InfoGram 25-08: July 3, 2008

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.

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High-Rise DVD Released

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reported last year that high-pressure fans used to force smoke, heat, and toxic gases from corridors and stairwells can increase the survivability and effectiveness of responders. Recently, NIST announced it will provide Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations a two-disc DVD collection of Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) videos, reports, and a narrated slide presentation, which is the culmination of more than six years of PPV experiments and computer simulations.

Pressurization smoke control systems, which usually consist of mounted wall fans, have been incorporated into high-rise buildings since the 1970s. However, as last year's report stated, "In many cases the buildings do not have the necessary systems or the systems fail to operate properly� Many high-rise incidents have resulted in firefighter fatalities due to disorientation, running out of air, or changes in wind conditions." The NIST experiments represented the first scientific evaluation of PPV technology using portable fans for buildings without built-in systems.

The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC), interested in the personnel protection benefits for the ESS, reviewed the DVD set. The first disc includes a presentation video that explains PPV, examines the results of the NIST research, and closes with a focus on the use of PPV tactics in high-rise buildings. The DVDs highlight information particularly useful to responders, e.g., the need to coordinate crews, and suspend operations for 60 seconds after fan activation. Disc 2 contains the high-rise fire experiment videos filmed in apartment settings. Users can select single and multi-camera views of events in the rooms of the different apartments. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and fire departments across the country supported NIST in applying engineering principles to fire service PPV tactics to improve responder survivability.

The free DVD set, "Positive Pressure Ventilation Research: Videos & Reports," can be ordered online here. To view all available USFA publications, click here.

PPE for Response to CBRN

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released "Guidance on Emergency Responder Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Response to CBRN Terrorism Incidents." The Guidance provides information on NIOSH Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) respirator standards and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) protective ensembles standards that establish minimum performance requirements for PPE use in CBRN terrorism incident response.

Concerned that, "Currently, no single personal protective ensemble can protect the wearer from exposure to all hazards," and "relying solely on PPE being marketed on the basis of Occupational Safety and Health/Environmental Protection Agency (OSHA/EPA) PPE levels" could expose Emergency Services Sector (ESS) personnel to unacceptable exposure levels, or unnecessarily reduce operational effectiveness, NIOSH developed the guidance to compare OSHA/EPA Protection Levels A, B, and C to Department of Homeland Security adopted PPE performance based on standards for response to terrorism incidents that involve CBRN hazards.

The Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) acknowledges that responders must have appropriate respiratory and dermal protection from suspect or known CBRN hazards. Proper selection of PPE for individual responders must be based on careful assessments of anticipated or present hazards, and the probable impact of those hazards based on the mission role of the responder. Incident Commanders and Safety Officers responsible to select appropriate PPE can review and download the NIOSH guidance here (PDF, 13 pp., 279.98 KB).

Preparing Grant Applications

The current economic climate reinforces the need for Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies to apply for, and win, grant monies. As deadlines near for awards of Fiscal Year 2008 funds, grant-writing practitioners urge ESS leaders to plan grant strategies for the next several years, and to assemble basic department-specific information required for grant applications.

When the Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) publicizes the opening of federal grant application periods, emergency response organizations typically have 30 days to submit an application. According to FireRescue1.com, responder departments and agencies new to the application process may be unaware that applications for federal funds must include the following information:

• Area demographics, census data, and economic indicators data.
• Complete and accurate statistical data, i.e., run calls or calls for service statistics broken down into various categories for the three preceding calendar years.
• A complete copy of the department's/agency's budget for the current and preceding three years.
• The department's vehicle fleet that identifies age and condition (year of manufacture, mileage, and maintenance figures).
• A formal assessment of the exposures the department must protect and the critical infrastructure within the department's scope of responsibility.

The article further urges potential applicants to contact their State Administrative Agencies (SAA) and homeland security directors for information about how their departments fit into the SAAs' overall plans, and reminds ESS leaders to ensure their organization's compliance with the National Incident Management System, a mandatory application eligibility requirement since 1 October 2006. The article is available at here. For information about grant opportunities available from insurance companies, such as the Allstate Foundation, go here. For general federal funding information, visit Grants.gov.