InfoGram

December 8, 2005

NOTE: This InfoGram will be distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures. 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.

Interoperability + Regionalization Enhance CIP

Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) can be compared to the game of hockey. The team can make many terrific saves during the game, but the shot remembered most is the one that got by the goalie. So what does this have to do with CIP? Community leaders can successfully protect their critical infrastructures from all hazards, but the attack remembered most is the one that got through to degrade or destroy critical infrastructures upon which citizens depend for health, safety, and security.

The EMR-ISAC maintains that it is impossible to deter or thwart all attacks against critical infrastructures, despite the best efforts of communities and their first responders to prevent, protect, and mitigate the threat from all hazards. One "shot" (e.g., man-made or nature disaster) may get through sooner or later. It is probable that a single jurisdiction alone cannot prevent this from happening, and then effectively respond after it does.

The ability of different departments and agencies in a geographic region to work together before, during, and after a catastrophic incident provides significantly increased opportunities to "block the shot" that will incapacitate critical infrastructures. Specifically, superior interoperability means joint training, communications connectivity, integrated equipment, and common operating procedures by every organizational component within and among several municipalities of a given region. Such is why interoperability combined with regionalization enhances CIP.

While true interoperability applied on a regional level is seriously demanding and time consuming, it is an ideal that community leaders cannot afford to ignore. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC recommends commitment to small steps and continuous progress toward this immensely worthwhile goal. Absolutely everyone will benefit from this approach to CIP.

Family Well-Being: A CIP Issue

Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies have internal critical infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, communication/cyber systems) of which personnel are most important. Individual first responders have personal critical infrastructures of which family is most valuable. The natural disasters this year confirmed that the ability of emergency personnel to assure the welfare of their families before, during, and after major response operations enhances organizational "response-ability."

The EMR-ISAC reviewed an article on the topic of family well-being during disasters in the December 2005 International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Bulletin. It discussed the importance of family welfare checks when employees are expected to remain at work or report to work leaving family members behind. The author, Lyn Gross, laments that there are no existing measures or written procedures in many jurisdictions because of the infrequent need for them.

Considering the critical infrastructure protection (CIP), morale, and productivity issues associated with this matter, the EMR-ISAC summarizes the recommendations of Ms. Gross as seen in her article:

• Accept responsibility for collecting and maintaining personnel accountability and family welfare check information.
• Institute policies and procedures that specify call-back protocols for staff and/or requirements to call in and provide availability for work information.
• Designate a jurisdictional phone number for staff and family members to leave vital information as early as possible.
• Create and provide forms for personnel to record their emergency contact information including space for current location and future destinations during a disaster.
• Develop procedures to account for every on-duty employee and to relay information about an individual's well-being to family members.
• Establish a timeframe to begin welfare checks for any personnel and family members who are unaccounted for.

Operation Ranger Opens Grant Process

To help bolster their critical infrastructure protection efforts, Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations can apply for the award of Polaris Ranger 6x6 utility vehicles under a program that has provided nearly 200 off-road vehicles since 2003.

Operation Ranger will review applications from volunteer and career fire and rescue departments, police and sheriffs at the municipal, county, and state levels, EMS and ambulance companies, search and rescue departments, and municipal, county, and regional emergency management offices. The vehicles are awarded through a competitive application process, with award criteria outlined on the application form. Because the program is intended to help improve emergency response, the review committee looks closely at life-saving, property protection, and emergency personnel assistance roles. Elaborate presentations are unnecessary, although applicants can supplement the form with videotapes, CDs, DVDs, maps, and letters of endorsement.

Applications must be received no later than January 6, 2006 to be considered for an award next year. The person who submits the application must have the authorization of the organization for which the vehicle is sought. Successful applicants typically receive the vehicle within four to six weeks after notification of award.

Additional information on the vehicle's features is available at http://polarisindustries.com/en-us/Ranger/Models/Ranger6x6EFI. To request a hard copy of the application by telephone, call (203) 622-3368.

Gang Information Videoconference

The EMR-ISAC has been notified that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will air a two-hour videoconference on community response to youth gangs on January 11, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

The videoconference, which can be viewed via satellite or on the Internet, will feature community programs and strategies that address the problem of youth gangs, including leveraging resources, examples of partnerships across disciplines, innovations, and neighborhood efforts. Since first responders must protect their internal critical infrastructures as well as those of their community from gang warfare, the program could assist with these efforts as well as expand the gang information knowledge base of the Emergency Services Sector.

To acquire additional information, register, or to watch a trailer of the videoconference, visit http://trc.eku.edu/jj/conference.asp?confid=31.

Questions can be sent to gangsconference@aol.com.