March 16, 2006 InfoGram

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.

Pandemic Influenza Preparedness

According to PandemicFlu.gov, managed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Avian Flu is caused by influenza viruses occurring naturally among wild birds. Its H5N1 variant is deadly to birds and can be transmitted to humans. The website explains that if the disease also spreads easily from person to person, then a global outbreak or pandemic of severe illness is probable. This probability is an extraordinary issue that warrants the attention and activity of Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations nationwide.

The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) has seen estimates from credible sources that over a million Americans could die from an H5N1 pandemic, with millions more becoming seriously ill. Considering the potential for a flu pandemic, the ISAC urges all public and private components of the ESS, community stakeholders, business and industry, and educational institutions to acquire reliable information about this possible threat to the United States.

The EMR-ISAC specifically encourages community leaders and first responder departments and agencies to expedite their education regarding applicable planning procedures, preparedness activities, and preventive measures that should be taken to eliminate this threat or mitigate the consequences of a widespread flu outbreak. Dedicated pandemic influenza planning and preparedness could save the lives of emergency responders, the lives of many others, and prevent significant degradation of organizational continuity of operations and "response-ability."

The following are a sampling of public and private sources that can provide detailed flu pandemic information for planning purposes:

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov)
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (http://www.fda.gov)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (http://www.hhs.gov)
• U.S. Public Health Service (http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/pp/DHHSpresent)
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome)
• International Association of Fire Chiefs (http://www.iafc.org)
• International Association of Fire Fighters (http://www.iaff.org)
• National Volunteer Fire Council (http://www.nvfc.org)
• American Public Health Association (http://apha.org)
• Your State/Local Health Department and/or Emergency Services Agency

Ensuring Operational Continuity

Homeland Security Presidential Directive�7 (December 2003) reinforced the earlier Federal Government designation that the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) is a national critical infrastructure. This label officially acknowledges that the services performed by emergency departments and agencies are actually indispensable to the nation and its citizens. However, with this justifiable recognition of national significance comes the professional obligation to ensure that first responder organizations everywhere will accomplish mission essential tasks without disruption in an all-hazards environment.

It is a well-known fact that large numbers of emergency personnel (e.g., police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians) could not and did not report for duty during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They were among the thousands of victims deterred by water levels, washed-out bridges, etc. In many locations, these personnel shortages considerably minimized the capabilities of affected departments and, therefore, substantially degraded services to local citizens.

The EMR-ISAC recommends judicious planning now for uninterrupted continuity of operations with personnel shortages caused by an influenza pandemic or other major catastrophe. Thorough planning should concentrate on protecting the organization's personnel infrastructure to reduce these potential shortages. More importantly, quality preparedness activities will safeguard the essential services that emergency responders provide for the people within their respective jurisdictions.

Planning and preparedness actions that address probable personnel shortages will appreciably assist in meeting the expectation that first responders will perform vital duties during and after any man-made or natural disaster.

Reporting Suspicious Activity

The EMR-ISAC recommends continued heightened awareness with particular emphasis on immediately reporting any suspicious activity. Members of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) can help protect their organizational and community critical infrastructures by reporting unusual or irregular behavior. What first responders observe could be the missing piece of the puzzle needed to prevent a terrorist act. Antiterrorism specialists assert that alertness and vigilance will contribute to thwarting possible terrorist plans and operations.

Timeliness and accuracy of reporting are crucial to making a difference in the struggle against terrorism. At minimum, ESS personnel can use the five "W's," which are who, what, where, when, and why. Additionally, the EMR-ISAC offers the following CYMBALS mnemonic (i.e., memory aid) for reporting additional relevant information:

• C for vehicle color or person's hair, eyes, etc.
• Y for vehicle year or person's age.
• M for vehicle make and model or person's race and ethnicity.
• B for vehicle body type or person's build (e.g., height and weight).
• A for additional vehicle descriptive features or person's attire.
• L for vehicle license plates or person's special looks (e.g., tattoos, scars, beard, etc.)
• S for vehicle state of registration or person's sex.

Report suspicious activity as soon as possible to the local law enforcement agency, but also to the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC): Voice: 202-282-9201, Fax: 703-487-3570, E-Mail: nicc@dhs.gov.

Wildfire Attacks Begin

The Southwest United States has witnessed the early arrival of the annual wildland fire season. Already this year, wildland fires have swept across thousands of acres of dry landscape in Texas, injuring members of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS), killing civilians, destroying homes and ranches, and slaughtering livestock. In New Mexico, the ESS has lost equipment battling a wildfire of more than 100,000 acres.

Each year wildland fires excessively burden the personnel and equipment resources of emergency departments and agencies. In Texas alone, crews and aircraft were sent to more than 200 fires covering 191,000 acres in a 24-hour period. While the winter months typically contribute moisture to dampen the fire danger, many areas of the United States are now drier than usual. This dryness, coupled with the always expanding urban/wildland interface, will place significant demands on ESS critical infrastructures, particularly the personnel and physical assets.

The EMR-ISAC encourages sector leaders, whose organizations may be directly or indirectly affected by wildfires, to take advantage of the updated resources at the website of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) at http://www.nifc.gov. For example, the January 2006 edition of the Incident Response Pocket Guide (IRPG), and the "Red Book," aka Standards for Fire Operations, can be downloaded at the site. The NIFC Annual Wildland Fire Safety Training Refresher (WFSTAR), with its focus on line-going personnel safety, is also available with recent changes. WFSTAR can be viewed at http://www.nifc.gov/wfstar/index.htm, along with a list of "2006 Hot Topics" and new 2006 training materials, all available at no charge. Furthermore, the NIFC offers free training packages and videos.

Additional related materials can be found at the website of the National Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Program. New publications and reference materials for 2006 can be accessed at http://firewise.org/fw_index.htm.