InfoGram

August 5, 2004

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.

ESS CIP Reminders

Increased concerns have been publicized during the past couple of weeks about terrorist threats to the financial and transportation sectors of the nation. However, most security experts consider it necessary for all other critical infrastructure sectors to raise their vigilance and preparation during this period of increased risk lasting at least through the Presidential Inauguration on January 20, 2005. Security specialists substantiate that a terrorist attack on one critical infrastructure sector will have cascading effects on most other sectors of the country.

First responders of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) have abundantly experienced that a natural or man-made attack on any one sector will inevitably affect the ESS. These lessons continually reinforce the requirement for ESS organizations to protect their personnel, physical assets, and communication/cyber systems in order to guarantee their uninterrupted "response-ability." Recognizing that terrorists may attempt to incapacitate or destroy ESS capabilities as part of their strategy, the EMR-ISAC offers the following fundamental critical infrastructure protection (CIP) measures as reminders for all emergency departments:

• Watch for individuals who may be conducting surveillance of response operations.
• Guard against anyone attempting to infiltrate routine or emergency operations.
• Ensure the identity and purpose of those seeking employment or visitation.
• Deter those who appear lost, disoriented, or showing uncommon interest.
• Prevent admittance to anyone who is unannounced, unscheduled, or not anticipated.
• Stop the theft of official identification, credentials, documents, uniforms, vehicles, etc.
• Prohibit unauthorized access to plans, SOPs, blueprints, alarm systems and schematics.
• Thwart unauthorized access to generators, vehicles, and other life safety systems.
• Screen both announced and unannounced arriving mail and packages.
• Lock all unoccupied facilities, and even the occupied ones where practicable.

Power Outages Degrade CIP

Power outages in the United States this summer have already begun to degrade the critical infrastructures upon with first responders depend for successful emergency operations. Therefore, prudence dictates that susceptible communities evaluate their blackout vulnerabilities in comparison with the consequences of recent outages. The major lessons-learned from the events of the past few weeks in several states are summarized by the EMR-ISAC as follows:

• The extraordinary volume of calls to 9-1-1 created tremendous backlogs.
• Responses and dispatches to 9-1-1 callers were delayed.
• Many computer-assisted dispatch (CAD) systems stopped working.
• Some locations did not have functional backup communication systems.
• Generators at some locations were either not available or not functioning.
• Water pumps could not spread water through local systems.
• Backup power was unavailable at some locations to keep water pumps operating.

Highway Safety Training

The Pennsylvania State Fire Academy developed two courses designed to assist all responders in protecting their own safety while meeting the public need for rapid, safe restoration of normal traffic flow. The EMR-ISAC reminds members of the ESS that personnel are foremost among the critical infrastructures of emergency departments and agencies.

The first course, Pennsylvania Highway Incident Management - A Multi-Agency Approach, is a five-hour program that fosters interagency cooperation by teaching management and command-level persons the Unified Incident Command System to manage highway incidents. The perceptions, capabilities, and limitations of law enforcement, fire, rescue, EMS, and transportation agencies are reviewed and discussed, areas of potential interagency conflict are examined, and potential solutions devised. The course is team-taught by instructors representing at least two of the various disciplines involved in highway incident response. Jurisdictions interested in using the lesson plans for this course can request a CD of the course by contacting the PA State Fire Academy at the phone number seen below.

The second course, Highway Incident Scene Safety and Traffic Control (HSTC), is a 16-hour course developed with major fire service input. It teaches both command and operations personnel the knowledge and skills needed to recognize the hazards, make effective risk versus benefits assessments, and use a "no-frills" sign and warning device package (easily transportable on one or two existing emergency vehicles) to provide early warning to motorists and high visibility to responders and their activities. Procedures are taught that allow responders to work in close proximity to controlled moving traffic with an acceptable degree of safety. Because this course is "hands-on," the PA State Fire Academy can arrange to lend an instructor to provide train-the-trainer instruction, if the requesting agency will pay the instructor's travel expenses.

To request a CD of Pennsylvania's highway incident management course, or to discuss train-the-trainer arrangements for the highway incident scene safety and traffic control course, contact State Fire Academy Administrator Tim Dunkle at (717) 248-1115.

Highway Responder Video

The Emergency Responder Safety Institute, host of the ResponderSafety.com website, working with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, has announced the availability of the Institute's free videotape, "The Ten Cones of Highway Safety."

The Institute is committed to reducing deaths and injuries to America's emergency responders, who are a national critical infrastructure.

The video is available at no charge to training officials of fire/EMS and law enforcement departments. Advanced training materials designed to supplement the initial awareness-level program is nearing completion.