InfoGram

December 22, 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.

Protecting Sensitive Emergency Services Information

Sensitive Emergency Services Sector (ESS) information generally consists of data about the personnel, equipment, structures, operations, plans, and training of emergency departments and agencies (e.g., fire, EMS, police, emergency management, and 9-1-1 call centers). Information of this type is particularly susceptible to adversary intelligence collection because it can be used to weaken or destroy the survivability, continuity, and response-ability of sector organizations.

The information that domestic and transnational terrorists need to disrupt or incapacitate emergency operations is exactly the information that must be protected. As a reminder to ESS decision makers, the following non-inclusive listing exemplifies the type of sector information that must be seriously considered for removal from websites, newsletters, bulletins, and other communication tools that could be accessed by those with malicious intentions:

• Personnel information
• Vendor information
• Detailed operational capabilities
• Contingency plans
• Standard operating procedures
• Communication modes
• HazMat training
• Response times and routes
• Personal protective equipment
• Automatic and mutual aid agreements

Life-Saving Information for First Responders

To bolster the resources available for Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies when planning for and responding to hazardous materials emergencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) created E-Plan.

Designed, built, and implemented specifically for the ESS, E-Plan sends emergency contact and hazardous materials information via the Internet to first responders at risk in emergencies, thereby providing immediate guidance. EPA Tier II reporting data, maps of the area surrounding fixed facilities, facility emergency response plans, facility diagrams and building floor plans, Risk Management Plans (RMPs), Material Safety Data Sheets, and federal area contingency plans are available immediately upon log-in. E-Plan covers 60,000 facilities in the 50 states and in four U.S. territories, and 21,000 unique chemicals, including WMD. The information is otherwise currently available mainly in paper form.

The EMR-ISAC notes that the first goal of E-Plan is to help ESS members protect themselves and avoid becoming casualties, which is foremost among critical infrastructure protection priorities. There is no charge to use E-Plan. For further information: http://eplannews.utdallas.edu/home.htm. To become an E-Plan user, an initial account request must be submitted by an Authorizing Authority for a city/county/region/state. Once an account is established, the responsible official has the authority to issue user names and passwords to first responders. They, in turn, become authorized users by using the E-Plan online registration and training program at http://eplan.erplan.net/training. Users report that the system is highly secure and requires minimal computer knowledge. A demo is available at: http://eplannews.utdallas.edu/docs/Hazmat%20Demo%20Site%20Instructions%20-%20Version%2012%20Updated1Sep2005.pdf.

Let the Buyer Beware

When Emergency Services Sector (ESS) leaders prepare to invest scarce dollars to acquire new equipment, they often have little information to support their buying decisions beyond that provided by the manufacturer. It is preferable that sector decision makers also access anecdotal information based on real-world applications.

The EMR-ISAC advises that part of critical infrastructure protection involves safeguarding the financial resources of the organization. Sharing and evaluating product information facilitates reliable cost comparisons, product quality assessments, satisfaction of actual equipment needs, etc. To help the ESS in this important endeavor, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sponsors the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) website. It is a source of impartial, practitioner-relevant and operationally oriented assessments and validations of emergency responder equipment to enable responsible authorities to better select, procure, use, and maintain their purchases.

Among the categories of items that can be studied based on operational, technical, and integrative assessments are decontamination and detection equipment, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), interoperable communications equipment, explosive device mitigation and remediation equipment, and CBRNE operational and search and rescue equipment.

To browse SAVER's assessment repository, visit http://saver.tamu.edu, or call (866) 674-3251 to make telephone inquiries.

Holiday Vigilance

As we gather with family and friends between 24 December and 2 January, Emergency Services Sector (ESS) leaders, owners, and operators are reminded that the critical infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, and communication/cyber systems) upon which our loved ones and citizens depend must remain intact and operational without incapacitation or destruction by deliberate, natural, or accidental causes. Therefore, during these holidays when our thoughts and attention turn to possible travel and celebrations, the EMR-ISAC recommends continued vigilance whenever and wherever to ensure survivability, continuity, and response-ability.

The staff of the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) wishes happiness and safety for all ESS personnel throughout the United States. It was an honor and pleasure to serve your CIP needs during this past calendar year, and we look forward to improving our outreach and services to the sector during 2006.

Please know that there will be no InfoGram published on 29 December. The next InfoGram will be dated 5 January 2006.