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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During the past several years, the emergency management community has received some scrutiny regarding actions before, during, and following man-made and natural disasters. Considering this fact, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed “The Eight Step Training Model: Improving Disaster Management Leadership,” which is the feature article in the current online Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. According to this article, it is imperative that emergency managers understand the scope and scale of recent disasters, and the depth of planning required to execute coordinated preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
The authors of the paper wrote that one method for emergency managers to achieve success may be through the implementation of a disciplined training methodology known as the “Eight Step Training Model.” At its essence, “the eight step training model provides a logical, structured, and repeatable framework for developing and executing training that is designed to build confident and competent emergency managers and improve the individual and collective training proficiency of primary and secondary responders.” At a minimum, “the model acquaints participants with divergent organizational roles and missions, and at its best instills confidence in participating organizations’ ability to work together in a simulated setting before they are forced to collaborate during emergency response.”
It is the belief of the authors that a time investment in this planning and training methodology will increase preparedness, response, and recovery efforts and desired outcomes. Therefore, for the convenience of emergency managers and other Emergency Services Sector leaders, the EMR-ISAC summarized the eight steps as follows:
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency jointly offer the CIKR Asset Protection Technical Assistance Program (CAPTAP) to assist state and local first responders, emergency managers, and homeland security officials.
The DHS CAPTAP website states that the free 36-hour technical assistance (TA) service was designed to accomplish the following:
C/ACAMS enables state and local agencies to catalogue, analyze, prioritize, and visualize their local infrastructure data via a free web-based application. C/ACAMS also provides law enforcement, public safety, and emergency response personnel with a set of tools and resources to aid in the collection and utilization of CIKR asset date, the assessment of asset vulnerabilities, and the development of all-hazards incident response and recovery plans.
The EMR-ISAC verified with the C/ACAMS Project Office that states and urban areas can request to host a federally instructed CAPTAP service by submitting a complete TA application. Project personnel schedule training on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on possible training opportunities available across the nation, contact the C/ACAMS Project Office at acams-info@hq.dhs.gov or their Website.
Protecting Emergency Services Sector personnel from all hazards has been a consistent message of the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC). Therefore, the EMR-ISAC reviewed information regarding the third iteration of the National Firefighter Health Week (17-21 August), a project of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC). The theme for this year is “It takes a healthy heart, mind, and body to do what you do - Keep It Strong.”
According to the NVFC website, National Firefighter Health Week is an initiative to educate the fire and emergency services community about a variety of health and wellness issues that affect performance and quality of life. The program encourages first responders to learn the risk factors and commit to making healthy lifestyle changes—not just during Firefighter Health Week—but throughout the year. The NVFC further entices first responders to “avoid preventable illness and stay strong for those who depend on them—their families, departments, and communities."
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced support for Firefighter Health Week in a press release. It substantiates that heart attack is the leading cause of firefighter on-duty fatalities year after year, making health and wellness essential to reducing firefighter deaths.
The EMR-ISAC confirmed that the National Firefighter Health Week Resource Center features abundant resources, daily activity suggestions, and other tools for numerous health and wellness related topics.
During a response to a pandemic, it is possible that a community’s 9-1-1 system may experience an overwhelming surge in calls, which renders the call center unable to provide an efficient and essential service. To identify appropriate actions in those instances, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed the document prepared by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (OSIRE) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) entitled “Managing Calls and Call Centers during a Large-Scale Influenza Outbreak: Implementation Tool.”
Recognizing the diversity among communities and their call centers, the OSIRE developed a tool to encourage communities to examine existing resources, avoid a costly process or system, and seek assistance when necessary. For the convenience of 9-1-1 center directors, emergency managers, and other community leaders, the EMR-ISAC summarized the five steps of the tool as follows:
More information of this subject can be seen at the CDC website.
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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August 13, 2009 InfoGram