InfoGram

November 6, 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 information systems. It has been prepared by NATEK Incorporated for the US Fire Administration. 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.

Emotional Support for First Responders

Maintaining the mental health of first responders, who are foremost among an emergency department's critical infrastructures, is essential to the organization's continuity of operations. While researching infrastructure issues, the CIPIC learned about a relatively new volunteer, non-profit organization called "Hope Crisis Response," which uses "man's best friend" to "help rescue people emotionally," according to an article in National Geographic News.

The organization was founded in 1998 by Cindy Ehlers, who provided animal-assisted emotional assistance after a shooting at a high school in Oregon. Since then, teams of handlers and dogs have spent time at such incidents as Ground Zero in New York, San Bernardino County, California, last year, and, most recently, the historic wildfires in Southern California. In San Bernardino, the American Red Cross (ARC) invited the group as a way to help firefighters. A psychologist who works with Hope Crisis Response, Lois Abrams, commented in an article on the Disaster News Network, that the animals "provide a wonderful distraction for both responders and people affected by a disaster...exposing people to the animals can help prevent traumatic stress disorder." "I call them natural healers," Abrams said. Additionally, the National Geographic News article pointed out that, "studies have shown that physiological changes occur when people touch dogs: a drop in heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduced stress." In many instances, the dogs are able to break through the isolation that crisis and trauma can cause.

The group now has certified teams in three regions: Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington), Southern California, and Eastern (NJ, NY, VA, NC), as well as a team in Minnesota, all of which can be called out anywhere in the country. Hope Crisis Response workers pay their own way to disaster scenes or, in some cases, receive funds from the groups that request their service (e.g., ARC, FEMA). To be deployable, teams of handlers and dogs must have completed the organization's workshop and evaluation. To be eligible for the workshop, candidates must be registered and active with a recognized animal-assisted pet therapy organization, have a specified amount of experience, be currently affiliated with an emergency response agency (e.g., ARC Disaster Action Team, CERT, etc.) and be familiar with emergency response protocols.

Chief officers and emergency managers who desire more information about this support capability should contact the national headquarters, Richard Lowy, President, (503) 645-4649, email: hopecr-aaes@comcast.net.

More About the Mitigation Approach

An entry in last week's InfoGram (30 October) about mitigation and its relationship to critical infrastructure protection (CIP) stated that the identification and implementation of mitigation measures can deter or eliminate the short and long-term risks to critical infrastructures. The article implied that any steps by a community to become more disaster-resistant would yield direct benefits for their local critical infrastructures.

Recognizing that homeland security begins and ends with security at home, the CIPIC offers the following examples of mitigation measures that municipal leaders can consider to enhance preparedness and CIP. These initiatives were inspired by an article entitled "Preparing for the Worst," written by Roger Kemp, and published in the October 2003 Homeland Defense Journal.

• Promote building designs and construction techniques that improve occupant survivability and continuity of operations despite a natural or man-made disaster.
• Revise municipal, county, and state building codes for new critical infrastructure facilities (e.g., government buildings, public utilities, etc.) that make them less vulnerable to all hazards.
• Recommend physical alterations to existing critical infrastructure facilities to reduce their vulnerability to nature or deliberate attacks.
• Where physical modifications are not feasible, suggest the use of security guards, metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and other intrusion detection devices.
• Require formal building evacuation plans with evaluated rehearsals for all public structures, especially those that are critical infrastructures.
• Test and document the safest and fastest pedestrian and vehicular evacuation routes.

Grants with Benefits for Infrastructure Protection

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced this week the allocation of $2.22 billion dollars in grant money for state and local first responders. "This funding for the men and women on the front lines of the war on terrorism is essential. We do not underestimate the role that state and local governments play in protecting American citizens against the threat of terrorism," Secretary Ridge said in a statement. The $2.22 billion dollars will be distributed as part of three grant programs providing significant resources to the state and local governments in different areas. States are required to forward no less than 80% of their funding to local municipalities. The three programs are the State Homeland Security Program, the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program, and the Citizen Corps Grant Program.

The State Homeland Security Program will disburse $1.685 billion dollars to help state and local public safety and law enforcement personnel pay for planning, training, equipping, exercising, and other costs associated with enhancing the capabilities on a state and local level to prevent, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks. The Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program will distribute $500 million dollars to provide law enforcement communities with enhanced capabilities for detecting, deterring, disrupting, and preventing acts of terrorism with a specific focus on preventing weapon of mass destruction (WMD) incidents. Finally, the Citizen Corps Grant Program will dispense $35 million to support Citizen Corps Councils with planning, outreach, and management of Citizen Corps activities.

For the first time, each State Administrative Agency can apply for their state's allocated grants with one application form online, which streamlines the process for disseminating the funds through the state governments. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched an interagency grants and training website at www.dhs.gov/grants. The website provides information on homeland security and public safety grant opportunities offered by DHS and other federal departments.

Camera-Enabled Devices

Two devices have become readily available, affordable, and popular. The first is the widely advertised camera phone, which is a cellular telephone with a built-in camera. The second is the handheld personal digital assistant (PDA) with a built-in digital camera. Both items are made by several manufactures and can record and/or transmit high quality still photos. Unfortunately, our adversaries can easily use these camera-enabled instruments for excellent resolution intelligence collection by surreptitiously photographing facilities, security assets, documents, and individuals.

In most cases, this advanced technology will be employed for legitimate purposes. However, considering the potential threat these devices pose to the critical infrastructures of communities and their emergency response departments, words of caution are appropriate here. Therefore, CIPIC advises that all first responders be especially observant for possible suspicious or covert activities by persons carrying such devices. Furthermore, it should be understood that camera-equipped phones and PDA's can also violate personal identity and privacy matters.

Again, the CIPIC urges members of the emergency management and response sector to make credible reports of suspicious or covert activities to the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection (IAIP) Directorate by phone at 202-323-3204/3205/3206, or by email to nipc.watch@fbi.gov. In turn, the IAIP will provide the CIPIC with refined data for dissemination throughout the sector as exemplified in previous InfoGrams.