Infogram

April 15, 2004

NOTE: This INFOGRAM will be distributed weekly to provide members of the emergency management and response sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures. It has been prepared by NATEK Incorporated for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate. 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.

Vigilance: A Low-Cost, High-Value Measure

The EMR-ISAC continuously researches and studies how the Emergency Management and Response (EMR) Sector leadership can implement critical infrastructure protection (CIP) in a time-efficient and resource-restrained manner. As a result of this ongoing effort, the EMR-ISAC advocates perpetual vigilance as probably the best low-cost, but high-value measure to protect the critical infrastructures of the EMR Sector of the United States.

Reports from EMR leaders around the nation indicate that vigilance is probably the most important threat reduction protective measure available to all departments and agencies. Considering the recommendations of several emergency managers and first responder chief officers, the EMR-ISAC recommends a simplistic two-step approach: (1) maintain awareness of suspicious persons or unusual activities and, (2) promptly communicate that information to the local police, regional FBI field office, and the National Infrastructure Coordination Center (NICC) at 202-282-9201/9202/9203.

Additionally, the EMR-ISAC suggests the following actions to develop consequential vigilance habits among department or agency personnel:

Wildfires: Tool of Terrorism?

The relentless drought in most of the Western United States has further decreased already dwindling water supplies and raised the risk of wildfires. Because of this persistent drought, below-average snow pack, and insect-infested timber, officials at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, recently expressed concern about a long, brutal wildfire season. But, regardless of the cause, wildfires threaten community and emergency responder critical infrastructures.

In addition to the relationship between drought and wildfires, it is now necessary to consider wildfires as a tool of terrorism. Captured documents reveal that multiple forest fires could be used in an attempt to deprive the American market of raw materials for the wood, paper, and byproducts industries. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC advises the EMR Sector leadership of Western States to understand how terrorists might cause and use wildfires. Intelligence sources believe it is probable that extremists could employ catastrophic fires as a diversion or a means to capitalize on the concentration of federal resources in one area of the country while an attack is staged in another part of the nation.

Security specialists suggest that terrorists are also interested in degrading America's soft targets (e.g., emergency departments, communication systems, response and evacuation routes, etc.) that can be easily exploited during disastrously large forest fires. Consequently, a thorough review of existing protective measures and emergency plans would be prudent at this time to guarantee preparedness for wildfires as a tool of terrorism.

Ensure COOP, Be Prepared for Outages

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, several factors are behind the swelling demand and shrinking supply of electrical power in the United States. The report indicates that grid managers predict the improving economy, home building surge, hotter than average temperatures, and increasing requirements for air conditioning urgently necessitate more megawatts at a time when no new large-scale power plants are being built. The bulging demand has many energy industry officials sounding warnings.

Industry specialists fear that power plant breakdowns, transmission lines destroyed by wildfires, and an extended summer heat wave will exacerbate the already shrinking supply of electrical power. The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), which is responsible for grid reliability and safety, has found some improvements in North America's electricity system since the massive failure eight months ago. However, NERC investigators noted additional shortcomings that still leave the national electricity system "frail and vulnerable to cascading outages."

Senior leaders of the EMR Sector should be cognizant of the potential disruption to their continuity of operations (COOP) resulting from widespread power outages. The EMR-ISAC further proposes that emergency departments and agencies seek alternatives to the electrical power sources (i.e., critical infrastructures) upon which they depend. Power industry experts claim that "alternatives for electrical power can be found everywhere if you allow yourself to think ingeniously or creatively." For example, there are several instances where locomotives were temporarily converted into generators for emergency electrical power.

Chemical Plant Accidents

The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, reported, "many chemical factories are in populated areas," and cited a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimate that "123 of them could endanger a million people in a toxic worst-case scenario." This is disturbing information considering "the number of accidents at chemical manufacturing plants shows no sign of decreasing," according to a statement issued this month by an environmental advocacy group.

The EMR-ISAC has consistently promoted CIP as an "all-hazards" approach to protecting the critical infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, communication systems) of the EMR Sector. The CIP "all-hazards" method ensures mitigation and preparedness activities for deliberate (man-made), nature (natural disasters), and accidental (hazmat accidents) events or attacks on the critical infrastructures of EMR departments or agencies.

In view of the possibility for future accidents, the EMR-ISAC advises action by those communities having chemical plants and by emergency organizations with these manufacturing facilities within or adjacent to their jurisdiction. At minimum, the update and rehearsal of emergency plans involving all responder departments and activities (including mutual aid elements) may be appropriate to ensure survivability, continuity of operations, and mission success if and when a chemical accident occurs at any of these sites.

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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