.

The EMR-ISAC proposes that ESS leaders consider the advantages and applicability of a departmental reduced response policy as a plausible means to protect their internal personnel and physical (i.e., equipment) critical infrastructures.

FAIR USE NOTICE

This INFOGRAM may contain copyrighted material that was not specifically authorized by the copyright owner. EMR-ISAC personnel believe this constitutes "fair use" of copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use copyrighted material contained within this document for your own purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Reporting Notice

DHS and the FBI encourage recipients of this document to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to DHS and/or the FBI. The DHS National Operation Center (NOC) can be reached by telephone at 202-282-9685 or by e-mail at NOC.Fusion@dhs.gov.

The FBI regional phone numbers can be found online at www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

For information affecting the private sector and critical infrastructure, contact the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC), a sub-element of the NOC. The NICC can be reached by telephone at 202-282-9201 or by e-mail at NICC@dhs.gov.

When available, each report submitted should include the date, time, location, type of activity, number of people and type of equipment used for the activity, the name of the submitting company or organization, and a designated point of contact.

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