InfoGram

InfoGram November 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 infrastructures. For further information please contact the U.S. Fire Administration's Critical Infrastructure Protection Information Center at (301) 447-1325 or email at usfacipc@dhs.gov.

Emergency Preparedness for Schools and Colleges

Although not a community critical infrastructure, schools and colleges are, nevertheless, key assets that directly influence the life and realities of those municipalities having them. Whether elementary, secondary, or post-secondary, these local educational institutions should be encouraged to review their levels of security, safety, and preparedness for catastrophic events. Those schools and colleges that genuinely do so may find that, despite their existing plans, they do not possess the expertise to determine exactly what must be done to ensure substantial readiness for incapacitating deliberate or accidental attacks affecting students, faculty, and campus facilities.

The leaders of the community emergency response sector (including emergency managers and the local emergency planning committees) can provide reliable planning and rehearsal guidanceto the administrators of local teaching institutions. Therefore, the CIPIC suggests that community leaders (especially the chief officers of emergency first responders) offer their encouragement and assistance to these learning centers as they develop emergency response and management plans that consider current threat conditions. Such plans usually include communication links and provisions, alternative power and water sources, essential rescue equipment, pupil and faculty sheltering procedures, local municipal support arrangements, etc.

Among the most important things to be accomplished in this joint endeavor will be the complete integration of the school's plans with the emergency plans of the community in which the teaching establishment resides. The tremendous value of coordinating and integrating the emergency plans of local key assets with community emergency management and response plans cannot be over-emphasized.

Focusing on Hometown Security

The Harvard University School of Government recently published its recommendations for state and local domestic preparedness planning. According to the authors, the document was "designed to spur federal, state, and local officials to work together to ensure that the first line of defense on the home front is not forgotten." To that end, the report "focuses attention on the most urgent local and state needs and offers a blueprint for taking the kind of action that would address them." Summarized from this report, the following points offer simple, but meaningful measures that state and local governments can take to better prepare their own localities:

• Avoid the problem of two-hats. The accomplishment of critical tasks in crisis situations is often hampered by essential personnel (e.g., chief officers of first responders) who have multiple functions and responsibilities.
  
• Involve local mental health personnel. It is important to consider the mental health of rescue workers and citizens. Psychologists recommend crafting roles for victims and bystanders, such as letting them volunteer to assist aid workers. This action gives individuals a sense of control over a traumatic situation.
  
• Look beyond the Centers for Disease Control. Both within and between states, operational teams can be formed with appropriate public health and safety officials to evaluate prevention initiatives and pursue time-restrained and cost-efficient measures.
  
• Rely on the neighborhood police. Local police routinely practice community policing skills to become better engaged with the people they protect. They are an excellent municipal resource in the prevention of future terrorist attacks.
  
• Engage hometown CEOs. Outstanding domestic preparedness will link first responders with the corporate heads of security for planning and mutual support.
  
• Work together as a region. Regional cooperation has become a financial necessity. Local jurisdictions usually find that working across boundaries will lower the costs of homeland security and infrastructure protection.
  
• Consider the National Guard. Each state's National Guard may have capabilities and capacities that can bolster local and state protection or response efforts.
  
• Educate the local media. Local media can play a key role in defining the particular threat for a community as well as publicize steps to prepare for it.
  
• Do not specialize, instead generalize. Domestic preparedness and infrastructure protection are enhanced and sustainable when jurisdictions concentrate less on terrorism specialties and more on a general all-hazards approach.

Sniper Attacks: A New Vulnerability?

National media sources reported that the U.S. intelligence net heard terrorists talking favorably about the October sniper attacks in the Washington, DC area. Now some security experts admit they are worried that these recent sniper incidents sent a message to terrorists about less complicated ways to attack American leaders and people. "This has no doubt given ideas to terrorists," said one FBI official, "and it has raised fears that extremist groups will soon deploy snipers to our cities."

"Terrorists in general engage in cross-group learning," explained another official. "They take note of how we react to calamities to determine what is effective in paralyzing the public with fear and uncertainty." He continued: "the easier and cheaper sniper attacks demonstrated to terrorists that ‘small-level operations' can have enormous effect as well." Given the additional fact that sniper training is contained in the al Qaeda training manuals found at former terrorist training camps, several terrorism experts predict sniper killings will become part of the terrorists' modus operandi.

The CIPIC considers the potential for future sniper attacks a vulnerability to the survivability, operations, and success of emergency first responders. The CIPIC further opines that it is appropriate and timely for chief officers to increase efforts to strengthen force protection capabilities of the emergency services. If it is possible that firefighters and emergency medical technicians may become deliberate attack targets, then personnel and equipment should be available to protect them while performing their duties to save lives and property.

NIPC Information Bulletin

The following information has been extracted and abridged from the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) Information Bulletin 02-009, dated 6 November 2002:

The Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins on 6 November and continues to 5 December 2002. A period of reflection and spiritual discipline, Ramadan is observed by Muslims around the world, including those in the United States. Al Qaeda and sympathetic jihadists may view Ramadan as having religious incentives and symbolic and operational advantages for conducting terrorist attacks. Nonspecific intelligence reporting also indicates al Qaeda may strike this Ramadan. Information indicates that al Qaeda appears increasingly willing to grant lower-level operatives greater autonomy and to rely on local jihadists—groups that may be more likely to time attacks to symbolic dates and events.

Recipients of this bulletin should remain alert to possible attacks throughout the Ramadan time period. However, due in part to the lack of specificity of method, location, and timing, the Homeland Security Advisory System threat level will remain at YELLOW (Elevated) until further notice.

The NIPC encourages individuals to report information concerning suspicious activity to their local FBI office, the NIPC, or to other appropriate authorities. Individuals can contact the NIPC Watch and Warning Unit at 202-323-3205, toll free at 1-888-585-9078, or by email to nipc.watch@fbi.gov.