InfoGram

September 5, 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.

Panic: An Infrastructure Vulnerability

According to the Penguin Dictionary of Psychology, panic is a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by various and, sometimes, extreme symptoms and behaviors. In modern history, panic, particularly on a large scale, has had devastating consequences for people and infrastructures. Such is why mass panic is a confirmed terrorist goal; it is the root of what terrorism is all about. It is also why terrorism experts believe that American critical infrastructures are dangerously vulnerable to panic in future terror attacks.

These experts fear the best efforts of government officials will fail to assure people they are safe after the next terrorist incident. They have expressed concerns that rising tensions and wild rumors could induce widespread public panic. As local authorities plead for calm, violence and looting may occur, highways may clog with fleeing people, hospitals might be overwhelmed by patients with real or imagined symptoms, etc. Civil leaders at every level may have to struggle against the oldest human survival mechanism: the cascade of powerful hormones that stimulate the body to action while suppressing reason and logic. Experience indicates that citizens will follow instructions just as long as everybody else does, too!

Analysts have found that two crucial actions can help prevent public panic: giving people fast and credible information, and giving people something to do, allowing them even an illusion of control. The CIPIC recommends that chief officers of emergency first responders consider these findings when revising incident response plans. Preparedness for the "panic variable" will ensure the protection of the critical infrastructures of first responders as well as their continuity of operations. The abatement of mass panic by the information and actions of first responders will additionally enhance the protection of vital community infrastructures.

The Incident Command System (ICS): An Infrastructure Multiplier

Various studies substantiate the importance for states, counties, and municipalities to adopt a single incident command system to integrate the leadership of multiple agencies, particularly those of emergency responders. During incident mitigation and consequence management, any degree of disorganization or confusion resulting from nonintegrated command and control issues will potentially exacerbate matters and further degrade affected infrastructures.

These same studies reveal that all emergency first responders can no longer afford an approach to incident command that allows for diverse and disparate command systems scattered throughout various counties and municipalities. Therefore, infrastructure security specialists support "unified command" as an essential element of the protection of the critical infrastructures of the fire, police, and emergency medical services. Hence, local officials and chief officers should be thoroughly trained in a uniform system that best meets the incident command needs throughout the state.

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) component of FEMA has adopted the FIRESCOPE Incident Command System (ICS) as its base for teaching the concepts of incident command. The ICS is recognized by USFA as a system that is documented and successfully tested in managing resources during operations.

Protecting Personnel from Identity Thieves

Identity theft continues to be a potential problem for emergency first responders and their spouses. This rapidly growing crime affecting over 700,000 Americans each year occurs when someone uses another person's identifying information to commit fraud or other unlawful activities, such as opening a credit card account in another person's name, withdrawing funds from another person's account, and even buying houses and cars under their assumed identities.

A relatively new identity theft scam involves a cover letter from a bank and a "doctored" Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form. One of the phony forms is numbered W-9095 and titled "Application Form for Certificate Status/Ownership for Withholding Tax." It mimics the genuine IRS Form W-9, "Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification". In addition to seeking the consumer's name, address, and social security number, the sham form asks for very detailed financial information, including bank account numbers, passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), and also a mother's maiden name. The IRS has received numerous complaints from around the country regarding this scam. They urge that anyone receiving this solicitation not respond, but, instead, call the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

It takes considerable time and effort to correct the credit and other personal records of identity theft victims. Therefore, emergency fist responders must be educated to always protect their social security number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, telephone calling card numbers, and other personal data. Sometimes it is important to even withhold one's name!

There are three basic actions that should be taken by victims of identity theft. First, the identity theft should immediately be reported to the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus. Victims should obtain a copy of their credit report and review it closely to make sure that no additional fraudulent accounts were opened in their name or unauthorized changes made to existing accounts. Credit reporting agencies should also be asked to place a fraud alert in the file, as well as a victim's statement asking creditors to call before opening any new accounts.

Second, for any accounts that have been fraudulently accessed or opened, victims should contact the security department of the appropriate creditors or financial institutions. Third, victims should file a report with the local police department. Be certain to obtain a copy of the police report in case the credit card company, the bank, or others involved need proof of the crime.

Critical Infrastructure Protection Core Values

The CIPIC teaches that critical infrastructure protection (CIP) is chief officer business because it is appropriate and desirable for senior officers to make the tough decisions about what department assets really need protection by the application of scarce resources. The CIPIC also asserts that quality leadership enhances CIP, when and where it has been implemented. In other words, there are leadership traits that have become essential core values of infrastructure protection. When these traits or values are endorsed and exhibited, there is increased probability that CIP, where practiced, will be a caliber undertaking. As CIP core values are synonymous with quality leadership, they are listed below for the benefit of CIP practitioners: Loyalty
Enthusiasm
Altruism
Duty
Empathy
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Perseverance