InfoGram 4-07: February 1, 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.

Copper Thefts Can Disrupt ESS Communications

Increasing nationwide thefts of copper from electrical transmission lines, substations, and distribution lines degrade the reliability of the regional electrical grid. They can also potentially disrupt Emergency Services Sector (ESS) wireline and wireless communications and possibly operations, particularly those of 9-1-1 Call Centers. Therefore, to offer responder organizations steps to mitigate the growing problem, the Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) turned to guidance from AT&T's asset protection specialists.

AT&T's Copper Cable Theft: a Guide for Law Enforcement and Fire Departments explains that worldwide demand for copper has driven its price up and opened the door to lucrative trading in the stolen material, primarily by scrap-metal dealers. AT&T recycles all of its cable scraps and makes clear that anyone in possession of cable must show a valid work order and identification.

The guide and an accompanying DVD will be available to ESS members in the spring of 2007. In the interim, the EMR-ISAC summarizes the following information from AT&T asset protection sources:

• Look for signs that cable has been stolen and readied for transport, i.e., cut into short lengths or coiled into sections, sheathing and outer skin have been removed, and cable is stored in cargo areas of noncommercial vehicles without company signage.
• If investigating a copper cable theft, take pictures, preserve evidence, interview possible witnesses, identify cable markings to establish cable's original location, check state theft or telephone/telecommunications statutes, review city ordinances for scrap-metal dealers, and review Section 105 of the USA Patriot Act. Cable marking identifiers are unique as are weapon serial numbers and vehicle identification numbers.
• Obtain purchase invoices, dealer records, current and past cable inventory information from scrap-metal dealers, and a driver's license or state identification of cable-theft suspect(s).
• For assistance, contact AT&T's Asset Protection Division, which operates a 24x7 desk at (800) 807-4205. State the cable theft location and approximate weight of stolen cable. Ask to have employee and/or contractor identities validated, and verify with AT&T that contractors are working on an AT&T cable project. Request that AT&T provide expert testimony to support prosecution.

The EMR-ISAC notes that responder organizations might benefit from contact with their local electrical utilities if assistance is needed with specific information about cable markings and sizes. Moreover, the cooperation of ESS departments and agencies, even if just as observers and reporters, can help combat this criminal activity that could hinder emergency communications.

Workshops Assist Grant-Seekers

Additional program guidance is available now for Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations interested in submitting applications for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program.

AFG regional staff personnel conduct hundreds of workshops nationwide to provide up-to-date grant information to applicants and to individuals considering the application process for the first time. Each of the two-hour workshops presents identical information, so potential applicants can attend one in their local area or at any location listed on the schedule. The master schedule is organized according to the 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions, and as workshops are confirmed, they are added to the master schedule. Dates, times, and locations, as well as regional contact names and telephone numbers, are available at the AFG Website. An applicant tutorial and the FY 2007 AFG program guidance will be available at the site by mid-February 2007.

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reminds response organizations that AFG funds can be used for equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, and training. According to AFG program guidance, applications that include requests for equipment and/or training will be evaluated by review panelists "relative to the critical infrastructure within the applicant's area of first-due response." Reviewers will assess the infrastructure and hazards that confront the community (further explained in application guidance documents) to determine the benefits that would be realized through a grant award. The EMR-ISAC encourages senior ESS leaders to explore both critical infrastructure protection (CIP) and critical infrastructure resiliency (CIR) enhancements that could be achieved using AFG monies.

Homeland Security Standards Database

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)�announced the roll-out of a searchable database of homeland security standards critical to the jobs of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) and its partners in critical infrastructure protection (CIP).

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ANSI undertook the project to create the Homeland Security Standards Database (HSSD) on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the goal of providing a single, comprehensive source for standards that relate to homeland security. �ANSI is working in partnership with DHS and standards-developing organizations such as�the National Fire Protection Association, Insurance Services Office, and�U.S. Department of Defense.

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The information in the roll-out phase of the database (undertaken in cooperation with the Responder Knowledge Base) deals primarily with the areas of�preparedness and�protection.� It�also uses the Standardized Equipment List (SEL) from the Interagency Board as the basis for the classification structure.� Later, other aspects of homeland security will be included in the database.

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Presently, first responders and their community’stakeholders�(e.g., public works, telecommunications, utilities, hospitals, etc.) can search standards categorized by threats, emergency preparedness and response, borders and transportation, information analysis and infrastructure protection, and DHS-adopted standards.� For example, under the "threats" category, credible information can be found regarding biological,�chemical, radiological, nuclear, explosive, and cyber incidents as they pertain to�people, air, water, food, agriculture, structures, etc.

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Another feature offered at the site is an alerts system.� After setting up a profile, users can be notified automatically of new standards-related activities and revisions to existing ones.� Therefore, the EMR-ISAC considers�the HSSD electronic clearinghouse�a beneficial resource for�CIP and mission-critical information accessible to the ESS and its partners nationwide.

Business Role in Disaster Response

The Emergency Services Sector (ESS) is the subject of the first of the three most key recommendations of Getting Down to Business: An Action Plan for Public-Private Disaster Response Coordination (PDF, 981 Kb) [PDF Help], a January 2007 report delivered to the U.S. Congress this week by Business Executives for National Security (BENS).

The Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed the 62-page report, prepared after Congressional leaders invited business advice on problems in linking business capabilities with government needs during the response to Hurricane Katrina. Described as the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken on how best to improve business-government collaboration during domestic emergencies, its first recommendation is that state and major metropolitan Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) offer a seat (or broaden representation) to a business representative to serve as a liaison to the business community at large. The business representative, in turn, would maintain a parallel "Business Operations Center" that could plug in to government operations to enhance�all disaster response needs.

Many ESS leaders and officials were interviewed during the preparation of the report, and the resulting language indicates that first responder organizations could be more protected and resilient if the report's proposals were implemented. The essential role of the ESS dictates that its critical infrastructures-personnel, physical, and communication/cyber-receive immediate attention during all hazards. With a business representative at the EOC, any degradation of ESS services could be�immediately identified and efforts begun to restore or replace their critical infrastructures, so that�private sector resources and coordination could benefit emergency departments and agencies�as well as�community continuity. Given the business sector's first-hand knowledge of local infrastructures, geography, and geology, its members can potentially�concentrate�on their areas of expertise, freeing the ESS to focus on its mission.

Three chapters cover public-private collaboration, surge capacity/supply chain management, legal and regulatory environment; the fourth is a guide to prioritizing and sequencing for the integration of the private sector into national disaster response planning and execution.