InfoGram 7-13: February 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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Scene Safety and Awareness Around Bridges

Firefighters and EMS personnel respond to vehicle crashes or other incidents at bridges regularly. In the past two years, at least three first responders were injured or killed after falls from bridges. Accidents like these can be preventable with proper safety and situational awareness.

Two incidents involve people attempting to jump over divided highway overpasses while responding to accidents. An Alexandria, VA, paramedic died in 2012 after suffered injuries attempting to jump a 3-foot gap between highway lanes. This week, a paramedic in Delaware fell 50 feet while attempting to do the same thing.

A 2007 fatality investigation by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lists several recommendations including proper lighting, ensuring the bridge barriers (concrete, railings, etc.) are high enough, and the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for bridge operations.

Departments should identify bridges or overpasses having gaps between lanes and rewrite SOPs to address them, if necessary. Focus on things such as apparatus staging, lighting of the scene at night and how to cross the gaps properly and safely.

(Source: ABC WPVI-Philadelphia)

Executive Order: Critical Infrastructure Security

This week, the White House released Presidential Policy Directive/PPD-21 on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience and an Executive Order entitled “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity.” The administration has been working on these documents and they were released jointly to promote an integrated approach to overall security needs.

PPD-21 replaces Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7, which served as the policy for critical infrastructure protection and security since 2003. The Fact Sheet for PPD-21 discusses six specific deliverables, including:

• Updating the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) within 240 days,
• Developing a situational awareness capability within 240 days and
• Identifying baseline data and systems requirements for the federal government to enable efficient information exchange within 180 days.

The Executive Order’s press release discusses ways to strengthen ties between the federal government and private sector companies, as cybersecurity often falls jointly between the two. One specific need is a better reporting system for classified and non-classified cyber threat information in order to enable “near real time sharing…to assist participating critical infrastructure companies in their cyber protection efforts.”

(Source: The White House)

Planning for People with Medical Dependencies

A recent article in Homeland Security Affairs addresses the gap in preparedness for people with medical dependencies and the need for a re-evaluation of plans for these at-risk populations. Census data suggest roughly 12 percent of the population falls into this category, but the number triples when those over age 65 are added.

Federal regulations require equal level of access to programs and services for everyone. This includes situations where locating, transporting, sheltering and making care accessible may be difficult or impossible without prior preparation.

The article defines the term “medical dependencies” and discusses how emergency planners can underestimate the needs of these populations, leading to a shortage of supplies and medications during a disaster. One example is the electrical needs or short battery life of portable medical equipment (e.g., insulin pumps) coupled with inadequate supplies or generator capabilities in shelters.

The authors discuss the pros and cons of various information collection methods for at-risk population size, location and needs including surveys, registries, working with medical and social services organizations and even door-to-door canvassing.

(Source: Homeland Security Affairs)

Recent Terrorism Cases with Western Citizens

In 2010, the Director of National Intelligence testified in front of Congress to discuss “the difficulty U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies have in spotting terrorists who are American citizens - the so-called terrorist next door phenomenon.” The Annual Threat Assessment presented that year also predicted “violence from homegrown jihadists will persist ‘but will be sporadic.’”

Since then, media reports do show a rise in terrorists with western ties and homegrown violent extremists (HVEs). Numerous arrests around the country include incidents in Georgia, New York, Alabama, Ohio and Oregon.

News articles describe the accused as “fringe militia,” “lone wolf” terrorists or “anarchists.” Some had interaction or communications with international terrorist organizations, but others planned and attempted the attacks on their own.

Last week, undercover FBI agents stopped another attempted bombing incident in California and FireRescue1.com refers to the incident as an opportunity for fire departments to re-evaluate their planned response to improvised explosive device and bomb incidents. This can mean changes in staging, improved situational awareness training, and a refresher on state and local procedures.

(Source: AP News)