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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According to articles in the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) January 2010 On Scene and in the FireRescue magazine, it is clear to the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) that the wildland-urban interface (WUI) is growing rapidly throughout the United States. Virtually every region of North America faces wildland fires in 2010. “Whether in traditional interface areas such as Southern California or Texas, or areas experiencing a new increase in WUI fires, such as the Midwest, firefighters across the country are being called to respond to WUI fires.”
(Note: The National Wildfire Coordinating Group defines WUI as the zone where human-made improvements intermix with wildland fuels.)
During the past ten years, the WUI has created a new frontier requiring innovative rules of engagement, which demand much more from fire departments than ever before. The swiftly expanding WUI has meant that firefighters are battling wildfire disasters with escalating frequency. This reality has strained the resources and critical infrastructures particularly of wildland firefighting organizations. The EMR-ISAC asserts that this is especially true for their personnel who are the foremost among internal critical infrastructures.
Understanding WUI fire behavior is important to decrease risk to first responders. Therefore, FireRescue magazine and IAFC offer several articles to ensure a department is prepared tactically and strategically to respond to WUI fires. Additionally, because rural and volunteer responder organizations often manage or assist with fires in the wildland-urban interface, they also need quality information to develop essential skill sets to protect their internal critical infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, and communication/cyber systems).
The EMR-ISAC suggests the following websites for more information to enhance preparedness for 2010 WUI fires:
For several years, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) has promoted critical infrastructure protection and resilience for Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies. Through its weekly InfoGrams, the EMR-ISAC has attempted to provide information that would either help protect internal infrastructures (i.e., personnel, physical assets, or communication/cyber systems) or encourage the application of resilience measures for those infrastructures that cannot be protected.
Because the EMR-ISAC frequently consults with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), it is aware of the NIOSH Emergency Preparedness and Response Program imperative to protect emergency responders from work-related injury and illness in the line of duty. To accomplish this objective, NIOSH ensures that responder safety and health is addressed systemically during all phases of emergency operations. NIOSH maintains that pre-event preparation, training, quality equipment, and access to readily available information are critical to minimize any infrastructure degradation and to foster workforce resilience.
Consequently, NIOSH provides general emergency response information resources and emergency responder specific information for the infrastructure protection and resilience use of ESS leaders, owners, and operators.
Now available online is the 2010 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard regarding “Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs” (NFPA 1600) (PDF, 757 KB). This document and 14 other NFPA standards and codes have been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as “Qualified Antiterrorism Technology under the “Support Antiterrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002.”
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) reviewed a summary (PDF, 314 KB) of the major improvements in organization and content found within the 2010 edition of NFPA 1600. The summary indicated that the new edition should assist Emergency Services Sector (ESS) departments and agencies in determining how the document changes will help achieve a more comprehensive and better-performing business continuity program.
When perusing the 2010 edition, the EMR-ISAC observed that the Standard offers a complete view of “life cycle” and management system-oriented business continuity planning. “It will help ESS organizations fulfill tasks required to achieve a set of related business objectives, as well as capture and maintain management’s support for the business continuity program.”
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that the All-Hazards Type-III Communications Unit Leader (COML) training course was designed to improve multi-jurisdictional coordination among first responders at an incident. According to Chris Essid, director of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), this course specifically trains emergency personnel to be communications unit leaders during all-hazards emergency operations, significantly improving communications across multiple disciplines and jurisdictions responding to an incident.
“First responders helped us develop the materials for the course, so it focuses on right things,” the OEC director said. “The course promotes a standardized way at an incident and works within the existing structure of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and with the Incident Command System (ICS) principles, as well.”
The EMR-ISAC understands that COML training will continue through state-sponsored courses. Interested parties must first complete pre-requisites such as the 100, 200, 300, 700, and 800 NIMS training.
See the DHS Fact Sheet (PDF, 46 KB) for more information about Type III COML training or contact comltraining@hq.dhs.gov.
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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U.S. Fire Administration, 16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727 | USNG: 18SUJ00529652
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February 18, 2010 InfoGram