November 2, 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.

Election Day Emergency Preparedness

Although there are no specific indications that terrorists might strike polling places on Election Day, 7 November, terrorism specialists urge increased vigilance and awareness. Considering that terrorist organizations can achieve political and social incentives by creating chaos in the American electoral process, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) suggests prevention and protection measures by communities and their first responders.

Election officials assert that well-known voting locations utilized during each election are particularly vulnerable to terrorist advanced planning and preparations. Therefore, in the few remaining days preceding the nation-wide elections, police and fire officials can scrutinize the voting sites where large numbers of people normally gather. It is an excellent opportunity for emergency responders to demonstrate community leadership and make a national difference in the survivability of citizens and continuity of democratic traditions. Doing so should also provide the occasion to reinforce the protection of critical infrastructures-including those of emergency departments and agencies-in the event of an actual attack.

The EMR-ISAC encourages measures to prevent the disruption of local voter participation and to provide security for municipal election procedures. To bolster these efforts, the EMR-ISAC offers the following recommendations:

• Provide guidance to all poll workers preparing them to watch for and immediately report any unusual or suspicious individuals, boxes, packages, brief cases, etc.
• Provide directions to all poll workers preparing them to lead the expeditious evacuation of their respective polling sites in the event of an emergency.
• Develop provisions to validate the identity of official personnel and vehicles that may be seen at or near polling sites.
• Become familiar with local first responder uniforms and vehicles, including those of organizations from adjacent or regional municipalities.
• Establish strict internal accountability for uniforms, vehicles, operating devices, codes, and anything else that can be used by adversaries to "legitimize" their presence or facilitate their criminal acts.

Receiving and Safeguarding FOUO Information

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) frequently disseminates Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) "For Official Use Only" (FOUO) Notices to the validated leaders of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS). These notices usually originate from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and normally contain information regarding the threats to, vulnerabilities of, and security best practices for the nation's critical infrastructures, including ESS departments and agencies.

CIP (FOUO) Notices are exclusively for the vetted ESS leaders, owners, and operators. The information should not be released either in oral or written form to the media, the general public or other personnel who do not have a valid "need-to-know" without prior approval from the EMR-ISAC. According to DHS Management Directive 11042.1 (January 2005), recipients of DHS FOUO information must enforce the following additional requirements:

Storage-FOUO information should be stored in a locked filing cabinet, locked desk drawer or other locked storage compartment. The information can also be stored in a room that has sufficient physical controls to afford adequate protection and prevent unauthorized access by members of the public, visitors or other persons without the "need-to-know." Do not leave FOUO information in plain view on a desk.

Destruction-FOUO information should be destroyed either by shredding, burning, pulping or pulverizing. FOUO information should not be disposed of in a regular trash or recycling receptacle unless it has already been destroyed as specified in the previous sentence.

Individuals in leadership positions within ESS organizations who are not receiving CIP (FOUO) Notices should contact the EMR-ISAC as soon as possible at emr-isac@fema.dhs.gov or at 301-447-1325.

Protecting Personnel in Major Health Emergencies

The law enforcement (LE) segment of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) has a unique and challenging role in major health emergencies, one that places police personnel at risk. Because safeguarding personnel is such an important part of critical infrastructure protection, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed: The Role of Law Enforcement in Public Health Emergencies-Special Considerations for an All-Hazards Program (PDF, 2.3 Mb).

Just released by the Department of Justice in partnership with the Police Executive Research Forum, the 42-page downloadable guide examines the special challenges public health emergencies pose for law enforcement. The first of the document's three major sections explains how to prepare LE departments for major health emergencies. This section generally discusses the personnel protection and operational continuity concerns of police departments.

Among important personnel protection issues covered in the second section are disease exposure, transmission, and immunization. Personal protection equipment (PPE), departmental education programs, infectious disease treatment, and protecting officers' families are other topics contained within this section.

The guide concludes with a community protection section that addresses working with public and private agencies, dealing with special populations, and the LE role during voluntary and involuntary restrictions and in mass vaccinations and preventive measures.

According to the document, an all-hazards plan provides a basis to better protect officers from the risks that arise in routine policing, thereby allowing departments to "move seamlessly into higher states of readiness as risks change." The EMR-ISAC suggests that document contents may have some relevance for the departments and personnel of other emergency disciplines.

Coast Guard Hazmat Resource

The U.S. Coast Guard has compiled a new multi-database CD-ROM of chemical information that is available at no charge to members of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS).

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) notes that the CD-ROM, titled CHRIS+, offers four searchable databases to check for important personnel protection information such as the health risk ratings of hundreds of chemicals. Users can search substances by color, odor, and physical appearance, and check chemical ratings according to flammability, reactivity, and other factors.

CHRIS+ is a compendium of the Coast Guard's Chemical Hazards Response Information System (CHRIS) and its WMD First Responder's Guide, the Department of Transportation's Emergency Response Guide, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's Pocket Guide. Incident response advice, guidelines, and forms, including the National Response Plan, are additional resources.

Copies of the no-cost CD-ROM can be requested by contacting Alan Schneider via electronic mail at alan.l.schneider@uscg.mil or by calling him at 202-372-1421.