July 20, 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.

Terrorists in America

According to public news sources such as Reuters, police officers have encountered a growing number of Islamic extremists operating in the urban and rural areas of the United States. Specifically, members of Hizballah and Jamaat ul Fuqra have been successful in recruiting new members at American mosques and prisons. During the past two decades, followers of these terrorist groups have been apprehended for drug running, human trafficking, weapon acquisitions, credit card and bank fraud, tax evasion, racketeering, money laundering, and terrorism financing.

Federal law enforcement officials are concerned that the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hizballah in Lebanon might cause a dangerous variation in the activities of terrorist groups within the U.S. Although there is no credible intelligence indicating that an attack is imminent, terrorism specialists have examined the probability that Hizballah and/or Jamaat ul Fuqra will perpetrate a major incident here if the situation in the Middle East continues to escalate.

Considering the increasing likelihood of a terrorist event in America, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) recommends national and international "situation awareness" by the leaders, owners, and operators of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS). Worsening conditions between Israel and Hizballah, including Syria and Iran, could instigate domestic incidents and necessitate the allocation of ESS critical infrastructures to protect involved communities. Because rural America is equally susceptible to an attack as urban areas, all ESS departments and agencies regardless of location must be prepared to respond and mitigate the consequences.

Personnel Availability

Countless Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies periodically analyze the all-hazard threats from the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) ultimate nightmare to the avian flu pandemic. The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) fully supports threat analysis as the second step of the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Process discussed in the article at the following link: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/subjects/emr-isac/what_is.shtm.

Genuine analysis efforts frequently enhance awareness of emerging threats and vulnerabilities, and provide the opportunity to improve plans for operational continuity. The EMR-ISAC suggests that personnel availability is a potential vulnerability that warrants the attention of ESS organizations. A focus on this vulnerability is appropriate because a few threat scenarios (e.g., the avian influenza) affect the most difficult ESS infrastructure to recover - first responders.

In a scenario like the avian flu, numerous response personnel will be incapacitated and absent from their duties for an extended period of time. Depending on the actual incident (e.g., biological, radiological, flu) there are estimates that 20% to 40% of the workforce will be mentally and/or physically debilitated. Some studies indicate that fear will drive employees to isolation. Other studies argue that worker concerns about family, safety, and survivability will supersede those of work and dedication to duty.

With respect to continuity and response-ability, the EMR-ISAC recommends that ESS leaders nationwide seize the occasion to review the readiness of their plans and programs in terms of personnel availability. Actions now to address probable personnel shortages should appreciably assist operational continuity and mission success during and after any man-made or natural disaster.

Surviving Secondary Devices

As evidence of its focus on first responder survivability, the words "protect the protector" are included in the final narrative of a short video created to help save the lives of Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel, particularly when responding to explosions that might include secondary devices. Terrorism experts agree that the possibility of secondary devices in terrorist attacks is a bitter reality for the ESS.

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed Surviving the Secondary Device - the Rules Have Changed that was produced in 1997, in cooperation with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice. This video, available at no charge to members of the ESS, is brief, but succinct. It examines four major points based on lessons learned from bomb incidents in Georgia that year, two of which involved secondary devices. Protecting the personnel infrastructure is a key theme in discussions of anticipating and searching for secondary devices, effective scene management, rapid evacuation, and evidence recovery. The video includes additional information regarding media rules for bomb investigations and key points for public safety policy development.

The release date notwithstanding, the EMR-ISAC considers Surviving the Secondary Device a worthwhile video addition to the training resources of ESS departments and agencies. To request a free copy, call FEMA Publications at (800) 480-2520 (option #4) and request VT Secondary Devices, Number 9-1224.

Mayday Training

Emergency Services Sector (ESS) leaders agree that their personnel must have the skills to call a "Mayday" when they find themselves trapped or lost, buried under a collapse, stuck or caught on wires, falling through floors, or otherwise facing imminent death or certain injury.

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that two survival-essential National Fire Academy (NFA) "mayday" courses have been transferred to CD-ROM format for distribution to ESS departments and agencies. According to the NFA, the courses can be incorporated into Firefighter I and II curricula or used as in-service training for experienced responders.

Calling the Mayday: Hands-on Training for Firefighters (H134) includes an instructor manual and job performance requirements. It also has skills-check forms to prepare participants for ultimate certification by the local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) as successfully performing the psychomotor components of the mayday routine. Firefighter Safety: Calling the Mayday (Q133) features a video presentation that addresses the cognitive and affective aspects of mayday doctrine. In all learning domains, students must perform the required skills under simulated conditions, and pass written criteria testing, at the master (100% correct) level.

The ability to send a mayday call using is authorized AHJ methods is crucial to protecting the survivability of the most important of infrastructures - personnel. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC suggests ESS organizations take advantage of the free mayday training materials. To order, fax a written request on department or organizational letterhead, signed by the training officer or chief, to (301) 447-1213 at the National Fire Academy. Law enforcement requests should indicate they have coordinated with local fire counterparts.