Infogram

July 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.

Time for Reflection

Since 9/11/01, the United States has enjoyed the absence of another transnational terrorist attack. Yet, despite this relative peace within our borders, many emergency departments have altered their plans, operations, and training to enhance their preparedness for the next man-made disaster. With limited time and resources, numerous first response agencies have avoided mediocrity and improved their capabilities to respond, operate, and succeed at all-hazard events.

Given that the nation is presently in a period of increased risk, this is probably a good time for genuine reflection by all emergency response organizations. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC offers the following basic questions to assist a meaningful consideration of "response-ability" for an attack using weapons of mass destruction or disruption (WMD):

Are responder agencies treating this risk period with deliberate actions and best efforts?
Are there fully developed, organized contingency plans to handle any type of WMD attack?
Have these plans been thoroughly coordinated with state and local mutual aid partners?
Are department leaders truly more knowledgeable and capable to manage a WMD event?
Would first responders really know what to do if a WMD attack occurred in their jurisdiction?
Have department leaders used their skills to engage the community in preventing terrorism?

More About NIMS

Two weeks ago, several local officials told the House Select Committee on Homeland Security that multi-hazard exercises highlighted the stress on personnel resources at the first responder level, particularly in the technical and command areas. The local representatives explained that as an exercise approached, "planning for it became almost a full-time job." They emphasized: "If an exercise generates that kind of stress on the local system, officials would need the availability of putting additional personnel into our command and control systems in an actual emergency." They further accentuated that past exercises demonstrated "the need to clarify and coordinate the priorities and needs of the many jurisdictions involved in an incident."

One system that will assist with these command and management issues is the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that the Department of Homeland Security recently developed with state and local assistance. NIMS addresses these specific issues by providing incident management processes, protocols, and procedures that all responders can use to coordinate and conduct response operations in a manner that also preserves critical infrastructures. The underlying NIMS concepts and principles will help to reduce "the stress on the local system," while simultaneously strengthening the protection of the personnel, physical assets, and communication/cyber systems essential for 24x7 capabilities.

More information on NIMS can be obtained by visiting the following link: http://www.fema.gov/nims.

National Preparedness Month

In September 2004, the Department of Homeland Security will sponsor "National Preparedness Month" in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education, American Red Cross, and National Association of Broadcasters. Those local communities planning to conduct preparedness activities for their citizens during this month may seek the counsel and participation of their emergency managers and first responders. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC offers the following to assist with suggestions for information sharing and/or program involvement:

Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Familiarization. Inform citizens of specific ways they can contribute to protecting municipal and first responder critical infrastructures. Provide examples of the local critical infrastructures and key resources, and request their vigilance and reporting of suspicious activities at or nearby these locations. Encourage participation in Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) or the Citizen Corps as viable alternatives. CERT: http://www.training.fema.gov/emiweb/CERT/index.asp. Citizen Corps: http://www.citizencorps.gov.
Storm Ready. A National Weather Service nationwide community preparedness program that uses a grassroots approach to help communities develop plans to handle severe weather. The program encourages communities to take a proactive approach to improving local hazardous weather operations by providing emergency managers with guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather capabilities. Information is available at: http://www.stormready.noaa.gov.
Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs). A recent survey by the National Organization on Disabilities found that approximately 60 percent of people with disabilities have no plans and don't know what to do or who to call in the event of a disaster. Communities should be encouraged to contact their regional VOADs for ideas to help the disabled for all-hazards incidents. Information is available at: http://www.nvoad.org.
Elder Action Global Logistical Emergency System (EAGLES). In this program sponsored by the Administration on Aging, well elders are paired with frail elders, with the well elders trained to help their peers with special needs. Under the plan, local senior centers would be converted into treatment centers. EAGLES participants, retired professionals and trained individuals, would assist and assess new as well as existing clients in an area affected by disaster. More information is available at: http://www.aoa.gov.

Continuity Planning

The EMR-ISAC receives daily correspondence from emergency managers and fire/EMS chief officers nationwide. Occasionally, the communication contains "lessons-learned" experienced by a practitioner within the Emergency Services Sector. Recently, a municipal emergency manager recommended that other emergency managers lead their civic leaders in the development of a continuity plan for the critical physical and cyber assets within the local community. The lesson-learned is that the plan must answer the following minimum questions:

What must be done if essential facilities (e.g., city hall, emergency operations center, etc.) are incapacitated by a man-made or natural disaster?
Who will be responsible to complete each crucial response and recovery task?
Where are feasible alternate sites for continuity of government and emergency operations?
What are feasible alternate means of communicating inside and outside of the municipality?
What paperwork is needed in the event of an emergency?
What are the leadership lines of succession?
What mutual aid assistance can be expected from neighboring communities?

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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