InfoGram 47-09: December 3, 2009

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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DHS Office for Bombing Prevention

To obtain beneficial information for Emergency Services Sector departments and agencies, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) staff contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP). This office leads DHS efforts to deter, detect, prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist improvised explosive device (IED) threats. OBP focuses on three core missions: coordination of national efforts, analysis of counter-IED requirements and capabilities, and promotion of information sharing and IED awareness and vigilance

At the local level, the OBP works with emergency services and security partners to develop Multi-Jurisdiction IED Security Plans. These plans provide a consistent, repeatable IED security planning model for IED threats nationwide that integrate the capabilities of multiple emergency services providers in areas with many local jurisdictions.

The OBP sponsors the TRIPwire Technical Resource for Incident Prevention, an online information-sharing network for bomb technicians, law enforcement officials, and other emergency responders to learn about current terrorist bombing tactics, techniques, and procedures. The EMR-ISAC substantiated that OBP also promotes awareness and vigilance of IED threats in the public and private sector through its Bomb-Making Materials Awareness Program (BMAP).

BMAP is a national program designed to increase awareness of homemade explosives, a common terrorist IED tactic. BMAP materials are currently available to key private sector partners in order to engage businesses and encourage them to play a role in national IED awareness with minimal resource investment. A program fact sheet is available for more information.

Contact the OBP at OBP@dhs.gov or at 703-235-5723 for more information about their programs. Additional information about explosives can be seen at FirstResponder.gov.

Emergency Services Sector Independencies

According to the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) snapshot (PDF, 421 Kb) as seen in the National Infrastructure Protection Plan , (PDF, 4.5 Mb) the ESS has numerous interdependencies with all critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) sectors. “Most significantly, it is the primary protector of all CIKR, including nuclear reactors, chemical plants, and dams.” All other CIKR depend on the ESS “to assist with planning, preventing, and mitigating activities, as well as response to day-to-day incidents and catastrophic situations.”

Having reexamined the relationship between the ESS and other sectors (e.g., communications, water, electrical, fuel) the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) substantiated how the ESS is likewise dependent upon the services from other CIKR. For example, on 19 November a computer glitch (i.e., a network configuration change) caused nationwide flight cancellations and delays. The event was another demonstration regarding how major critical infrastructure can be affected by a sudden technological breakdown. It is also remarkable because countless ESS departments rely on computers in their operations, especially for dispatch and communications.

In their Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Website, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) states that communication systems are the backbone for much of the critical infrastructure within the United States. The FCC asserts that “interdependence is particularly relevant to the public safety community.” This becomes apparent during a power outage when emergency responders occasionally lose access to essential resources such as telephones and computers.

To compensate for infrastructure interdependencies and shortfalls, the EMR-ISAC collected event-related issues from multiple public and private sources for the consideration of ESS leaders, owners, and operators. The specific issues follow below the one pertinent question for first responder organizations: What has been planned and tested for these (not inclusive) events?

• Wide-spread electrical outages.
• Communication nodes cease operating.
• Public and private water systems stoppages.
• Computers stop working (e.g. computer-aided dispatch).
• Key roads, highways, and bridges become impassable.
• Gasoline and diesel sources and supplies disappear.

Fire Service Performance Measures

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) confirmed the release of “Fire Service Performance Measures” (PDF, 311.4 Kb) by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This document presents twenty potential performance measures as they relate to fire department core functions and discusses the information garnered from and the cautions associated with each measure. According to the book “A Complete and Balanced Service Scorecard: Creating Value through Sustained Performance Improvement,” measurement is the process of developing indicators using metrics for driving progress toward goals.

The NFPA text states that a department cannot effectively measure its program without accomplishing the following steps:

• Identifying the goals and purpose of the program.
• Determining the functions or actions needed to achieve goals.
• Considering the available resources to support functions and actions.
• Discerning target rates or percentages for each goal.
• Comparing performance to a standard level or benchmark for each goal.

The twenty performance measures are defined by four major response types: fire, medical aid, hazmat, and other calls and activities. Each response category is divided into individual chapters with independent performance measures and considerations.

The EMR-ISAC noted that this paper also includes a selected list of research in performance measures for the emergency services. This literature may have value for departments interested in efficient performance measurement and program improvement.

NFPA First Responder Codes and Standards receive DHS Designation

According to a recent National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) News Release, fifteen NFPA codes and standards were designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” (QATT), under the “Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002” (SAFETY Act).

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) verified that the particular codes and standards have an association with preventing, detecting, identifying, and deterring acts of terrorism, or limiting the damage such attacks might cause. More specifically, they address emergency preparedness, first responder competencies and professional qualifications, personal protective equipment, and specialized tools.

The following listing provides the identity and hyperlinks to the fifteen codes and standards. These entries are “read only” and may require a free download of Java to view each.

• NFPA 472, Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents
• NFPA 473, Standard for Competencies for EMS Personnel Responding to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents
• NFPA 1006, Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications
• NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs
• NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
• NFPA 1852, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
• NFPA 1936, Standard on Powered Rescue Tools
• NFPA 1951, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents
• NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
• NFPA 1981, Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services
• NFPA 1982, Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS)
• NFPA 1991, Standard on Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials Emergencies
• NFPA 1992, Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies
• NFPA 1994, Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents
• NFPA 1999, Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations

Technology Alert

The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) received information regarding the free availability of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER) application, which is designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents.

The WISER system concept works as a stand alone application or connected mode. It provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including chemical identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression information.