InfoGram

May 29, 2003

NOTE: This InfoGram will be distributed weekly to provide members of the emergency management and response sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures. It has been prepared by NATEK Incorporated for the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate. For further information, contact the Emergency Management and Response - Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) at (301) 447-1325 or by email at emr-isac@fema.dhs.gov.

Planning and Training for Dam Breaks

Dams offer water to communities for home and industrial uses, firefighting, flood control, hydroelectric power, recreation, etc. The many functions dams provide make them an important part of local infrastructure-equal in importance to bridges and roads. However, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), "dams also represent one of the greatest risks to public safety, municipal and regional economies, and the environment." Historically, some of the largest disasters in the United States have resulted from dam failures.

ASCE disclosed that in the past two years more than 520 dam incidents, including 61 dam failures, were reported to the National Performance of Dams Program, which collects and archives information on dam performance as recounted by state and federal regulatory agencies and dam owners. In the past two weeks, national news sources described multiple dam bursts in North Carolina and Michigan. ASCE research substantiated that "most dam failures over the years occurred because of weather conditions as opposed to poor construction."

Despite the possible dangers "most people are not aware of the dams in their neighborhoods." In fact, "some developers and zoning officials are completely unaware of dams within their communities, and build in areas susceptible to damage should a dam fail." ASCE further communicated that "one-third of the localities with dams have plans laying out steps to take in event of a failure.

The CIPIC suggests the preparation of emergency action plans and training in those communities where a dam failure would cause the loss of life or probable disruption to the critical infrastructures of the emergency services. Emergency action planning and training is a major initiative of FEMA's National Dam Safety Program, from which many resources are available at the following URL: http://www.fema.gov/fima/damsafe/resources.shtm. Emergency plans can be as simple as preparing a list of names to call if it appears a dam may fail, including those of emergency managers and first responders. Coincidently, 31 May is National Dam Safety Awareness Day!

Preventing Disruptions to Critical Infrastructures

The fire and emergency medical services are a local critical infrastructure with controls over their own personnel, physical assets, and cyber systems. However, their survivability, continuity of operations, and mission success depend upon the 24/7 availability of other community critical infrastructures such as 9-1-1 Communication Centers, water, roads and highways, bridges and tunnels, etc. Therefore, the interdependency and concentrated nature of several municipal critical infrastructures could translate into profound disruptions of essential services for public safety, security, and health. In other words, all local critical infrastructures must be intact and operational for each one to perform its functions in service to citizens.

Given this reality, the CIPIC opines that when assessing the impact of the loss or degradation of a single critical infrastructure, community leaders-including those of emergency responders-should take a comprehensive approach to the complex network of critical infrastructures. This can be done by conducting a cross-infrastructure (e.g., public utilities, transportation, telecommunications, emergency services, etc.) analysis to determine which present the greatest risk of causing the cascading disruption or destruction of multiple infrastructures. Those identified through this analysis process are the crucial links in a community that must be the strongest to prevent mission failure by several local critical infrastructures.

To complement the process described above, the CIPIC offers the following thoughts:

• Take the initiative. Accept responsibility as a community leader to make things happen in the interest of your own personnel and mission as well as the general public.
• Understand the status of all local infrastructures. Be prepared to adjust to the strengths and weaknesses existing in each community infrastructure.
• Remember to study the big picture. Look beyond the immediate, individual advantages gained from infrastructure improvements to find the broader community benefits.
• Consider all the factors influencing infrastructure decisions. For example, building a new highway that displaces wetlands might be balanced against decreased traffic congestion, a reduction in air pollution, and greater mobility for emergency vehicles.
• Always think about the long-term outcomes. What is done to infrastructures in the near-term should ensure quality service for decades to come.
• Encourage continuous and timely repair and maintenance. Infrastructure facilities or assets kept in sound condition will prolong higher levels of service well into the future.

Evacuation Plans: A CIP Consideration

All emergency responders know the potential problems that crowds can cause at the scene of an incident. Consequently, many first response departments have plans or procedures to deal with people who gather to observe or disrupt the performance of duties. But what about the crowds of citizens trying to get away from a disastrous event? These people can easily congest the major roads and highways throughout a city, thereby blocking the expeditious movement of emergency vehicles.

The CIPIC proposes that the safe and rapid movement of people and their vehicles will require thorough coordination among the many agencies controlling the local and regional roads and transit systems. A team consisting of emergency managers, first responders, and transportation providers can effectively attend to the challenge of moving people in, around, and out of a crisis area. This team, perhaps a part of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, can draft a movement or evacuation strategy that answers the following key questions:

• What are options for moving or evacuating people around or out of a disaster site?
• Should citizens be put on mass transit assets for more rapid movement?
• What assets can be quickly assembled to move people?
• How much time is acceptable for removing citizens from harms way?
• Who will be responsible to make these decisions when an incident occurs?

Digital Broadcast Systems Can Bolster CIP

Several states have launched a digital broadcast system to serve as a communications network for regional and national homeland security preparedness. These homeland security networks use the digital spectrum allocated to public television stations and the established public television infrastructure to provide data to public safety agencies or to first responders.

According to an article by the National League of Cities, public television can establish regional and local homeland security public safety networks using existing wireless digital broadcast capabilities. This congestion free bandwidth can support closed and secure regional and local networks to enable city officials and emergency managers to transmit critical, time sensitive information to first responders and other personnel.

"Through datacasting-over the air broadcasting of data embedded within a digital television signal-mayors and emergency managers could send critical data to schools, offices, public safety and other local, state or federal locations." The data may be text, video, audio, graphs or maps. During an emergency situation, a public television station would receive secure data from an authorized source, such as the mayor, city manager or emergency manager. The station then inserts the information into its digital television transmission.

The Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) has additional details on this initiative for city officials and emergency managers who may be interested in developing a partnership with public television stations. For more information contact Lonna Thompson, APTS Associate Vice President, at 202-654-4215 or at lonna@apts.org.