InfoGram

March 27, 2003

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.

Suspicious Activities and Surveillance

The CIPIC received a report that three adults of Middle Eastern appearance from within a vehicle were taking photographs of a county fire and rescue station on the afternoon of 26 March. An observant station lieutenant quickly approached the automobile and questioned the occupants. After indicating only that they needed no assistance, the vehicle departed the area. Moments later the fire/rescue officer contacted local authorities and the CIPIC to provide an accurate description of the car, its license plate number, and the suspicious individuals. Given excellent information by the lieutenant, the regional FBI Field Office confirmed on 27 March that they are definitely investigating this event.

This InfoGram does not reveal where the incident occurred because the information is relevant to all personnel of the emergency response sector of the United States. Since suspicious activities are ongoing at many locations throughout the country, it should be sufficient to know that the actions of the lieutenant are exactly what are necessary to deter surveillance by potential adversaries and to proactively protect critical infrastructures.

Additionally, emergency first responders should be aware of and protect against the following surveillance practices traditionally used by adversary operatives:

• Observing general and specific security measures.
• Watching emergency responses including drills or exercises.
• Acting as tourists to collect information.
• Disguising as utility workers, road maintainers, etc.
• Making friends with emergency responders to glean data.

Possible Infrastructure Degradation Tactics

Information acquired from recently seized al Qaeda documents reveal that terrorists have many ideas regarding how to degrade or destroy critical infrastructures, especially the foremost among them: leaders of the public and private sectors. This week, the FBI warned its field agents that terrorists might try to "poison their targets with a milk container or paint can containing cyanide or chlorine gas." Their bulletin said the weapon "could be made with easily available items with little or no training to assemble and deploy it near air intake or ventilation systems, in enclosed spaces, or in crowded areas."

The FBI also recommends that first responders "rethink the way they would respond to and manage emergency incidents" considering the potential for "double-bomb threats." They caution that conventional strategies of "swarming a scene with firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel" should be revised amid the heightened awareness of the possibility of secondary threats. Terrorism experts fear that the double-bomb scenario is very likely as the war with Iraq escalates.

On a related matter, the CIPIC advises that the recent propane tank thefts in the United States may indicate another terrorist threat. The emergency response sector should be aware that between December and the present, small and large quantities of propane canisters have been stolen. Captured documents also indicate that al Qaeda or other terrorist groups may plan an attack using propane based improvised explosive devices. Terrorist organizations and criminal elements have occasionally used this tactic in the past.

Homegrown Radicals Threaten Critical Infrastructures

The CIPIC reminds members of the emergency response sector that sleeper cells of al Qaeda are not the only man-made threats to American critical infrastructures. Homegrown anarchists continue to demonstrate that they are deadly serious about undermining national security and stability through violent attacks against key people, physical assets, and cyber systems.

In a manifesto published last week, according to the 24 March edition of The Washington Times, "Craig Rosebraugh called on his antiwar troops to take 'direct action' against American military establishments, urban centers, corporations, government buildings, and media outlets." Mr. Rosebraugh's guerrilla group has claimed responsibility for multiple incidents of arson and vandalism, causing millions of dollars worth of destruction. Now he has urged his radical followers to "ditch pointless protests and wage outright acts of terror by any means necessary."

Rosebraugh's rally cry or manifesto to his dangerous extremists promoted the hateful activities summarized as follows:

• Attack the financial centers of the country.
• Conduct large-scale urban rioting.
• Shut down the national media centers.
• Spread the battle to the heads of U.S. government and corporations.
• Target U.S. military facilities.
• Disrupt the American political system, economy, and services.

Retired Personnel for Infrastructure Protection

Although not really a new idea, the CIPIC proposes that chief officers consider using capable, healthy retired fire/EMS personnel to serve-without pay-as a reserve platoon to bolster a department's critical infrastructure protection in the event of an emergency. Doing this can provide access to a source of personnel who still have essential emergency response skills and abilities. The reserve platoon could be engaged, for example, to guard department facilities, apparatus, and equipment either at the home station or at the scene of an incident not involving weapons of mass destruction. Reserve platoon members would be especially suitable to perform administrative, logistics, dispatch, and planning functions.

It is understood that injury liability and union issues would have to be resolved prior to the implementation of this initiative. However, with the shortage of personnel assets in most departments, this effort could prove to be a sensible, cost-effective, community approach. Reserve platoon members can relieve active-duty personnel for tasks requiring current training and personal preparedness, while simultaneously ensuring assistance in other crucial areas such as infrastructure protection during emergencies. Furthermore, this approach is certainly consistent with the intent of the National Citizen Corps Program.