Infogram

December 9, 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.

Teamwork Enhances CIP

Many local decision-makers agree that critical infrastructure protection (CIP) can be improved appreciably by the strengthening of operational relationships among community stakeholders. These community leaders concur that joint coordination, planning, and training must be a never-ending journey for the police, fire, emergency medical, health, public works, transportation, and emergency communications departments in accord with their municipal governing council.

The EMR-ISAC recently learned that one or more fire departments coordinated with and trained public works personnel to respond and assist during emergencies, particularly those involving hazardous materials or weapons of mass destruction. The training was enthusiastically supported by the local government because public utility workers must be prepared to respond to all hazards alongside police and firefighters. One fire official said, "They are needed to help evacuate buildings, drive tractors, operate heavy equipment, and move debris, etc, during the crucial stages of an incident."

The EMR-ISAC maintains that this type of joint planning and training goes beyond the essential information sharing that should occur between preparation and implementation. The information sharing promotes appropriate and important collaboration, but the joint training fosters the interoperability of systems and personnel of different disciplines. Additionally, any opportunity for joint training cultivates the teamwork necessary to truly enhance both internal department and local community CIP.

Community Shielding and CIP

The concept of community shielding, also called "shelter in place" by the Department of Homeland Security, has been receiving increasing attention throughout the United States. According to the Critical Incident Analysis Group (CIAG) at the University of Virginia, it is defined as "a self-imposed isolation where individuals or groups, such as families and even workgroups, physically isolate themselves for a brief period of time within their usual surroundings." The analysts explain that "where no immediate danger is posed by the location or surroundings (such as a fire or flood destroying the home or workplace), individuals fare better when remaining in familiar environments."

CIAG research indicates that "in the face of terrorist threats or similar emergency situations, running away may no longer be the safest or most intelligent course of action." Conceptually, after a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incident, the majority of people will remain unexposed and safer by staying together at home or work. The academics profess that shielding offers a preferable solution to massive evacuations, where fleeing citizens create confusion and disorder, and potentially contaminated individuals may spread their infection or disease. Although highways leading from an attacked metropolitan area may be seductive, "they may be roads to nowhere, leaving countless numbers of people trapped and vulnerable."

Assuming that community responses will be the principal predictors of continuous operations and survival, the EMR-ISAC understands the connection between community shielding and CIP. Shielding by citizens at home and work will reduce the disruption to municipal operations and decrease the degradation of local critical infrastructures and key resources. Community shielding will also alleviate stress on incident management teams, eliminate interference with the transportation infrastructure, and reduce the probability that first responders will be overwhelmed by unnecessary and dangerous evacuation attempts, etc.

The University of Virginia Critical Incident Analysis Group website: http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/ciag/communityshieldinghome.cfm.

Reminders for Civil Unrest Operations

The September/October issue of "Homeland First Response" contained an article that provided lessons-learned and recommended first responder tactics for civil unrest operations. Considering the possibility for civil unrest during and after a man-made or natural disaster, the EMR-ISAC offers the following few reminders extracted from the aforementioned article. These proven tips are intended to protect personnel-the most critical of an organization's infrastructures:

Prepare first responders to be targets of violence.
Always use the "buddy system" and avoid being separated.
Never leave any emergency responder alone anywhere.
Remove any equipment such as axes from outside emergency vehicles.
Use short hose lays, rapid attack, and quick "take-ups."
Leave vehicle and trash fires unattended if the situation warrants.
Always be prepared to quickly abandon the scene.

"Fire in the United States," Thirteenth Edition

The newest issue of "Fire in the United States," covering the ten-year period from 1992 to 2001, has been announced by Under Secretary Michael Brown of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. The report is a running ten-year statistical overview of fires in the nation with focus on 2001.

"This report is designed to support the fire service members, organizations, media, and others with information that facilitates corrective action, sets priorities, targets specific fire programs, serves as a model for state and local analyses of fire data, and provides a baseline for evaluating programs," said Under Secretary Brown.

The report can be accessed through the USFA website by downloading the online version at www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications. See the report under "Featured Publications." Printed publications are expected to be available by the end of the year.

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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