InfoGram

February 7, 2002

NOTE: This InfoGram will be distributed weekly to provide members of the emergency services sector with news and information concerning the protection of their critical information systems. For further information please contact the U.S. Fire Administration's Critical Infrastructure Protection Information Center at (301) 447-1325 or email at usfacipc@fema.gov.

CIP: An Essential Part of Preparedness

Since last September, Americans have witnessed a flurry of emergency and terrorism preparedness actions along with some unprecedented spending. Many state and local governments have reassessed and rewritten their terrorism prevention and response plans. In some cities there has been increased training for events dealing with mass casualties, decontamination, and weapons of mass destruction. Although some security analysts write that cities are better prepared then five months ago, most experts maintain that it is too difficult to accurately determine how well any locality is prepared for disaster. A CNN.com panel recently found that there remains room for significant improvement in the protection of critical infrastructures and the public health.

Among all the important procedures or things involved in emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure protection (CIP) is possibly the most essential component. The protection of critical infrastructures pertains to the proactive activities for protecting the people, physical entities, and cyber systems that are indispensably necessary for survivability, continuity of operations, and mission success. CIP must be an integral part of preparedness because its purpose is to deter or mitigate attacks by people (e.g., terrorists, hackers, etc.), by nature (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.), and by HazMat accidents. Plainly stated, CIP is about protecting those invaluable assets that make life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness a national reality.

Community leaders, including those of emergency first responders, have the responsibility to decide which infrastructures must be protected. Scarce resources make these decisions somewhat complicated. How then, do fire or EMS chiefs determine the fewest infrastructures within their departments (and communities) that must receive the application of these scarce resources? The CIPIC recommends the implementation of the CIP process. This process is an analytical model or template to guide the systematic protection of truly critical infrastructures. More basically, it is a reliable decision sequence that assists leaders in ultimately determining exactly what really needs protection as well as when. The CIP process is a time and cost efficient approach to the infrastructure protection part of preparedness. Contact the CIPIC for more information about the CIP process: 301-447-1325; usfacipc@dhs.gov.

Water Infrastructure

Several popular news agencies recently reported that a computer belonging to an individual with links to Osama bin Laden had software programs used for studying the structural engineering of dams and water storage facilities. Given this information in addition to other indicators, it is reasonable to infer a plausible terrorist threat to water and wastewater systems.

Water industry officials indicate that attacks on their systems could interrupt the supply of water and reduce its quality through contamination. Supply interruptions can occur by the interference with or destruction of water reservoirs, storage towers, pumping stations, treatment plants, and distribution systems. Acts of contamination can occur at reservoirs, intake structures, treatment plants, or within distribution systems.

Proximity or access to prominent buildings is the main problem regarding wastewater systems. Sewers that run beneath or near highly populated structures, government facilities, airports, etc., could allow explosives or combustibles to be detonated close enough to create massive destruction and victimization.

Recognizing the tremendous dependence on fresh water for human survival, safety, and recreation, municipalities and private companies owning or operating water and wastewater systems should swiftly identify and eliminate existing vulnerabilities. The CIPIC advises Fire Chiefs to ensure availability of firefighting water by leading community efforts to apply the CIP process for the protection of critical water and wastewater systems.

Bioterrorism Preparedness

In an action directly affecting the emergency medical services, Secretary Tommy Thompson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, sent letters to governors detailing how much each state will receive of the $1.1 billion to help them strengthen their capacity to respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies resulting from terrorism. $200 million will be released immediately so state officials can begin planning and building the public health systems necessary to respond.

The funds will be used to develop comprehensive bioterrorism preparedness plans, upgrade infectious disease surveillance and investigation, enhance the readiness of the emergency medical services and hospital personnel to deal with large numbers of casualties, expand public health laboratory and communications capacities, and improve connectivity between hospitals and health departments to improve disease reporting. The funds come from the $2.9 billion bioterrorism appropriations bill that President Bush signed into law on 10 January.

"We're putting money in the hands of states and local communities so they can start building strong public health systems for responding to a bioterrorism attack," Secretary Thompson said. "These funds are just the start of our efforts to help states and communities to build up their core public health capabilities. We must do everything we can to ensure that America's ability to deal with bioterrorism is as strong as possible." Thompson said this investment would help improve the nation’s entire public health infrastructure and not just the response to bioterrorism. He also stated that each state should establish an advisory committee to include representatives from the fire and emergency medical services departments in addition to many others.

Communication Spectrum Sharing

The United States Department of Defense (DoD) released information earlier this week that it submitted a report to Congress regarding the feasibility of sharing the 138-144 MHz band with emergency first responders. A DoD Joint Spectrum Center engineering study identified ways spectrum sharing would be possible without interfering with DoD operations. While the 138-144 MHz band continues to be critical to DoD operations, the department has found it helpful in emergencies to share communication systems with first responders. According to a DoD spokesperson, "DoD is willing to work with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, state and local governments, and first responders on a case-by-case basis to explore sharing the band for the common good."

Center for Civil Force Protection

The National Institute of Justice announced that it is providing funding to Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to establish a Center for Civil Force Protection (CCFP). The CCFP will provide physical security assistance to bolster the counterterrorism and critical infrastructure protection programs of state and local law enforcement and fire/EMS agencies. While SNL itself would initially provide the bulk of assistance, the longer-term strategy is to form relationships with other organizations to make available their complimentary counterterrorism and CIP expertise. Requests for assistance from the CCFP are welcome and can be made at 888-577-4849.