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.
In the second edition (August 2007) of the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Process Job Aid (PDF, 4.6 Mb, Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Help), the Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) writes that it is impossible to prevent all attacks (e.g., terrorism and natural disasters) against local infrastructures. The Job Aid additionally states: "There will never be enough resources (i.e., dollars, personnel, time, and materials) to achieve complete protection of Emergency Services Sector (ESS) infrastructures." Considering these realities, the Job Aid explains a systematic and analytical process to protect truly critical infrastructures in a practitioner-friendly manner.
Although the Job Aid discusses a time-efficient and resource-restrained CIP Process, the EMR-ISAC offers a modified approach for the consideration of ESS departments and agencies. Because resources to implement CIP measures are scarce, this abbreviated approach focuses mainly on existing organizational critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. It encourages entities to invest more in reducing or eliminating internal critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and less on protective measures. For example, an ESS facility that is susceptible to flooding could arrange to elevate its communication/cyber systems, generators, etc., to reduce the vulnerability to flood waters. Of course, it can be said that elevating these systems is also a measure to protect them from damaging water.
From the community perspective, the modified approach would concentrate less on protecting local infrastructure and more on reducing the size of vulnerable critical infrastructures. Elected officials, city planners, and emergency managers could pursue the reduction or reversal of community growth in local areas susceptible to natural disasters or hazmat accidents. Additionally, these civic leaders could deliberately decrease the number of industrial plants that process or store hazmat, and minimize the shipment of hazmat on the roads and rails that transit their municipality.
Homeland security specialists propose that critical infrastructure vulnerability reduction or elimination "will help the nation better survive the catastrophes to come." They argue that man-made and natural disasters will have less effect on those organizations and communities which reduce or eliminate their critical infrastructure vulnerabilities.
It has been nearly two years since the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) was challenged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. All ESS critical infrastructures in the affected areas were taxed, and in some cases, degraded by the storms, including 9-1-1 Centers that struggled to maintain operations with adequate staffing levels. (9-1-1 Centers are also called Public Safety Answering Points.)
The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that after the hurricanes, the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) collaborated with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) to address the staffing issue by expanding the Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce (TERT). This taskforce aims to help states ready themselves to systematically deploy predetermined trained teams of telecommunicators, who can mobilize quickly to assist whenever a man-made or natural disaster compromises a local 9-1-1 Center. At least six states have a TERT program in place and more than two dozen others are in the development process.
To guide emergency communications organizations in disaster planning, the APCO/NENA National TERT Joint Initiative (NJTI) recommends that communications (9-1-1) centers prepare for inoperable systems, as well as loss of power, security, and personnel. It further urges center leaders to train and plan for systems restoration, multi-agency response, and evacuation.
The NJTI is working with the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) to accomplish the following initiatives:
As an essential component of ESS critical infrastructures, 9-1-1 Centers must remain intact and operational during and after disaster strikes. Therefore, the EMR-ISAC encourages states to examine the list of steps in the TERT development process.
One year ago the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) began operations. The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) explored what critical infrastructure protection resources the Bureau offers the Emergency Services Sector (ESS).
To help Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs or 9-1-1 Centers) ensure continuity of operations before, during, and after incidents, the website offers preparation, response, and recovery guidelines that explain critical operational policies, protocols, and procedures for each of the three phases. The guidelines are presented to further develop, enhance, and expand existing plans of ESS organizations, yet also serve as a comprehensive base for departments and agencies in early planning phases. In discussing mutual aid plans, the guidelines urge emergency organizations to join or establish a State Telecommunicator Emergency Response Taskforce, described in the previous article seen above.
The PSHSB website features a clearinghouse that includes examples of preparedness plans that highlight best practices in emergency communications from state governments and first responder agencies. The information is presented by topic (e.g., core concepts, network resiliency, radio systems, etc.) and according to the group providing the recommended plans.
To understand the organizational structure of the Bureau and access its resources for strengthening first responder communications, visit the PSHSB Website.
The Department of Homeland Security Disaster Management (DM) Transition Team recently initiated a service improvement project that realigns elements of the DM e-Gov program including DisasterHelp.gov. Individuals subscribed to receive critical infrastructure protection (CIP) information from the Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) through DisasterHelp.gov will be affected by the system change. While the DisasterHelp website will remain intact, by 30 September 2007, a new email content delivery system will replace the CIP information delivery service provided by DisasterHelp.gov.
Accessing the weekly InfoGrams and periodic CIP Bulletins will still occur by clicking a link within an electronic (email) message. All email accounts will be moved over automatically to the new content notification system without any necessary action by EMR-ISAC CIP information subscribers.
However, the periodic CIP (FOUO) Notices will be stored on a new collaboration system. All personnel subscribed to receive these sensitive but unclassified notices will be sent new account information to access the collaboration system. Account information will be distributed no later than Friday, 28 September. Furthermore, user-friendly information on how to access the "FOUO" documents on the collaboration system will also be made available next week.
The EMR-ISAC requests ESS personnel hold their questions until after review of all information about how to access CIP documents has been disseminated late next week or by 28 September. The ISAC staff greatly appreciates your understanding, cooperation, and patience with this important system change.
The U.S. Fire Administration/EMR-ISAC does not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites, and does not endorse the views they express or the products/services they offer.
This INFOGRAM may contain copyrighted material that was not specifically authorized by the copyright owner. EMR-ISAC personnel believe this constitutes "fair use" of copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use copyrighted material contained within this document for your own purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
DHS and the FBI encourage recipients of this document to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to DHS and/or the FBI. The DHS National Operation Center (NOC) can be reached by telephone at 202-282-9685 or by email at NOC.Fusion@dhs.gov.
The FBI regional phone numbers can be found online at www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
For information affecting the private sector and critical infrastructure, contact the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC), a sub-element of the NOC. The NICC can be reached by telephone at 202-282-9201 or by email at NICC@dhs.gov.
When available, each report submitted should include the date, time, location, type of activity, number of people and type of equipment used for the activity, the name of the submitting company or organization, and a designated point of contact.
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