Infogram

September 16, 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.

Methamphetamine Manufacturing Labs

Law enforcement authorities report that methamphetamine trafficking and abuse in the United States continues to increase. To support the demand for this illicit and treacherous drug, clandestine production labs are operating in the vehicles, garages, apartments, hotels, homes, storage facilities, and vacant buildings of rural, suburban, and urban America. As a result, the manufacture and use this drug has marred numerous communities across the nation.

Health and safety officials caution that methamphetamine manufacturing labs frequently place too many emergency responders and citizens in the line of immediate danger. These labs can explode because of the volatile chemicals used in the production process. Furthermore, the toxicity of chemicals can transform a neighborhood into a dangerously contaminated area.

As an example of the growing threat to the foremost of the critical infrastructures of the Emergency Services Sector (i.e., first responders), the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation warned that the drug can seep through cracks in chemical-protection suits and burn the skin of HazMat personnel. Additionally, last year a "meth lab" explosion seared the lungs of a volunteer firefighter diminishing his lung capacity by 85 percent.

Considering their real menace to responders and civilians, the EMR-ISAC reinforces the warning to exercise great care and concern when responding to incidents where the presence of a "meth lab" is possible or suspected.

Self-Dispatching

In a news alert of 10 September, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) urged all emergency departments and their staff to "refrain from self-dispatching" to areas that were affected by past and present hurricanes. These fire service organizations discourage self-dispatching to incidents "because of the significant accountability issues and risks to firefighters, civilians, and others who are operating within the parameters of the incident action plan."

"We appreciate and understand that firefighters and fire chiefs want to help the areas hit by the hurricanes in Florida," said IAFC President Chief Bob DiPoli. "But we must remember that an emergency response plan is in place, and that order is essential for the safety of the communities devastated by the storms. Self-dispatching disrupts this order and puts more lives at risk."

The EMR-ISAC supports the prohibition on self-dispatching because of its potential to degrade continuity of operations and the critical infrastructure protection of both the sending and receiving jurisdictions. Therefore, any agency that has resources available to deploy should first contact their state emergency management office for higher level coordination, approvals, and details.

Sensitive CIP Notices

Among the recipients of this weekly INFOGRAM, there may be several Emergency Services Sector (ESS) senior leaders (i.e., department chief officers, assistant chiefs, fire marshals, emergency medical service directors, emergency managers, and FEMA Region staff officers) who are not currently receiving Sensitive CIP Notices. These notices contain emergent, actionable information FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY regarding threats to and vulnerabilities of the ESS critical infrastructures, and forwarded to the validated ESS leaders quickly after receipt from the Department of Homeland Security. The notices very frequently include sensitive information that the emergency services leadership must have for planning and operations purposes in preparation for all hazards.

If you are a senior leader in the emergency services as mentioned above and NOT receiving Sensitive CIP Notices, then the EMR-ISAC recommends that you perform the following simple steps as soon as convenient:

Log onto https://disasterhelp.gov with your user name and password.
Under "My Account" in the left bar, click on "My DHelp Profile."
Scroll down to "Notification Preferences," and click on "Update CIP INFOGRAM Application" seen beneath the words "CIP INFOGRAMs."
Scroll down the application to "Positional Information" and ensure your current leadership position is properly indicated.
After making any necessary changes, proceed to the bottom of the application and click on "Submit Application."

Those who experience any difficulty with these steps are invited to contact the 24x7 DisasterHelp.gov Help Desk at 800-451-2647. Users of the Help Desk report no waiting time for rapid and user-friendly assistance.

Terror Attack Manual

Emergency managers and responders may be interested in the recently released interactive manual entitled: "How to Lead during Bioattacks with the Public's Trust and Help." This handbook, distributed last month and already in a second printing, provides governors, mayors, emergency managers, etc., with a research-based set of "best practices and principles" for safeguarding the public's trust and cooperation during a response.

The guidebook presents recommendations from an expert working group convened by the Center for Biosecurity of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center that included decision-makers at local, state, and federal levels; health officers who have managed high-profile events; specialists in infectious diseases and disaster recovery; advocates for special populations; and veteran health and national security representatives. Their aim was to give U.S. leaders problem-solving strategies for engaging the public during bioattacks and epidemics.

This manual can be viewed and downloaded from the following link:
http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/pages/resources/leadership/executive.html

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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