InfoGram 24-07: June 21, 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.

Bottle Bombs Threat to ESS

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned Emergency Services Sector (ESS) members recently encountered a surge in "bottle" bomb incidents that threaten personnel and could result in copycat incidents.

Bottle bombs are small and easy to devise. There are two types of the devices: One, made with dry ice, is used as an explosive device to cause damage; the other is made with an acid or caustic liquid, and is intended to inflict injury. The bombs are often placed in mailboxes and left to explode. In some cases, mailboxes have been blown a distance of 35 yards or more.

The bombs are made with plastic soda bottles that range in size from 20 ounces to 3 liters. Using larger bottles increases the size of the explosion and dispersal area of its contents. With the bottle cap in place, the bottle's contents expand until the container is approximately half filled. It takes a dry-ice bottle bomb approximately 45 minutes to an hour to detonate. Acid bombs, on the other hand, can detonate within 5 to 15 minutes. Prevailing weather conditions cause the time to detonation to vary, i.e., hotter temperatures speed detonation.

Any responder within the explosion range of one of these devices should immediately remove any contaminated gear, and the individual should be rinsed with large quantities of water. If severe adverse health effects (e.g., chemical burns, trauma, and respiratory irritation) occur, seek immediate medical attention.

Responders, with the exception of explosive ordnance disposal personnel, are cautioned not to handle the bombs. They should be treated as high-explosive devices, with the incident area isolated, personnel kept back a minimum of 200 feet, and law enforcement notified.

Visor Checklist Cards

The American Public University System's Community Resource Portal offers seven checklists, in a "visor-card" format, that summarize personnel protection and survival information (i.e., internal critical infrastructure protection) for Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations.

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed the two-page cards, which are conveniently designed for responder use. Each checklist covers a specific topic: Advanced Explosive Incident Countermeasures; Officer Safety; WMD Response; Officer Stress Management; Methamphetamine Lab Advisory; Patrol Response to Critical Incidents; and, Suicide Bomber. The Patrol Response to Critical Incidents checklist, for example, contains sequential response actions for hostage/barricaded gunmen situations and a list of toll-free telephone numbers for relevant agencies, hotlines, and operations centers. In the Methamphetamine Lab Checklist, emergency personnel can scan a list of commonly used and encountered chemicals, and review the list of responder survival precautions.

The checklists are presented in downloadable PDF format at the American Public University System's Website. The EMR-ISAC encourages ESS members to consider the value of the cards as concise reference documents for emergency vehicles, as refreshers for experienced personnel, or supplemental training aids for recently hired employees.

Violence Assessment Framework

In the course of their daily duties, Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel, and sometimes their equipment, are the targets of direct or indirect violence. The behavior of citizens in emergency situations can be unpredictable, quickly turning to extreme aggression. Responders face threats, personal injury, and damaged or destroyed physical assets (i.e., internal critical infrastructures).

Over time, and with experience and training, emergency personnel develop "street-smart" skills useful in surviving precarious interactions with the public. An article featured recently at the Website "BigMedicine" gives an overview of a heuristic method known as the STAMP system. It was developed by emergency health workers in Australia as an easy-to-remember checklist that can be applied in a wide range of potentially stressful situations to provide an initial indication of possible violence.

STAMP stands for Staring and eye contact, Tone and volume of voice, Anxiety, Mumbling, and Pacing. It is based on research that included these key findings:

• Staring was an important early indicator of potential violence, and noted frequently. Observers felt that staring was used to intimidate emergency personnel into prompter action. When they responded to this cue, violence tended to be avoided.
• Lack of eye contact was associated with anger and passive resistance. However, it was noted that there can be cultural reasons for avoiding eye contact and it was important to differentiate these from other cases.
• Tone and volume of voice was associated with nearly all of the violent episodes studied. Most of the cases involved raised voices and yelling; however, some involved sarcastic and caustic replies.
• The majority of those whose behavior escalated to violence were observed mumbling, using slurred or incoherent speech, or repeatedly asking the same question or making the same statements. Mumbling was perceived to be a sign of mounting frustration and a cue for violence.
• Pacing was seen as an indication of mounting agitation. Other physical indicators included staggering, waving arms around, or pulling away from rescuers trying to assist them.

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center offers the STAMP technique as a possible tool in defusing violence toward emergency services personnel and equipment. The article, and other information and resources, can be seen at the BigMedicine Website.

National ESS Funding Database

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) noted the launch this month of FireGrantsHelp.com, a national information resource and grants database of federal, state, local, and corporate funding opportunities for Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies.

FireGrantsHelp features a searchable database and a range of grants news, announcements, and grant-writing tips, as well as a comprehensive listing of reference materials and links. It is designed to provide resources to those who have varying levels of grant application preparation experience.

As it expands, the Website will offer grant application assistance tools such as research guidance, a grants discussion forum, case studies, and columns on relevant subjects. Grants are a critical source of funding for the ESS, according to personnel at FireRescue1, a co-sponsor of the website and of FireRehab.com. The EMR-ISAC supports resources that help responder organizations locate monies to augment their physical assets and critical infrastructure protection.

Also useful to ESS organizations in search of Department of Homeland Security funds is a set of six steps offered by GovTech to increase grant-award success.

1. Download the 2007 Homeland Security Grant Program Application Kit (PDF, 515 Kb) and see the programs and deadlines.
2. Assess your organization's readiness to submit a grant application. (Is there a one-year strategic plan to identify and pursue grant opportunities, a budget for preparing proposals, and personnel available to manage developing a grant proposal?)
3. Convince decision-makers that developing grant proposals is a sound investment.
4. Begin to develop the proposal. (Is there a schedule to produce and deliver the grant application, a team ready to develop it, and an outline of required forms and proposal narrative? Have major themes and measurable goals been identified? Is there a proposal preparation manager?)
5. Ask knowledgeable people (who were not involved in writing the application) to review it, after they have studied the grant guidelines.
6. Create a final version that includes all changes, making sure to adhere to the application instructions.

The article, "Grants Up for Grabs," may be viewed at the GovTech Website .