June 22, 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.

Independence Day Observances

Independence Day observances attract large groups of people at thousands of locations throughout the United States. Unsurprisingly, Fourth of July celebrations present an easy and attractive target for domestic and transnational terrorist factions planning an attack.

Although there may be no substantiated threats against this year's holiday revelry, community leaders must consider the probability of terrorism, criminal behavior, vandalism, confrontational tactics, demonstrations, service disruptions, etc. Local government officials and their emergency response organizations can capitalize on the few remaining days to guarantee that all critical infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, and communication/cyber systems) are sufficiently protected and prepared for any civil unrest, criminal violence, or terrorism that might occur during Independence Day merriment.

To ensure citizen safety and morale as well as successful Fourth of July festivities, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) offers the following brief reminders to bolster preparatory actions:

• Develop provisions to validate the identity of official personnel, guests, and vehicles that may be seen at or near planned gatherings.
• Become familiar with local first responder uniforms and vehicles, including those from mutual aid partners and other adjacent municipalities.
• Establish strict internal accountability for uniforms, accouterments, vehicles, operating devices, codes, and anything else that can be used by adversaries to "legitimize" their presence or to facilitate illicit acts.
• Reliably ascertain if there is any group (violent or non-violent) that plans to appear at local celebrations with or without a formally approved permit.
• Rehearse plans to professionally intercept and remove individuals or groups that unlawfully disrupt proceedings.
• Confirm the readiness of local stakeholders and mutual aid partners to execute emergency response plans if an attack or violence occurs.
• Reinforce the National Incident Management System and the Incident Command System.

Regional Disaster Resilience

In the 2 March InfoGram, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) discussed the initial release of the Guide for an Action Plan to Develop Regional Disaster Resilience, dated February 15, 2006, prepared by The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP). Last week, TISP announced the release of their final, enhanced product (Regional Disaster Resilience: A Guide for Developing an Action Plan) after an extensive external review by public and private stakeholders nationwide.

The Guide imparts a strategy "to develop the necessary level of preparedness for communities to manage major disasters in today's complex and interdependent world." It provides key definitions and a set of common assumptions that underpin regional disaster resilience. Using a simple, practical "how to" approach, this document lists 12 categories of typical needs based on lessons learned from previous disasters, both natural and man-made. The Guide also recommends short, medium, and long term activities to address the gaps in critical infrastructure protection. Its aim is to give users the ability to examine and leverage existing approaches, tools, and technologies, and to foster standardization across interdependent infrastructures and regions.

Because the Guide delivers ideas to assist with a quicker disaster recovery and earlier return to normal operations, the EMR-ISAC agrees that it is a quality source for complementing critical infrastructure protection with critical infrastructure resilience. A copy of this 36-page Guide can be seen and downloaded from the TISP Website. Send an email to tisp@tisp.org for a single hard copy.

Teamwork Focus of ESS Seminar

In its perpetual search for critical infrastructure protection lessons learned and best practices, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed an after-action article about a recent Emergency Services Sector (ESS) seminar in Florida attended by responders from 12 states.

Organized by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the seminar explained Florida's State Emergency Response Team (SERT), created after Hurricane Andrew struck the state in 1992. After the hurricane, emergency personnel realized that their response system was fragmented, so it was redesigned with the Emergency Management Division (EMD) at its core. The various state agencies branch out from the EMD to streamline the system, avoid duplicated efforts, enhance the efficiency of response activities, and ensure the protection of responders and continuity of their operations.

SERT is based on what emergency officials in Florida believe to be the most critical factor for successful response: teamwork. The SERT concept has been used effectively in 60 incidents since its inception. Before SERT's implementation, for example, Florida emergency responders (i.e., law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services) had to scramble for fuel; now all responders access a single, statewide fuel center route during natural disasters. Instead of sending multiple teams from the state, sheriff's offices, and fire departments, one commander now manages a unified search-and-rescue effort during floods.

The SERT's chief, Dave Halstead, describes the team as "state government at its best, where egos are left at the door and everyone works toward one mission."

The EMR-ISAC continues to recognize the value of all ESS organizations and allied professionals working as a team at every possible incident, recognizing that the ability to work together protects personnel and equipment assets and increases response-ability.

Summer Heat and the ESS

After examining a recent National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) study on Emergency Services Sector (ESS) training deaths, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) recognizes a need to address the dangers of this summer's heat.

According to the NFPA study of training deaths from 1996 to 2005, 30 firefighters died during physical fitness exercises. Of this number, 3 succumbed to heat stroke. In some cases, factors that contributed to the deaths included no rest or water for more than an hour during fitness exercises. Another was lack of acclimatization for conditioning in high heat and humidity. NFPA researchers write that "Firefighters deaths during training are particularly needless. The purpose of training is to prevent deaths and injuries-not be the cause of casualties."

Summer heat, especially a heat wave, endangers the survivability of emergency responders and the reliability of their operations. The physical and mental demands associated with firefighting and other emergency operations, coupled with high heat and humidity, create conditions that can adversely affect the health and safety of response personnel.

The EMR-ISAC encourages emergency organizations to review standards and guidelines written to protect personnel during training and operations in periods of high heat. Therefore, to promote the protection of the most critical of the infrastructures within the emergency services, the EMR-ISAC offers the following heat-injury prevention suggestions of Firefighter Scott Cook seen in FireRescue1.com:

• Drink water - all the time - to stay hydrated on and off the job.
• Rehabilitate often, particularly before any signs and symptoms of heat stress appear.
• During rehabilitation, remove gear and sit in shade or an air-conditioned area.
• Take advantage of any available misting fans.
• Look for places at the incident scene where rehab areas can be set up with the owner's permission, e.g., the garage of a neighboring home.
• Wear light-weight and lightly colored clothing when possible beneath any personal protective equipment.