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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The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned the United States Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA), and supported by the US Department of Justice recently released the Emergency Vehicle Visibility and Conspicuity Study (PDF, 2.2 Mb).
According to the study, numerous law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services (EMS) workers have been injured or killed along roadways throughout the US over the past decade. Due to this fact the study discusses the importance of addressing emergency vehicle characteristics and human factors for reducing the morbidity and mortality of public safety personnel operating along America highways and byways.
The EMR-ISAC summarizes the key findings as follows:
The following are the key recommendations of the study:
The EMR-ISAC confirmed that the study includes best practices in emergency vehicle visibility and conspicuity, including cutting edge international efforts. It explains retro reflective striping and chevrons, high-visibility paint, built-in passive light, and other reflectors for law enforcement patrol vehicles, fire apparatus, ambulances and other EMS vehicles, and motorcycles.
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that the United States Fire Administration (USFA) released a new report titled “Fire Departments and Maritime Interface Are Preparedness.” (PDF, 937 Kb) The report addresses fire department preparedness for incidents in maritime areas and the importance of establishing a multiagency response capability that includes law enforcement, the US Coast Guard (USCG), port authorities, the private sector, emergency medical services, and emergency management agencies. Stakeholders in maritime emergency preparedness include Federal, State, and local government agencies as well as commercial private-sector entities and labor organizations.
The report states that although it focuses on 3 major commercial ports as case studies, it is applicable to almost any fire or emergency services organization that has navigable waterways within their response district. It goes on to say that by examining the preparedness effort at these more complex maritime interface areas the authors intend to highlight issues and risks that likely exist as well in smaller venues.
The EMR-ISAC verified that the 3 ports are Portland in Maine, Port of Houston in Texas, and Port of Port of Portland in Oregon. The study focused on how each port approached preparedness and response planning. The report identified common experiences found in each jurisdiction and the considerations that went into emergency preparedness planning, as well as any unique conditions specific to each jurisdiction. The use of mutual-aid agreements and the establishment of consortiums as tools for joint preparedness were discussed, with attention given to Incident Command, lines of authority, and incident coordination.
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) Learning Serieswill continue this fall. The series comprises of one-hour Web-based seminars providing expert presentations on the tools, trends, issues, and best practices for infrastructure protection and resilience.
Series offerings are available free of charge and designed for CIKR owners and operators and officials with responsibility for risk,security, and emergencymanagement functions. The fall series is as following:
To view and register for upcoming webinars, visit the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources Learning Series web page. For more information on infrastructure protection education, please contact IP_Education@HQ.dhs.gov.
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) noted a new methamphetamine process used as an easier, cheaper, and faster way to produce methamphetamine. MSNBC reported police in Alabama, Oklahoma, and other states have linked dozens of flash fires this year-with some of them fatal-to meth manufacturing.
The article describes this method to include a two liter soda bottle or Coleman fuel can, crushed pseudoephedrine pills, and some household chemicals. The ingredients are placed in a single container and shaken, resulting in a crystalline form of meth.
According to Sergeant Jason Clark of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control: “Using the new formula, batches of meth are much smaller, but just as dangerous. It can produce a powerful explosion, touch off intense fires, and release drug ingredients that must be handled as toxic waste.” The article goes on to state that if there is any oxygen at all in the bottle, it has a propensity to make a giant fireball. Unscrewing the bottle cap too fast, can possible result in a huge blast.
The EMR-ISAC researched further and found that the US Department of Justice in the “2009 Gulf Coast Drug Analysis Report,” indicated that the shake n’ bake method is a variation of the anhydrous ammonia method of production. (This is where a combination of commonly available chemicals are used to synthesize the anhydrous ammonia.) Producers can make a batch in 30 minutes while traveling in vehicles and then dispose of waste components along roadsides. Discarded plastic bottles may carry residual chemicals that can be toxic, explosive, or flammable.
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reported that September is National Preparedness Month. Ready.gov announced on September 2, 2009 that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with The Advertising Council, has sponsored public service advertisements (PSAs) that educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to all kinds of emergencies. In addition, United States Fire Administration (USFA) shares how the public can “Prepare for a Fire Emergency.”
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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September 2, 2009 InfoGram