Infogram

January 22, 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.

Agricultural Terrorism and the EMR Sector

Considering the possibility and consequences of a terrorist attack on the Agriculture and Food Sector of the United States, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC), the source of this INFOGRAM document, examined the relationship between agricultural terrorism and the Emergency Management and Response (EMR) Sector. The findings are briefly summarized in the following paragraphs.

According to the National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets, the Agriculture and Food Sector consists of the supply chains for seed, fertilizer, feed, animals, animal products, and other related materials. It also includes the post-harvesting components of the food supply chain, from processing, production, and packaging through storage and distribution to retail sales, institutional food services, and restaurant or home consumption. Because of the increased susceptibility of livestock to disease, a general lack of farm and food related security, a passive reporting system, etc., several critical infrastructure protection (CIP) specialists believe that the Agriculture and Food Sector is vulnerable to intentional and accidental disruption of operations and services.

CIP specialists postulate that the impact of an attack on the Agriculture and Food Sector would be significant and easily extend to other sectors of the nation including the EMR Sector. The EMR-ISAC agrees that the EMR Sector will be affected because in most states the overall responsibility for response preparedness rests primarily with an emergency management agency followed by the public health department. Furthermore, besides the medical and veterinary communities, other stakeholders such as fire and rescue organizations will be necessarily engaged in preparedness planning and actual response operations.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that preparedness activities for agriculture and food terrorist incidents need to be integrated within existing emergency response plans and systems, and tested in exercises involving all agencies responsible to respond. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC suggests that emergency managers and responders in those states and localities containing agricultural and food industries accept the possibility of contamination and consider the following basic preparedness actions:

Initiate contact with the state agricultural service and the resident agricultural and food industries.
Ascertain and support state reporting and response requirements for agriculture and food contamination incidents.
Commence coordination among those organizations responsible to report and respond.
Identify and eliminate gaps in existing plans and systems of responsible agencies.
Prepare or revise emergency response plans to ensure relevant agencies can quickly and effectively communicate and respond to an incident.
Test the effectiveness of the response plans and systems using simulated exercises or case studies.

A Regional Approach to CIP

A growing number of government and security officials admit that we may never be able to know with certainty when, where, and how terrorists will attack the critical infrastructures of the United States. Many of these individuals confide that there is no truly effective way to protect the thousands of components that comprise national critical infrastructures. They maintain that American technology, tools, and methodologies are only partially useful in addressing our numerous domestic vulnerabilities.

Although there may be some truth to the opinions of these skeptics, the EMR-ISAC promotes a positive and hopeful approach to the protection of the EMR Sector critical infrastructures. The EMR-ISAC proposes a comprehensive regional approach to emergency planning and preparedness as well as critical infrastructure protection. More can be accomplished with a regional approach that synergizes capabilities and minimizes municipal boundaries and associated cross-jurisdictional difficulties and challenges.

To implement a regional approach, the EMR-ISAC advises that EMR sector leaders foster the following recommendations among the key leaders of their community, and also the decision-makers of nearby or adjacent communities. (An article by Paula L. Scalingi, former director of the Department of Energy CIP Office, provided ideas for some of these recommendations.)

Formulate a Regional Preparedness Planning Group (RPPG), with functions similar to a Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
Identify the regional threatened and vulnerable critical infrastructures as determined by the application of the CIP process.
Develop a regional preparedness and protection strategy that addresses all man-made and natural hazards.
Review, coordinate, and synthesize the preparedness and protection plans of those municipalities within the geographic region represented by the RPPG.
Prepare and rehearse a preparedness and protection plan for the region that is fully harmonized with the plans of the partner municipalities.
Designate a regional emergency operations center that performs duties as an information clearinghouse and database with essential security and access protocols.
Collect the tools and experience to assess and control damage, and to facilitate reconstitution as necessary.

Signal Changers: A Threat?

Mobile infrared transmitters, also called "signal changers," emit an invisible high intensity strobe light capable of changing traffic signals from red to green in three seconds from the distance of about 300 yards. These devices were created for first response departments to provide clear paths to their emergency destinations as quickly and safely as possible. Some police, fire, and emergency medical agencies have used the transmitters for years. "They create a safety corridor for us and an extra level of safety," said one police officer.

Though never intended for public use, the devices are now sold locally, as well as on the Internet. Consequently, anyone can buy signal changers from about $100 for a used one to about $400 for a new one. Law enforcement agencies in California reported that civilians purchase these transmitters because "it is not illegal to buy or possess them. It is only illegal in many states for non-emergency personnel to use them."

Police departments in several states reported that civilian drivers are using mobile infrared transmitters for their own convenience at traffic intersections. In at least one instance, someone used the device to change a signal light against an emergency vehicle. Clearly, this creates a dangerous situation and a threat to the personnel of first response departments.

Since the potential exists for confusing and perilous conditions if more motorists use signal changers, emergency management and response personnel need to know about this threat to their safety and operations. A proliferation of these devices among civilians may require rigid state legislation making it a grievous crime for retailers to sell them to non-emergency personnel, and for non-emergency motorists to purchase and/or use the transmitters.

New Citizen Corps Publication

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the availability of a new U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) publication specifically designed for community leaders of first responder organizations. The brochure entitled, "Citizen Corps Opportunities for America's First Responders," provides a sampling of citizen advocate and volunteer activities, which can assist local fire and EMS departments. The new material contains a comprehensive list of suggested citizen volunteer activities to support fire and EMS department efforts.

"It is important to point out to the fire and EMS leadership that Citizen Corps citizen advocates and volunteers do not, cannot, and will not take the place of fire, rescue, or emergency medical service personnel," said U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. "These Citizen Corps members supplement and support our first responders by offering to do things that emergency first responders cannot otherwise accomplish."

This document is the result of a successful joint effort among federal, state, local, and private fire and EMS personnel, including the FEMA and USFA staff. It should be a valuable tool and should provide an understanding of Citizen Corps initiatives that involve America's fire and EMS departments. The brochure, publication number FA-263, can be obtained through the USFA Publications Online Catalog at www.usfa.dhs.gov/applications/publications. It is also available in PDF.

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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