InfoGram 11-07: March 22, 2007

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.

Public Works: Critical Response and Recovery Component

According to interviews of emergency management and public works officials recorded in Video Brief 142 (Public Works: A Critical Component-Part 1) at the Homeland Responder Training Network (HRTN), incident management organizations and emergency responders at all levels rely on various types of equipment to perform mission essential tasks. This 5-minute video can be seen on the Homeland Responder Training Network.

Upon viewing this video, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) affirmed that a critical component of preparedness and protection is the acquisition of equipment that will perform to certain standards, including the capability to be interoperable with similar equipment used by other jurisdictions. In addition to operating water treatment facilities and water distribution systems, public works (PW) departments provide the essential response and recovery equipment that assists first responders to maintain the integrity of an incident scene. PW personnel perform closely with firefighters and police to organize the site for search and rescue, and to ensure all evidence has been collected before debris movement and removal.

PW equipment operators need to be familiar with all community emergency response plans, and to understand their role in those plans for providing skilled support persons. Participation by public works representatives in the emergency planning process will make a significant difference when disaster strikes. Without active involvement in the emergency planning and writing process, it will be much more difficult for PW assistance and support to mitigate the circumstances in favor of the community and its citizens. For example, the types of equipment necessary to respond to various man-made or natural disasters should be listed in the jurisdiction's comprehensive emergency management plan.

PW equipment operators must be aware of standard operating procedures or guidelines when entering an incident scene where weapons of mass destruction or hazardous materials may be present. These personnel should understand the functions they will perform, safety measures, special precautions, site security, and evidence preservation. It is likewise necessary for them to know how to report any pertinent information or suspicious activity. Their partaking in joint training helps PW equipment operators to identify and avoid dangerous devices, and follow appropriate procedures when a suspect device is located. Finally, they must recognize the characteristics and threats posed by America's adversaries, and to adhere to all protocols established by the planning committee.

Accepting the major contributions of PW departments before, during, and after a catastrophic event, the EMR-ISAC encourages the leaders of communities and their first responders to deliberately include PW officials in all emergency planning, writing, and training for their respective jurisdiction. Doing so can have considerable advantages for infrastructure resilience and operational efficiency.

To examine the 5-minute HRTN Video Brief 143, (Public Works: A Critical Component-Conclusion), visit the Homeland Responder Training Network.

For more information about HRTN, call 1-866-592-0433 or write to info@homelandresponder.org.

Digital Radio Transmissions

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) issued a member alert on 20 March. The alert explained that IAFC received reports of firefighters experiencing unintelligible audio communications while using a digital two-way portable radio when operating in close proximity to the low-pressure alarm of their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Some reports indicated that other fireground noise such as power tools, apparatus, and Personal Alert Safety System devices potentially degrade voice intelligibility. The following information about this vulnerability has been excerpted from the IAFC alert.

This is an industry-wide issue and is not specific to any one manufacturer's radios. There are indications that any digital voice communication product utilizing parametric voice encoders could be affected by this problem. The IAFC does know the problem is not related to any specific radio spectrum, as it is not a frequency of operation issue or a particular communication standard.

Due to these reports, the IAFC has formed a task group to investigate and provide recommendations to address this concern. The following represents the specific focus of this working group:

• Fully understand the facts and identify potential solutions that may be required.
• Facilitate industry collaboration among the communications equipment manufacturers to explore options to mitigate or eliminate this concern.
• Recommend best practices for digital portable radio use on the fireground.

The IAFC understands that many fire departments are using digital radio systems with success, but there may be issues related to voice transmission being interfered with or overridden when common fireground noise is in the background. Therefore, the IAFC requests emergency responders test their radio systems and submit test results using the instructions on the IAFC Website. Recognizing the possible degradation to the communications infrastructure component, the EMR-ISAC agrees that input to this initiative is vital to ensure that digital radio technology can be effectively utilized in fireground applications.

ESS Responder Vessel Precautions

An incident in the western United States offers critical infrastructure protection (CIP) insights for personnel and physical assets of Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations that now have, or might acquire, response vessels for maritime operations.

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) noted a report of an incident that endangered firefighters and could have damaged the vessels they were piloting. Personnel in new fire boats on a river responded to a railroad trestle fire. After they battled the blaze successfully, senior ESS leaders removed the boats from service on the basis of several safety issues.

The boats did not have oxygen masks and tanks on board and responders were exposed to potentially harmful smoke. The other urgent personnel safety issue that became apparent was that emergency workers were unable to wear life jackets correctly while also wearing their required personal protective equipment.

In addition to a couple of mechanical problems with the boats, it was ascertained that the method of fueling them was unsafe. The gasoline was stored in cans that could have spilled, threatening personnel and creating a fire hazard for the vessels.

Senior leaders determined that the boats could reasonably be used for patrol and rescue purposes, but standard operating guidelines needed to be written to address the personnel and property safety issues before returning the watercraft to maritime firefighting operations.

A source of information for departments responsible for operations in navigable waters is the public/private, non-profit Tri-state Maritime Safety Association (TMSA). The TMSA website includes links to federal agencies, national organizations, and marine firefighting organizations. Among them are the National Marine Firefighting Academy and the National Association of Marine Firefighting Organizations. Marine-specific codes and standards, and training information are described.

The EMR-ISAC views this jurisdiction's "lessons learned" as an opportunity for all affected ESS organizations to review their vessel safety procedures and operations.

Vehicle Bomb Mitigation Guide

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) released the Vehicle Bomb Mitigation Guide (USAF Handbook 10-2401), a For Official Use Only (FOUO), law-enforcement-sensitive document with applications for the Emergency Services Sector (ESS).

With approval of the USAF Force Protection Battle Lab, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) offers access to the Guide through an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security's Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS) Website. The Vehicle Bomb Mitigation Guide will be available under the "New LLIS.gov Content" section of the LLIS home page by Saturday, 24 March.

The handbook presents reference material relevant to planning and executing programs and operations for protecting critical infrastructure assets against the threat of vehicle bombs. It provides lessons learned from five USAF force protection initiatives using a multi-dimensional approach that incorporates threat detection and loss mitigation. Additional information about the contents of the Guide cannot be described here because of its sensitive status. However, the EMR-ISAC encourages ESS leaders, owners, and operators to examine the document's valuable critical infrastructure protection instruction and recommendations by becoming verified users of LLIS at the aforementioned link.

LLIS is an encrypted system and all users are verified emergency response providers and homeland security officials. Users must register before they can find and review the Guide discussed above. Readers not already registered with LLIS might appreciate the many benefits of reviewing the USAF document while taking advantage of the peer-validated lessons learned, best practices, and homeland security documents from federal, state, and local organizations.