Infogram

June 17, 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.

Ecoterrorism: Threat to Critical Infrastructures

Much emphasis has been appropriately given to the transnational terrorist threat to American critical infrastructures. However, FBI sources remind the protectors of those infrastructures that ecoterrorism-acts of violence in protest of harm to the environment or animals-is the number one terrorism threat within the borders of the United States. Federal and local law enforcement officials indicate that ecoterrorism has become more frequent and more destructive. They fear that radical environmentalists will aggressively continue criminal activities, especially in suburbia where new housing and commercial developments are encroaching on the wilderness.

In its ongoing guerrilla campaign to promote its agenda, the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) has claimed responsibility for more than a dozen acts of sabotage across the nation in the past year, causing over $60 million in damage, according to The Washington Post. "ELF sees unbridled capitalism leading to uncontrolled suburban sprawl and believes over-consumption of natural resources is running amok in the United States." Because of this belief, "the ELF website invites people to commit acts of destruction and offers links to wide-ranging instructions, from how to build Molotov cocktails to recognizing surveillance by government agents to encrypting computer activity."

Considering that arson is the ELF weapon of choice, emergency response leaders of the fire service should become familiar with this domestic terrorist organization and its methods. For example, ELF extremists seek out targets just as al Qaeda does to carefully plan an attack. Examining how and where this adversary operates will potentially enable firefighters and emergency managers to conduct some hazard mitigation and improve the protection of department and community critical infrastructures.

Responding to Suspicious Mail

"Model Procedures for Responding to a Package with Suspicion of a Biological Threat," are guidelines for first-arriving emergency service personnel to address potential bioterrorism events primarily involving suspicious letters, packages, or containers. This model provides a framework for developing a local protocol tailored to a specific community. It was created to serve as an example for all types of fire departments in all types of communities. While some of the contents may reach beyond the typical scope of the first responder, the guide is outlined so that the user will have knowledge of the broader process in which they may be requested or required to assist.

The EMR-ISAC comprehends that no community is immune from contaminated mail and its potential to disrupt or degrade critical infrastructures. Hence, clear procedures for assessing and managing biological threats are imperative. Given this understanding, the EMR-ISAC advises that department chief officers peruse this document to determine its value for local practice. It can be seen at: http://www.iafc.org/downloads/suspicious_packages.pdf.

More About Firefighter Safety

Since the 2004 wildfire season has begun, the last two INFOGRAMs listed the 10 Standard Fire Orders and 18 Watch Out Situations to promote the safety of firefighters, who are the foremost among fire department critical infrastructures. Recognizing that the best equipment and communications are useless without well-trained, healthy, and safe firefighters, the EMR-ISAC endorses the recommendations of the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG) to agencies and fire managers regarding firefighting operations. The NWCG urges that organizations stress the following points with their personnel:

Fight every fire from a solid anchor point.
Always ensure the line is secure before moving on.
Look for tactical advantages achieved by applying more effort after the burning period.
Take advantage of terrain and fuel breaks.
Stay vigilant and maintain situational awareness.
Recognize changes in fire behavior that may indicate the need to modify tactics.
Minimize acreage lost through emphasis on an aggressive initial attack.
Always maintain positive communications.
Make certain that everyone knows and understands the plan.
Consistently apply basic firefighting principles to all operations.

National Incident Management System Integration Center

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the National Incident Management System Integration Center to support direct participation and regular consultation with other federal stakeholders and state, local, and tribal incident management offices, as well as first responder organizations. "This multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary center will provide a valuable resource to better coordinate our response to all hazards," said Under Secretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response Michael Brown. "The establishment of the National Incident Management System Integration Center allows for a mechanism to provide ongoing coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal incident management entities with emergency responders to coordinate our mission to better protect our citizens."

The Center will provide "strategic direction for and oversight of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), supporting both routine maintenance and the continuous refinement of the system and its components over the long term." NIMS will strengthen America's response capabilities by identifying and integrating core elements and best practices for all responders and incident managers. DHS officials anticipate that execution during a real incident will be consistent and seamless through a balance between flexibility and standardization, and use of common doctrine, terminology, concepts, principles, and processes.

The coordination and integration efforts of the Center should inevitably enhance the protection of the critical infrastructures of emergency responders at all levels. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC recommends that chief officers and emergency managers pay attention to further developments regarding the Center and prepare to utilize its services as necessary.

The Center is situated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) component of DHS. Marko Bourne is the Acting Director. For more information contact the Center at 202-646-4223 or visit the following link: http://www.fema.gov/nims.

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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