InfoGram 11-13: March 14, 2013

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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Free All-Hazards Training for Rural Departments

Hard economic times make it difficult for emergency services organizations around the country to find quality instruction and training, especially in rural areas or small departments. The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium (RDPC) offers all-hazards training both online and on site for first responders completely tuition-free.

The classroom training calendar is searchable by location, course and date. Rural agencies may request delivery of courses locally; the RDPC lists steps to take before submitting local training requests to help ensure success.

Classroom-based training includes “Rural Isolation and Quarantine Planning,” “Crisis Management for School-based Incidents,” “Resource Inventory Management for Rural Communities,” and “Dealing with the Media.” The online training option offers self-paced instruction available 24/7, but fewer courses are currently available.

The RDPC was established in 2004 by Congress and the Department of Homeland Security specifically to target emergency response departments such as fire, law enforcement and emergency management offices as well as private sector partners and other emergency support functions defined by the National Response Plan.

(Source: Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium)

State and Local Law Enforcement Resources

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers regularly updated support materials for various first responder agencies, including state and local law enforcement. In January, DHS released the revised State and Local Law Enforcement Resource Catalog, a 35-page listing of publications, training and offices to contact for information and support.

The catalog describes the various DHS offices and their function and then lists resources the office provides. Some of the programs or resources available:

• Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) – Homeland Security Intelligence Training Academy offers courses to federal, regional and private sector.
• Office of Health Affairs (OHA) – Offers BioWatch, a national biosurveillance program, and the National Biosurveillance Integration Center.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – First Responder Training website offers courses on handling “mass consequence events.”
• Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) – Mobile Detection Deployment Program provides detection equipment for event and national security events.

While the catalog was developed specifically for law enforcement agencies, other first responder departments will find the information provided helpful and informative.

(Source: DHS)

Wildland Fire Regional Action Plans Submitted

The draft Regional Action Plans for the Northeast, Southeast and West Cohesive Strategy Regions were submitted to the Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC) March 5, 2013. They include actions and activities to be implemented within the next five years to help enhance response and reduce the impact on life and property.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) is one of the partners working with the WFEC to encourage fire chiefs around the country to learn about the regional strategies and what their part is in implementing them. The IAFC has representation on each of the regional committees.

The IAFC president issued “An Appeal to Engage with the Cohesive Strategy” last year, stating “I understand that with so many priorities competing for your limited time and resources, it’s hard to justify the effort and expense if you have never seen a 30-foot-high, five-mile-long wall of fire descending on your town.”

The Regional Strategy Committees recently moved their websites to Forest and Rangelands, a cooperative website managed by the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and their land management agencies. The site “provides fire, fuels and land management information for government officials, land and wildland fire management professionals, businesses, communities and interested organizations and individuals.”

(Source: Forests and Rangelands)

CDC Issues Health Advisory for Coronavirus

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the first official Health Advisory related to the Novel Coronavirus initially reported in the Middle East in September 2012. Fifteen laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported with 9 fatalities. No cases have been reported in the United States.

According to the CDC, “coronaviruses are a large, diverse group of viruses that affect many animal species” with symptoms similar to the common cold. This particular strain of Novel Coronavirus is new and is not related genetically to the severe acute respiratory disease (SARS) coronavirus from several years ago.

Three recent cases in the United Kingdom in February 2013 provide evidence of human-to-human transmission, but study on the spread of the virus is still underway. This new information led the CDC to issue updated guidance for public health departments and healthcare facilities, including who should be reported to the CDC as a Patient Under Investigation (PUI).

(Source: CDC)