June 2, 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.
Recognizing the multitude of threats from man-made and natural causes, critical infrastructure owners and operators are adapting and improvising with fewer and fewer resources to ensure survivability and continuity of operations. Nobody understands this better than the decision-makers of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) who must overcome serious shortages and frequent obstacles to effective critical infrastructure protection (CIP).
Numerous ESS organizations initiated proactive adjustments to compensate for scarce resources and to improve their preparedness for potential infrastructure disruptions. Several of these emergency departments and agencies explained that their actions required some time, few personnel, very little money, and only available materials. Over a period of many months, the EMR-ISAC reviewed and assembled the most commonly reported adaptations.
In the spirit of information sharing, the EMR-ISAC offers the following recommended activities for ESS senior leaders who establish attitudes and implement the behaviors that protect critical infrastructures:
Homeland Security Presidential Directive-7 designated the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) as a national critical infrastructure. Logically, ESS personnel are foremost among the internal critical infrastructures of emergency organizations. Nevertheless, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation reports there have been almost 50 line-of-duty firefighter deaths related to an emergency incident or mandated training during the first four months of 2005. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC is pleased to announce that in partnership with at least 13 fire service organizations, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) has called for all fire departments nationwide to conduct a "stand down" for firefighter safety beginning Tuesday, 21 June.
The IAFC and its partners urge all fire departments throughout the country to suspend non-emergency activity on 21 June and instead focus entirely on firefighter safety. This is NOT a stoppage of emergency firefighting activities, but a specific concentration on injury and death prevention while on duty during the stand down. Career or combination departments are requested to stand down beginning Tuesday, 21 June, until all personnel and duty nights have been covered. Volunteer departments are requested to conduct a special safety meeting the evening of 21 June or as near to that date as possible.
"We are conducting the stand down to raise awareness of the need for increased vigilance toward firefighter safety," said IAFC President Chief Bob DiPoli. "Take the 21st to talk about the causes of line-of-duty deaths; check all apparatus and equipment; discuss health and safety regulations; review fire ground safety issues; and take stock of training exercises and fitness goals." An entire webpage has been devoted to this important issue. Click on the following link and use the resources contained within to plan activities for the stand down: http://www.iafc.org/standdown.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently released a new, Web-based tool designed to help local, regional, and state planners compile customized inventories of health care and emergency resources. The no-cost tool prepares emergency planners to assess their regional supply of critical resources, prepare for incident response, estimate gaps, and support future resource investment decisions.
The Emergency Preparedness Resource Inventory software helps first responders evaluate where emergency equipment and medicines are located, how much is available, and whom to contact to obtain those resources. Developed for AHRQ's Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness Program, the tool has been pilot-tested in an eight-county rural region with the support of county commissioners and emergency managers. According to AHRQ Director, Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D., "This tool helps communities prepare for and cope with potential emergency events by helping them identify gaps in their supply inventories. Communities can review their resources and ensure that they are prepared for any emergency."
The Emergency Preparedness Resource Inventory software tool and accompanying supporting documents are online at the following URL: http://www.ahrq.gov/research/epri. Information about more than 50 emergency-related studies, workshops, conferences, and other activities to help hospitals and health care systems organize for medical emergencies can be seen at http://www.ahrq.gov/browse/bioterbr.htm.
First responders can now take two new Incident Command System (ICS) courses online through FEMA's Virtual Campus, as well as take advantage of a new hazardous materials independent study course.
The two ICS courses were developed jointly by FEMA's U.S. Fire Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). Both integrate the National Incident Management System (NIMS) requirements and are the first in a series of ICS courses developed in web-based and blended-learning format to meet all-hazards, all-agency NIMS ICS requirements for operational personnel.
Q-462, Introduction to All-Hazards NIMS ICS for Operational First Responders, and Q-463, Basic All-Hazards NIMS ICS for Operational First Responders, are web-based, self-study, and interactive programs. Q-462 is equivalent to NWCG I-100; Q-463 is equivalent to NWCG I-200. Both can be found at http://www.training.fema.gov/. Click on Online Training (NETC Virtual Campus) on the upper left.
The recently released Independent Study (IS) 5, an Introduction to Hazardous Materials (HazMat), is an awareness-level course that includes information about the roles of all levels of government in reducing HazMat risks through health and environmental regulations. This program discusses: the two major HazMat identification systems in use in the U.S., the use of chemicals as weapons, basic terms, potential health effects, and the interpretation of Material Safety Data Sheets. The course can be accessed at http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp.
The U.S. Fire Administration/EMR-ISAC does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites, and does not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
This INFOGRAM may contain copyrighted material that was not specifically authorized by the copyright owner. EMR-ISAC personnel believe this constitutes "fair use" of copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use copyrighted material contained within this document for your own purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
DHS and the FBI encourage recipients of this document to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to DHS and/or the FBI. The DHS National Operation Center (NOC) can be reached by telephone at 202-282-9685 or by email at NOC.Fusion@dhs.gov.
The FBI regional phone numbers can be found online at www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
For information affecting the private sector and critical infrastructure, contact the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC), a sub-element of the NOC. The NICC can be reached by telephone at 202-282-9201 or by email at NICC@dhs.gov.
When available, each report submitted should include the date, time, location, type of activity, number of people and type of equipment used for the activity, the name of the submitting company or organization, and a designated point of contact.
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