InfoGram 38-07: September 27, 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.

Suspicious Videotaping

Between late July and the present, at least three Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments notified law enforcement officials of unknown individuals videotaping their routine activities. In each case, the persons rapidly departed the area before contact could be made to learn their identity and the intentions of their filming.

The Emergency Management and Response – nformation Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) confirmed that incidents of videotaping, photographing, and note taking are frequently reported to local authorities. Several of these incidents can be attributed to tourists or aspiring photographers seeking something unique to market. However, the EMR-ISAC acknowledges that some of the filming events are suspicious such as the ones described in the preceding paragraph. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that terrorists and other criminals make extensive use of surveillance in their planning process.

ESS departments and agencies should already know that terrorists have targeted first responders with secondary improvised explosive devices in attacks overseas. Therefore, emergency response organizations must consider if the suspicious videotaping indicates preoperational reconnaissance by terrorists. Do these photography incidents raise the probability that terrorists may target first responders in the United States? Alternatively, is it possible that terrorist sympathizers are allowing themselves to be seen acting suspiciously in an attempt to misdirect prevention and protection measures?

Regardless of your answers to these questions, the EMR-ISAC recommends the following actions to ensure the protection of internal ESS critical infrastructures.

• Conduct or update vulnerability assessments of your personnel, facilities, and operations.
• Create or revise security plans based on the vulnerability assessments.
• Limit access to facilities and information to current employees.
• Require escorts for visitors, vendors, and others while avoiding sensitive areas and information.
• Allow minimal photography of non-critical areas and note taking of non-sensitive information.
• Change all access codes, keys, passwords as frequently as practicable.
• Increase training in personal and physical security, social engineering tactics, and antiterrorism.
• Immediately report suspicious activity to local law enforcement and the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center at 202-282-9201 or nicc@dhs.gov.

ESS Personnel are "First Preventers"

Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel have disrupted a growing number of homegrown terror plots, though they have not garnered much national attention for doing so. Nevertheless, many security officials at all levels of government now realize that first responders are also the nation's "first preventers," who can stop terrorist acts before they occur, rather than just reacting to them.

The Emergency Management and Response – nformation Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) agrees that members of the emergency services can gather terrorism-related information and help protect local critical infrastructures in many ways. For example, during the course of routine building inspections, arson investigations, fire suppression, code enforcement, and medical emergency responses, ESS personnel have access to buildings and homes not normally entered by outsiders. This admittance provides ample opportunities to observe people, characteristics, materials, equipment, literature, plans, and operations that would indicate the threat of terrorist or criminal activity.

Indeed, emergency responders go into commercial buildings, residential dwellings, and other private and public sites countless times during a typical day. The EMR-ISAC submits that ESS duty performance represents a limitless number of chances to identify the dangers to internal and local critical infrastructures from terrorism-related evidence. Hence, when expeditiously reported for immediate investigation, first responders again demonstrate their ability to be the nation's "first preventers."

The EMR-ISAC suggests that ESS departments and agencies train their personnel to recognize the tell-tale signs of terrorism and criminal activities, and to rapidly report their observations through correct channels.

Disguised Weapons Handbook

Everyday the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) encounters individuals who are equipped with, and willing to use, devices intended to harm first responders. Also, every year more weapons are introduced into the marketplace where they become readily available to those who harbor malevolent motives. Worse, an increasing number of the weapons being introduced appear to be harmless commonplace items, such as pliers, combs, key chains, etc., yet they have been modified to injure or kill. One of the challenges responders face is keeping up to date with the growing variety and features of dangerous homemade weapons.

The Emergency Management and Response – nformation Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) examined the Disguised Weapons Handbook discussed in the current issue of the Hi Tech Criminal Justice Newsletter. The 25-page handbook, which can be viewed at no charge on line, contains chapters devoted to devices that fire; cut or stab; explosives; unusual concealment methods of weapons, safes, and contrabands; and officer safety. The section on officer safety presents seven everyday items, including pepper pagers, cell phone pepper spray, cell phone stun guns, and lipstick pepper spray, whose appearance would not ordinarily arouse suspicion.

In addition to photographs of the weapons and accompanying descriptions, the handbook also lists active websites where most of the devices can be viewed in greater detail. The EMR-ISAC suggests responder organizations inspect the handbook's contents (PDF, 5.91 MB, Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Help) and alert members to its protection and survival information. Subscribe to the Hi Tech Criminal Justice Newsletter.

Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

Without volunteers, the fire service would be unable to protect community infrastructure at innumerable locations throughout the nation. Without volunteers, it would be impossible for too many fire departments to be "response-able." And, without volunteers, risks to personnel, the most critical of infrastructures, would increase during response operations. Therefore, to assist volunteer fire organizations with their two biggest challenges�recruitment and retention�the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) released the second edition of Retention and Recruitment for the Volunteer Emergency Services: Challenges and Solutions.

"Volunteer firefighters comprise two-thirds of the estimated 1.2 million firefighters in this country," said Acting Assistant Administrator Charlie Dickinson. "Maintaining these front-line responders through retention and recruitment is paramount to America's safety and security."

Among the challenges identified and addressed in the new guide are issues the emergency services face in the 21st century: time demands, training requirements, increasing call volume, changes in the "nature of the business," changes in sociological conditions, leadership expectations, federal legislation, internal conflict, higher cost of housing, aging communities, and the effects of the decline in volunteers. The text examines each issue and provides examples of solutions that have worked in volunteer organizations across the nation. The guide's appendix contains study results, statistics, sample documents, references, and additional resources.

Dr. William Jenaway, project manager for the guide, explained that the research conducted for the second edition resulted in three key findings that he stressed must be understood before approaching the issue of recruitment and retention:

• The needs, leadership, and challenges of recruitment and retention are all local. Volunteer organizations should reflect the interests and values of the entire community.
• Recruitment is marketing and needs to be continuous. A needs assessment is critical to make sure that time devoted to marketing is invested appropriately.
• Benefit programs require understanding what members want before they can become incentives.

A new curriculum based on the guide is being developed for retention and recruitment seminars that will be offered by the NVFC at state association conferences across the U.S. To view and download the guide, click here (PDF, 3.3 MB, Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Help). Hard copies can be ordered online from the USFA Publications Center.

Update 2: CIP Information Delivery System Change

Critical infrastructure protection (CIP) information from the Emergency Management and Response – nformation Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) will continue to be disseminated through DisasterHelp.gov until 12 October. Effective 15 October, the new email content delivery system (GovDelivery.com) will replace the CIP information "push technology" service of DisasterHelp.gov. Further information about this system change will be provided in subsequent InfoGrams.