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LLIS.gov Newsletter
 
| March 2009 Lessons Learned Information Sharing Newsletter |
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Contents
| Target Capabilities List |
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Updated Target Capabilities
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has initiated an effort to evolve the Target Capabilities List by enhancing an initial subset of six Target Capabilities. These updated Target Capabilities provide specific capability guidance for different types of jurisdictions and emphasize outcome-oriented, measurable performance metrics.
FEMA is circulating four updated Target Capabilities drafts for broad stakeholder review and consultation: Mass Transit Protection, Multi-Agency Coordination (Emergency Operations Center Management), On-Site Incident Command, and Weapons of Mass Destruction/Hazardous Materials Rescue. The updated Target Capabilities are pre-decisional drafts, and FEMA is seeking input from LLIS.gov members, the user community, national associations, and other relevant audiences prior to initiating a formal review and approval process. The review of these four Target Capabilities will take place from February 19 through March 20, 2009.
To view and comment on these draft documents, please log onto LLIS.gov and click on "Updated Target Capabilities" under NEW LLIS.GOV CONTENT. For more information, contact the FEMA project team at TCL@dhs.gov.
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| FEMA Office of Preparedness Policy, Planning, and Analysis |
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New Resource Pages on LLIS.gov
FEMA's Office of Preparedness Policy, Planning, and Analysis (PPPA) strengthens national preparedness by leading special initiatives, directing preparedness policy planning efforts, and analyzing policy and program results within the scope of the National Preparedness Directorate?s mission. The PPPA Resource Page on LLIS.gov includes information about each of the three PPPA branches: Planning, Policy, and Assessments. LLIS.gov also features a page for the Assessments Branch, which includes details about the Comprehensive Assessment System and the State Preparedness Reports. These pages can be accessed through the Partners section of the LLIS.gov homepage.
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| National Red Cross Month |
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Honoring the American Red Cross
March is National Red Cross month, a time to remember and honor the important work of the Red Cross. Because of the essential role the American Red Cross plays in disaster recovery, LLIS.gov would like to highlight the documents below. These are just a fraction of documents on LLIS.gov related to the American Red Cross and its tireless dedication to helping citizens and jurisdictions in need.
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| New LLIS.gov Brochure |
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Available on LLIS.gov
LLIS.gov is proud to release its updated tri-fold brochure. Available on the Outreach page and intended for informational and outreach purposes, the brochure can be easily downloaded and printed from your own computer. If you would like LLIS.gov to send brochures to your office or to an event, please contact outreach@llis.dhs.gov.
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| Terms of Service |
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Agreement Update
As part of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) continuing commitment to information security, LLIS.gov is currently undergoing security enhancements to comply with the DHS Certification and Accreditation (C&A) process. The C&A process is a systematic procedure for evaluating, describing, testing, and authorizing systems for operation in a production environment. Together, these activities help to ensure DHS information technology assets and data are protected and secure.
In order to comply with C&A requirements, LLIS.gov will begin implementing a policy of asking all members to agree to the Terms of Service once per year. Beginning March 5, 2009, members with accounts over one year old will be asked to verify agreement with the Terms of Service upon logging into LLIS.gov. Members with newer accounts will be asked to agree on their membership anniversary. This will not affect any other portions of the site. If you have any questions, please contact the HelpDesk at help@llis.dhs.gov.
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| New LLIS.gov Original Content |
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The LLIS.gov Team continues to post new Lessons Learned, Best Practices, Practice Notes, and Good Stories to the system on a regular basis. Weekly updates about new original content can be found in the NEW LLIS.GOV CONTENT box on the homepage of LLIS.gov. LLIS.gov recently posted the following original content documents:
Lessons Learned
- Agent Confirmation and Hazard Area Identification: Formally Defined Information Flow Processes (Top Officials 3 Full-Scale Exercise, 2005)
The lack of a formally defined information flow process from the incident site resulted in premature public messages and decision making about the identity of the chemical agent.
- Campus Emergency Response: Employing a Media Liaison to Manage Media Requests (Virginia Tech Shootings, 2007)
Higher education institutions should ensure that a media liaison is available during major
incidents on campus. This person should be responsible for managing media requests and
for helping to shield victim survivors and their families from the media.
- Emergency Response Operations under a Unified Command: Understanding Scope of Responsibilities (Top Officials 3 Full-Scale Exercise, 2005)
The unified command?s scope of responsibilities was not clearly understood.
- Incident Management: Predesignating Facilities to Serve as Potential Local Assistance Centers (San Diego Wildfires, 2007)
Jurisdictions should consider predesignating facilities that could function as local assistance centers during and after incidents.
- Information Sharing: Stovepiping of Information Systems within Agencies and Response Communities (Top Officials 3 Full-Scale Exercise, 2005)
Information systems used in the Top Officials 3 full-scale exercise were largely stovepiped within agencies and/or response communities.
- Information Sharing: Uniform Reporting Guidelines and Establishing Procedures for Validating Information (Top Officials 3 Full-Scale Exercise, 2005)
The vast number of operating centers negatively affected information sharing by increasing the scope and complexity of the problem.
- Occupational Safety and Health: Firefighter Safety While Wearing Personal Protective Equipment (I-35W Bridge Collapse and Response, 2008)
Firefighters should avoid wearing structural firefighting gear in or near standing or moving water. Structural firefighting gear can weigh firefighters down and make it difficult for them to exit the water safely.
- Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Alternate Care Site Roles and Responsibilities (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals/Office of Public Health Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercise Series, 2007)
State public health departments should engage hospital and mass care partners to clarify roles and responsibilities for establishing and operating alternate care sites during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
- Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Establishing Clear Guidance for School Closure (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals/Office of Public Health Pandemic Influenza Tabletop Exercise Series, 2007)
State public health and education departments should collaborate to establish clear plans and policy guidance regarding school closure recommendations during a pandemic influenza outbreak.
- Strategic National Stockpile and Points of Dispensing: Limitations in the Use of Fixed Sites to Deliver Prophylaxis (Top Officials 3 Full-Scale Exercise, 2005)
The use of fixed distribution sites as the sole approach to providing prophylaxis for a large number (millions) of people may be impractical. Some combination of fixed sites and other means of distribution could be necessary to reach a large number of people.
- Strategic National Stockpile and Points of Dispensing: Pre-Planning and Integrated Response (Top Officials 3 Full-Scale Exercise, 2005)
The plan to provide mass prophylaxis to New Jersey residents evolved during the course of the Top Officals 3 full-scale exercise and did not appear to reflect a pre-planned and carefully integrated federal and state response.
Good Story
- Los Angeles County, California, Department of Health's Weapons of Mass Destruction Technical Advisory Group
The Los Angeles County, California, Department of Public Health partnered with the
Federal Bureau of Investigation Los Angeles Field Office to develop and launch the
Weapons of Mass Destruction Technical Advisory Group. The group serves as
an early detection mechanism for public health and law enforcement personnel to share and
mutually assess health and medical information that may have a nexus to terrorism or may
suggest an emerging terror threat.
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| LLIS.gov Outreach |
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The LLIS.gov team travels around the country speaking and exhibiting at conferences and events. Representatives of LLIS.gov are scheduled to speak at, exhibit during, or attend the upcoming events below.
- 04 ? 06 March : National Emergency Management Summit (Washington, DC)
- 10 ? 12 March: National Fusion Center Conference (Kansas City, MO)
- 11 ? 12 March: GovSec and US Law Conference and Exposition (Washington, DC)
- 25 March: Maryland Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council Plenary Body (Hyattsville, MD)
If you would like to request an LLIS.gov presentation at your next event, please email the Outreach Team at outreach@llis.dhs.gov. For more information, please visit the LLIS.gov Outreach page.
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